Stories from the Field

  • Pfeifer Camp AmeriCorps Counselor with campers in front of Pfeifer Camp Garden shed.

    97 Years and Counting: Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp on Building Service, Growth, and Community

    Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp, established in 1929, offers a transformative outdoor experience for Arkansas youth, ages 9–14. With a commitment to accessibility, the camp provides free programs that foster personal growth and community. AmeriCorps members enhance this mission, developing leadership skills while mentoring campers, thereby creating lasting impacts on both groups.

  • New Youth Mental Health Initiative Launches Across Arkansas

    Arkansas is launching the Youth Mental Health Corps to expand support for young people, strengthen communities, and build a dedicated mental health workforce.

  • From Service to Leadership: The Impact of Global Youth Service Day/Month

    From Service to Leadership: The Impact of Global Youth Service Day/Month Each April, young people around the world step forward to serve, lead, and create change on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), which has since expanded into Youth Service Month. Coordinated by Youth Service America and in collaboration with organization sponsorships, including its primary sponsor,…

  • Arkansas Civic Leadership Academy: Preparation for a future as a Civic Leader

    Arkansas Civic Leadership Academy: Preparation for a Future as a Civic Leader Throughout this academic year, I have had the unique opportunity to participate in the inaugural Arkansas Collegiate Civic Leadership Academy. Organized through the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, it brings together junior- and senior-level undergraduate students from colleges and universities across Arkansas who share a…

  • Smart Start Member Interviews: Preparation for Arkansas’s Next Generation of Leaders

    AmeriCorps Member Experience: Preparation for Arkansas’s Next Generation of Leaders Over the past week, the Engage Arkansas team interviewed two members of the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative’s Smart Start Program for February’s civic challenge, spotlighting youth leadership across Arkansas. Smart Start, an AmeriCorps initiative, provides reading and math tutoring to K–5 students in Southeast…

  • Volunteer Community of the Year: Jonesboro’s Investment in Youth Leadership

    Volunteer Community of the Year: Jonesboro’s Investment in Youth Leadership In December, the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, was named the 2025 Arkansas Volunteer Community of the Year in the Most Youth Engagement category. The Arkansas Volunteer Community of the Year Awards—administered by the Governor’s Advisory Commission on National Service and Volunteerism (Engage Arkansas) and the…