Description

Administered by IDHS through Serve Illinois, this competitive program supports organizations that recruit, train, and supervise AmeriCorps members delivering direct services or building community capacity. Projects address unmet needs in Illinois and seek outcomes in education, economic opportunity, healthy futures, or support for veterans. The program aims to strengthen communities, bring Americans together through service, and develop members’ lifelong civic participation.

Priorities include concentrated-poverty, rural, and Tribal communities; youth mental health and substance use recovery; military families; public safety partnerships; public lands and outdoor recreation; workforce pathways; and low-income parents. Priority consideration also extends to faith-based organizations, services for formerly incarcerated and at-risk youth, enhanced member experiences, and interventions drawing on Moderate or Strong evidence from the AmeriCorps Evidence Exchange. A priority must be a significant part of the program’s focus and intended outcomes.