In March, we celebrated AmeriCorps Week. AmeriCorps Week is a time to recognize the individuals, programs, and organizations that have dedicated themselves to serving their communities. It is also a time to celebrate and recognize the millions of AmeriCorps members and alumni across the United States. As the state of Arkansas’s primary coordinating entity supporting the Governor’s Commission on National Service and Volunteerism, Engage Arkansas works to support the AmeriCorps programs throughout the state. In recognition of AmeriCorps Week, we want to provide an overview of what AmeriCorps is and the many ways AmeriCorps members serve communities across the nation and here in Arkansas.

What is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps is an independent agency of the United States government established under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 by President Bill Clinton. The legislation formally merged with the federal offices of ACTION and the Commission on National and Community Service to create AmeriCorps. Today AmeriCorps engages millions of Americans each year through volunteer and national service programs addressing the critical needs of their communities. Through programs such as AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps State and National, and AmeriCorps Seniors, AmeriCorps members serve in communities across the country, working to address the several key challenges facing communities across the country, including:

• Education
• Economic opportunity
• Disaster services
• Environmental stewardship
• Healthy futures
• Veterans & military families

Through these initiatives, AmeriCorps helps strengthen communities while providing meaningful civic service opportunities for individuals across the country.

National and State Programs

AmeriCorps is divided into four main streams of service:

• AmeriCorps State & National: Volunteers provide direct service to nonprofit and community-based organizations to meet critical community needs.
• AmeriCorps VISTA: Volunteers work in indirect service at nonprofit and community-based organizations, targeting poverty alleviation and organizational capacity building.
• AmeriCorps NCCC: Volunteers serve four project areas in different states and communities to meet a variety of local needs in energy conservation, infrastructure improvement, natural and other disaster services, and urban and rural development.
• Seniors: Volunteers aged 55 and older can serve in the Foster Grandparent Program, placing Seniors as mentors and guides for students in the classroom; the RSVP Program, allowing Seniors to use existing skills and talents in the community; and the Senior Companion Program, connecting with others needing companionship.

AmeriCorps Programs in Arkansas

Through Engage Arkansas, there are several AmeriCorps state programs that operate right here in Arkansas, serving their communities in a variety of ways:

• Arkansas Reads: Hosted by the Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas, this program provides one-on-one literacy tutoring and workforce skills for adults in Arkansas. Members of the program receive training and gain essential skills and knowledge to help them in future endeavors.
• Saddle Up & Serve: Hosted by Southern Arkansas University, this program provides tutoring/mentoring along with school readiness/literacy programs; food recovery, food pantry, and gardening programs; and economic empowerment programs on campus and at nonprofit partner sites throughout Magnolia and Columbia County.
• Joseph Kiwanis Pfeifer Camp: Hosted by the Kiwanis Activities of Little Rock, this program provides mentoring/tutoring services for at-risk 3rd-5th grade students at school and in a camp setting with the goal of improving both their academics and behavior. Members receive training in first aid/CPR, reciprocal teaching, reality therapy, outdoor living skills, environmental education, team-building initiatives, and conflict resolution.
• Smart Start: Hosted by the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative, this program provides tutoring in reading and math to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Members of the program work as tutors with students who have an increased risk for academic failure by tutoring in weekly one-on-one and small group tutoring and tracking each student’s progress to help prepare these students for future academic success.
• Ozark Conservation Corps: Hosted by Community Training Works, volunteers improve public lands and waterways through trail maintenance, invasive species removal, fuel reduction, waste cleanup, and disaster response. Members receive job training in tool and equipment maintenance, safety, trail building and maintenance, habitat restoration, and flora and fauna identification. During their service, members can gain certifications in chainsaw operation, first aid/CPR, fire management, OSHA safety standards, US Forest Service Defensive Driving, and Off-Highway Vehicle Driving.
• Our House: Through the Our House AmeriCorps program members serve in critical roles to strengthen services for individuals and families overcoming homelessness and poverty. Volunteers serve as employment coaches supporting adults in developing skills and gaining employment; social work members work to address mental and physical health needs, and behavioral coaches who work to guide children’s social-emotional development.

Celebrating AmeriCorps Week Each Year

AmeriCorps Week recognizes the work of AmeriCorps volunteers and programs that serve communities across the United States. As the largest funder of national service in the country, AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their communities, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and strengthen civic engagement.

This article is part of the Engage Arkansas 2026 Civic Challenge. The Civic Challenge focuses on one vital impact area affecting Arkansans statewide each month. In March, Engage Arkansas highlighted the importance of service learning and AmeriCorps.

Axton Tackett, March 2026