California Volunteers Welcomes First Class of AmeriCorps Programs in Central and San Joaquin Valleys

For Immediate Release February 10, 2020
Contact: Cristina Valdivia Aguilar, cristina.valdivia@cv.ca.gov (916) 508-9018

 

SACRAMENTO – California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday today administered the pledge ceremony for the first class of AmeriCorps programs in the Central and San Joaquin Valleys.

California Volunteers recently announced a $13.1 million historic investment in state, federal and private funds to create the first regional network of AmeriCorps service programs in the region. This first class of AmeriCorps programs represents a portion of the $13.1 million investment.

Thirty members for the California Teaching Fellows AmeriCorps will provide an Aerospace Academy STEM program in after-school programs throughout Fresno County. They will later be joined by another 95 members who’ll serve at schools throughout the Central Valley during the coming school year.

Community Partnership of Kern County’s 24 AmeriCorps members will be engaging middle and high school youth to address issues of concern in their neighborhoods and local schools. Other members will provide tutoring and mentoring in the Vineland School District.

The Fresno Center’s Listos California AmeriCorps team of 10 members will be training community members in disaster preparedness and may be deployed to assist with disaster response efforts.

“This significant investment is part of Governor Newsom’s approach to unite Californians in service to lift up their communities, build skills in our young people for future employment and create a generation of young leaders committed to serve,” said Chief Service Officer Fryday. “Like many of our investments in the region, this is just the beginning as we seek new ways to aggressively engage and harness the power of our people.”

“The future of California’s high-road economy is centered inland,” said Lenny Mendonca the Governor’s Chief Economic and Business Advisor. “Service opportunities like these ensure that as we build an economy in California that works for everyone, inclusion and sustainability are foundational for our next generation of leaders.”

As part of Governor Newsom’s vision for a California For All, the 2019-20 California State Budget included $20 million to expand the state’s AmeriCorps program by creating 471 new service opportunities and to increase the education award for individuals serving a full year of service (minimum of 1700 hours) in a state-supported AmeriCorps program to $10,000. Of the $20 million appropriated, $9.4 million was allocated for local assistance grants and $9.3 million was available to supplement the AmeriCorps federal education award for AmeriCorps members completing a full year of service.  The state’s investment of $9.4 million in local assistance grant funds is being matched by $4.5 million in federal funds and $4.3 million in private funds.

The first phase of this investment prioritized funding to support new AmeriCorps programs serving the Central and San Joaquin Valleys. This region was selected as the geographic focus for the first phase of the investment based on meeting the criteria of being the economic region with the highest need and lowest AmeriCorps footprint in the state.

California Volunteers, Office of the Governor is tasked with empowering Californians to take action to improve their communities.

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