$1 million secured by Miami Regionals Center for Social Impact through three-year ServeOhio AmeriCorps grant
41 Miami University students will serve 18,900 hours as AmeriCorps members at nonprofit organizations across Butler County
$1 million secured by Miami Regionals Center for Social Impact through three-year ServeOhio AmeriCorps grant
Miami University Regionals will launch Service+, its first AmeriCorps program, this fall thanks to a grant from ServeOhio.
More than just a volunteer opportunity, Service+ members will enhance their workforce and leadership skills while having a direct impact in advancing the critical missions of local nonprofits. They also will have the opportunity to receive valuable stipends and education awards.
ServeOhio — Ohio’s governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism — awarded Miami University a 3-year grant to fund Service+. For 2022-2023, ServeOhio’s investment of $319,000 will be leveraged with $70,000 in private funding. Additionally, upon the successful completion of their service, Miami students serving as AmeriCorps members will be eligible for more than $72,000 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to pay for future higher education expenses or to pay back student loans.
Over the course of three years, this grant is expected to total more than $1 million with an additional $216,000 in federal education awards for students.
In its inaugural year, the program will include 41 students who will serve at 18 nonprofit organizations in Butler County. Rather than direct service, students will provide capacity building support to address organizational and community challenges resulting from the pandemic. Over time, the student impact in these specialized roles will result in increased resources, volunteers, and partnerships that expand the scale, reach, and impact of the nonprofit organization.
Students who are accepted as Service+ AmeriCorps members will serve 450 hours from August through May at a designated host site and will receive a $4,500 stipend. Students will also receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,718 upon successful completion of their service.
Kara Love, co-investigator on the grant, explained, “Our goal in bringing an AmeriCorps program to Miami serves two purposes. The first is to support our nonprofit partners, and the second is to create an opportunity for students who are passionate about community work but who might not have been able to devote themselves to ongoing service opportunities in the past. Providing financial and professional benefits to students who want to volunteer while attending Miami has the potential to be a true game changer.”
This ServeOhio AmeriCorps grant is the result of a significant planning effort last year coordinated by the Center for Social Impact. Through a $75,000 planning grant from ServeOhio in 2021, the Center convened a team of Miami faculty and students to assess the operational climate for nonprofits in Butler County and the ongoing impact of COVID-19. This research informed the direction and priorities of Service+.
Applications for the inaugural year of Service+ are being accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. For more information about Service+, or to apply to any of the AmeriCorps positions, visit MiamiOH.edu/Regionals/Service+.
About ServeOhio
ServeOhio, Ohio’s Governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism, strengthens Ohio communities through AmeriCorps and volunteer engagement. Through programs and initiatives funded and supported by ServeOhio, thousands of Ohioans of all ages engage in and are recognized for their service. Interested participants may learn more about ServeOhio at serveohio.org.
About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.
