AmeriCorps State and National provides funds to local and national organizations and agencies committed to using national service to address critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment.
Our portfolio contains two types of AmeriCorps grants:
- Operational grants provide funding for organizations to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members
- Planning grants provide funding to help organizations develop new AmeriCorps programs to address community challenges.
Operational Grants
Alpine Achievers Initiative provides programs designed to support and nurture economically disadvantaged K-12 students in rural south central Colorado. This program places 50 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time roles, to provide math and literacy tutoring and out-of-school time programming at more than 17 sites.
Counties Served: Alamosa, Chaffee, Fremont, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
To learn more, visit www.alpineachievers.org or contact Julia Makowski at julia@alpineachievers.org.
Focus area: Education
Artist Year places 17 AmeriCorps members serving in full-time roles, to provide student-centered arts education to over 1500 economically disadvantaged students. Members facilitating this program will help to promote academic success, artistic skill, and civic engagement in youth.
Counties Served: Adams, Eagle, Garfield, Jefferson
To learn more, please visit www.artistyear.org, or contact Hayley Krichels at hayley.krichels@artistyear.org.
Focus area: Education
Blue Elements, in partnership with Lake County Community Fund, is developing the framework necessary to implement an AmeriCorps Watershed Sustainability Team, devoted to increasing community resilience in the face of changing water conditions by supporting sustainable, equitable access to one of Colorado’s most valuable natural resources.
To learn more visit https://lakecountycommunityfund.org/
Focus Area: Environmental Stewardship and Education
Bright Futures' AmeriCorps Program places members at early childcare facility in the San Juan Region to develop their skills in a hands-on setting. Members engage children in educational curricula and support the lead teacher in creating engaging lesson plans.
To learn more, visit https://www.brightfuturesforchildren.org/americorps or contact Kaity Swick at americorps@brightfuturesforchildren.org.
Focus Area: Education
City Year Denver partners with Denver Public Schools and district teachers to place young adults, aged 17 to 25, in schools to provide individual support to students in need of extra care and attention. This program places 89 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time and three-quarter time roles, to provide full-day academic and school engagement services to students in three public schools. This year, the AmeriCorps members will:
- provide support for English and math classrooms, serving over 800 students,
- individualized services and student progress monitoring to 176 students to improve English, math, and/or attendance,
- implementing extended day activities,
- improving school climate, and
- four members will complete a pre-residency teacher program.
County served: Denver
To learn more, visit www.cityyear.org/denver or contact Josh Shald at jshald@cityyear.org.
Focus area: Education
CivicSpark AmeriCorps fellows focus on capacity building and resiliency to address climate change at the local level. This program places 15 members to create a pipeline of diverse future leaders.
Counties served: Grand, Jefferson, Denver, Boulder, Mesa, Larimer, Broomfield
To learn more, visit https://civicsparkfellowship.org/ or contact Bill Sadler at bill@civicsparkfellowship.org
Focus Area: Environmental Stewardship
Colorado Climate Corps, a program of the Colorado Youth Corps Association, will place 240 AmeriCorps members in 55 counties across Colorado.
Colorado Climate Corps AmeriCorps members will
- improve the overall health and resiliency of public lands, while helping to mitigate the threat of future wildfires and floods;
- increase public awareness of climate change and its impacts;
- provide resources and education to marginalized communities experiencing the effects of climate change including education on health impacts of climate change and resources to mitigate those impacts; and
- conduct energy and water weatherization and retrofitting in low-income households to conserve resources, lower utility bills, and decrease the need for burning fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.
To learn more, visit www.cyca.org or contact Caley Ford at cford@cyca.org.
Focus area: Environmental Stewardship
Colorado HIPPYCorps, a program of Parent Possible, delivers the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) curriculum. The program places 50 AmeriCorps members, serving in three-quarter time, half-time, and reduced half-time roles, to provide weekly visits to families with children aged 2-5 years old to ensure school readiness. During each visit, the member role-plays an activity packet with the parent, so the parent can then complete the activity with their child throughout the week. This year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for ensuring 465 children demonstrate gains in literacy skills. Additionally, the AmeriCorps members will leverage 21 volunteers to engage in supporting monthly group meetings.
Counties served: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Bent Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Denver, Delores, El Paso, Huerfano, Larimer, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Otero,Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, and Weld.
To learn more, visit www.parentpossible.org/hippy or contact Jackie Cordova at jackie@parentpossible.org.
Focus area: Education
Colorado Reading Corps, a program of Colorado Youth for a Change, focuses on improving literacy proficiency of K-3 students in schools across Denver and Northern Colorado. This program places 220 AmeriCorps members, serving in three-quarter time roles, to provide one-on-one reading interventions with students who are reading below grade level during the school day and additional support to enrichment programs before and after school.
Counties served: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Grand, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Morgan, Weld
To learn more, visit www.youthforachange.org/services/colorado-reading-corps or contact Briana Schlesinger at BrianaS@youthforachange.org.
Focus area: Education
Colorado State University Extension 4-H STEM Initiative provides underserved and at-risk youth (ages 8-18) with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming in out-of-school time settings. This program places 21 AmeriCorps members, serving in three-quarter time, half-time and quarter-time roles, to help youth develop 21st-century workforce skills, graduate from high school, and consider STEM fields in academic and career choices. This year, the AmeriCorps members will help all participating students complete at least six hours of STEM education.
Counties served: Archuleta, Boulder Valley School District (in Boulder County), CSU Spur (in Denver County), Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) (in Denver County), Garfield, La Plata, Larimer, Moffat, and Morgan
To learn more, visit https://co4h.colostate.edu/4-h-stem-americorps/or contact Melinda Macpherson at melinda.macpherson@colostate.edu.
Focus area: Education
Corps for a Change, a program of Colorado Youth for a Change, provides attendance and engagement support to off-track disengaged high school students to reduce the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate. This program places 80 members, serving in three-quarter time roles, to assist students who are only attending school 70-90% of the time through case management, home visits, phone calls, tutoring, and connecting students to outside resources.
Counties served: Denver, Larimer, Mesa, Arapahoe, Adams, Jefferson, Pueblo, Boulder
To learn more, visit www.youthforachange.org/services/corps-for-a-change or contact Alayna Shaw at alaynas@youthforachange.org.
Focus area: Education
The Digital Navigators of Larimer County Libraries program will place AmeriCorps members in 6 Larimer County library locations to help underserved community members with gaining connectivity, access, digital skills and confidence via computer tutoring.
Counties served: Larimer
To learn more, visit https://www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org/services/technology/digital-navigators-of-larimer-county-libraries-program.
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity
Colorado Early Learning Corps, a program of Colorado Youth for a Change, helps early learners enter schools ready to learn with early literacy and numeracy support. This program places 20 AmeriCorps members in schools to provide math and literacy support for PreK children from small groups up to entire classrooms.
Counties served: all Colorado counties
To learn more, visit https://youthforachange.org/our-programs/colorado-early-learning-corps/ or contact Vanessa Notman at VanessN@youthforachange.org
Focus area: Education
The Environmental Education Corps (eeCorps), a program of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE), places 21 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time, three-quarter time, and half-time roles, at organizations throughout Colorado to focus on increasing environmental literacy for PreK-12 students and implementing the goals outlined in the Colorado Environmental Education Plan. eeCorps works directly with teachers, schools, and environmental education (EE) providers to support them in expanding reach and increasing impact of EE programming, while providing access to equitable learning experiences for all PreK-12 students. eeCorps members provide direct service to improve outcomes in Environmental Stewardship and Education.
Counties served: Adams, Boulder, Denver, Delta, El Paso, Jefferson, La Plata, Mesa, and Routt
To learn more, visit https://caee.org/programs/act/americorps-eecorps or contact Erin Dreps at erindreps@caee.org.
Focus area: Environmental Stewardship
The Learning Source Digital Navigator AmeriCorps program leverages the efforts of AmeriCorps members in partnership with a coalition of nonprofit and civic-engaged organizations to bridge the digital divide by providing hands-on assistance in accessing and using digital technology.
To learn more, visit https://www.thelearningsource.org/.
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity
Math Corps places 100 members, serving in three-quarter time roles, into schools to work with 4-8th grade students on math literacy and long-term academic success. Members provide individualized support for students in which they can learn math concepts at their own speed and participate in small group interventions. This year, Math Corps members will be responsible for increasing math literacy education of over 4,500 Colorado students.
Counties Served: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Denver, El Paso, La Plata, Douglas, Grand, Larimer, Morgan, Weld, Jefferson, Mesa, Delta, Alamosa
To learn more, visit https://youthforachange.
Focus area: Education
The Mountain Roots Healthy Futures Program is a rural intermediary program focused on community food security by creating synergies among education initiatives, nutrition, and food access programs, public health and human services, and agricultural/conservation programs. Along with the Trailhead Institute, Mountain Roots Food Project places 34 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time and half-time roles, to provide education and outreach to underserved audiences to address capacity issues around food insecurity in southwest Colorado. This year, the AmeriCorps members will contribute to positive behavioral changes in 12,500 rural Coloradans.
Counties served: Alamosa, Chafee, Garfield, Gunnison, and Lake
To learn more, visit https://www.mountainrootsfoodproject.org/healthy-futures or contact Skyler Matthias at healthyfutures@mountainrootsfoodproject.org.
Focus area: Food Systems
Peak Pathfinders, a program of YouthPower365, places 14 full-time members in roles to provide wrap-around supports, extended learning, mentoring, and caregiver engagement to 6 -12th graders in Eagle County. Members will be increasing college readiness among students to ensure academic success through the coordination of these services.
Counties Served: Eagle
To learn more, visit https://youthpower365.org/program/americorps-peak-pathfinders/, or contact Walter Gilles at wgilles@vvf.org.
Focus area: Education
A program of Trailhead Institute, this Public Health AmeriCorps program, in collaboration with Colorado Public Health Workforce Collaborative places 28 members to provide technical assistance and capacity building support for local and state public health agencies and organizations across Colorado through the US Department of Labor Community Health Worker registered apprenticeship.
Counties served: Hinsdale, Mineral, Larmier, Denver, Rio Grande, Lake, Alamosa, Otero, Crowley, Fremont, Mesa, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Pueblo
To learn more visit https://trailhead.institute/colorado-public-health-works-program or contact Lyndie Kenlon at lkenlon@trailhead.institute
Focus area: Health and Social Services
Rural Alliance for Dignity, a program of La Puente Home, is a consortium of community-based organizations serving severely under-resourced, geographically diverse, rural communities. This program places 60 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time and half-time roles, in 14 sites across 7 organizations to address individuals' unmet needs. This year, the AmeriCorps members will:
- provide housing services to 1,880 individuals who are experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness,
- provide emergency food assistance to 11,000 food-insecure individuals,
- facilitate garden science and nutrition education to 2,500 economically disadvantaged K-12 students,
- educate 40 low-income families with skills for healthy family meals including nutrition, cooking, and family social skills,
- provide 320 economically disadvantaged K-12 students with academic support, and
- provide social, emotional and academic support to 40 elementary students experiencing neglect, abuse, or homelessness.
Counties served:Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, La Plata, Chaffee, Montezuma, Park and Las Animas
To learn more, visit www.lapuentehome.org or contact TJ Mendez at director.volunteers@lapuente.net.
Focus areas: Education, Health and Social Services
Run by Spark the Change, this Public Health AmeriCorps program places 20 members that provide mental wellness counseling and education to vulnerable K-12 students at public charter schools throughout Colorado, with a specific focus on middle schools.
Counties served: Jefferson, Adams, El Paso, Mesa, Routt, Douglas, Arapahoe, La Plata, Denver, Montezuma
For more information visit https://www.sparkthechangecolorado.org/sparkhealthcorps or contact Barb Knapp at bknapp@sparkthechangecolorado.org
Focus area: Health and Social Services
TeamUP AmeriCorps, a program of United Way of Southwest Colorado, helps improve child and family wellbeing through activities like coaching families on early literacy, development, providing food to those who need it, and mentoring children during their out-of-school time. This program places 15 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time and half-time roles, to increase kindergarten readiness, particularly related to language use among children age 0-3.
Counties served: Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, and Montezuma
To learn more, visit https://www.unitedway-swco.org/ or contact Al Huckins at alh@unitedway-swco.org.
Focus areas: Education, Health and Social Services
Youth Corps for Colorado, a program of the Colorado Youth Corps Association, places 451 AmeriCorps members, serving in full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, reduced half-time, quarter-time, and minimum-time roles, in five conservation corps across 38 counties in Colorado. Conservation corps perform disaster relief and proactive mitigation activities, protect and strengthen outdoor recreation infrastructure, and install energy efficiency measures in low-income homes in rural and urban communities. This year, AmeriCorps members will improve 2,632 acres of public lands and 241 miles of trails and waterways, as well as weatherize or retrofit 1,440 housing units to improve energy efficiency.
Counties served: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Crowley, Custer, Delta, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Kit Carson, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Routt, Summit, Teller, Weld, and Yuma
To learn more, visit www.cyca.org or contact Caley Ford at cford@cyca.org.
Focus area: Environmental Stewardship
Planning Grants
Campus Compact is developing an AmeriCorps program focused on leveraging the ability of community colleges to enhance educational and economic accessibility in historically underserved communities.
To learn more, visit https://compact.org/current-programs/americorps/college-renaissance-cor… or contact Matt Farley at mfarley@compact.org
Focus Area: Education and Social Services
Kids at Their Best works to develop youth-focused plans to address economic, racial, and cultural divides within local communities. These include implementing summer youth training and leadership pathways, expanding mobile food distribution programs to reach low-income families, and providing college/career preparation support.
To learn more contact Jodi Walker at jodi.walker@kidsattheirbest.org
Focus Area: Education, Youth Development
Spark the Change is implementing programming that engages AmeriCorps Members in service as supervised Mental Health Associates who provide school-based mental health support to 11 charter schools across Colorado.
To learn more contact Kelly Groen at kgroen@sparkthechangecolorado.org.
Focus Area: Education, Youth Development
YouthPower365 is examining how its Peak Pathfinder program could expand to allow members to serve while pursuing traditional or alternative teacher certification.
To learn more contact Walter Gilles at wgilles@vvf.org.
Focus Area: Education