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AmeriCorps: Empowering people and strengthening communities

Education

Youth Engagement

Flint Area

Revitalizing the Education Continuum

A group of four AmeriCorps members hold rakes as they clean up a yard during a Day of Service.
Through the Corporation for National & Community Service, more than 150 AmeriCorps members of all ages are currently lending a hand to help Flint, Michigan, recover and rise from its water crisis. Photo: Cristina Wright

They’re a familiar sight to many in Flint, Michigan. In their signature shirts and hoodies, AmeriCorps members are out in full force — tutoring school children, boarding up vacant properties, running summer camps and neighborhood clean-ups. Wherever there’s a need, AmeriCorps members are there to lend a hand.

Today, more than 150 AmeriCorps members of all ages are serving in Flint under the direction of local nonprofit groups, which are receiving Mott Foundation support to offset the required match dollars needed to host a member. Together, they have amassed an impressive number of accomplishments during the past year that include:

  • Tutoring 426 Flint elementary school students through the Reading Corps.
  • Boarding up and securing 228 vacant properties.
  • Operating a summer STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) Camp for 80 elementary school students.
  • Assisting 889 individuals with independent living services through the Senior Corps RSVP program.
  • Removing 11,000 pounds of overgrowth and unwanted vegetation in local neighborhoods.
  • Coaching and training 62 individuals in need of financial literacy skills.
  • Mentoring and working with 1,115 students in Flint Community Schools through the district’s community education initiative.

There’s no question AmeriCorps is good for a community, but according to four AmeriCorps alumni in Flint, it’s an amazing experience that’s good for members, as well. Here are their stories.