AmeriCorps NCCC

If you are 18-26, you can gain experience while supporting climate change mitigation, building affordable housing, disaster response, and more. You will travel the country, all expenses paid, and earn money for college while serving on a team full-time.

Jump to:

• Program Options
• Benefits
• Eligibility
• Join a Webinar
• Campuses and Regions
• How to Apply
• Get in Touch

Help Communities Grow

Choose from four volunteer options for the ultimate personal and professional development experience. Dive in, make a difference and learn new skills.

Program Options

Traditional Corps

Serve for 10-11 months with local and national nonprofits to complete hands-on projects.

FEMA Corps

Serve for 10-11 months under the direction of FEMA and focus on disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery projects.

Summer of Service

Summer of Service is a simplified version of NCCC’s other programs, on a shortened timeframe.

Forest Corps

Interested in a service year supporting projects that focus on wildland fire prevention, reforestation, and more? Beginning summer 2024, AmeriCorps NCCC is teaming up with the U.S. Forest Service to bring you AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps.

AmeriCorps NCCC Traditional Corps

This program is great for young adults who want a hands-on service experience and the chance to work with multiple sponsor organizations to meet a variety of community needs. Traditional Corps can help you become adaptable, flexible, and introduce you to exciting professional paths.

Serving with NCCC

Learn more about the requirements for and benefits of serving with AmeriCorps NCCC.

Benefits

During service, you will receive:

• Basic expenses, including communal housing, meals, and a limited health benefit
• All program-related travel, including to your training location, projects, and back home after your service term
• A modest living allowance for your personal expenses
• Valuable training in leadership, technical skills, teamwork, and more
• Forbearance for federally backed students loans; after you successfully complete your term of service, you are eligible to have the interest incurred during service paid in full

After service, you will receive:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of over $7,000 to use on future educational expenses or to pay back qualified student loans (Summer of Service graduates will receive a prorated Segal Education Award of approximately $1,550 for completing a term of Summer of Service 2024 with NCCC)
• Competitive job edge in your job search, including access to a network of over 700 Employers of National Service
• Opportunities to make your education more affordable through scholarships, application fee waivers, and other benefits for AmeriCorps alums provided by hundreds of Schools of National Service

Eligibility Requirements

• To serve as a Corps Member, you must be between 18-26* years old. To serve as a Team Leader, you must be 18 or older (no upper age limit). You may apply to Traditional Corps at 17, if you will turn 18 before arriving on campus. You must be 18 to apply to FEMA Corps.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen (required for FEMA Corps and Forest Corps), or a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S.
• Must pass an initial drug screening test upon arrival to the program. A positive test on a drug screen for any substance (including marijuana) at any time during service could result in dismissal from the program.
• Team Leaders must have a valid driver’s license, as they will be expected to drive the team vehicle.
• Must be available for 10-11 months of full-time service consisting of extensive travel.

*The CARES Act, passed by Congress in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, increased the upper age limit for participation as an AmeriCorps NCCC Corps Member to 26 years old. Under the CARES Act, Section 3514(d), the upper age limit for AmeriCorps NCCC members is 26. AmeriCorps NCCC applies the upper age limit at the time a member arrives on campus and is activated as a member. That means individuals must be on campus and activated as members for at least one day before turning 27. The 26-year upper age limit will remain in effect until further notice.

Reasonable Accommodations

AmeriCorps NCCC welcomes qualified individuals with disabilities into the service program. AmeriCorps NCCC does not have blanket rules that exclude candidates with particular health conditions or disabilities. The agency will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, gender identification, age, disability, or genetic information in assessing a candidate's ability to serve. The agency will make a reasonable accommodation to a known disability of a qualified candidate if it will not impose an undue hardship on the operations of the NCCC campus or program.

Join a Webinar

Interested in serving? Would you like to hear from NCCC alumni? Are you a parent or educator interested in partnering with NCCC?

Join us for an interactive webinar to learn more. Register by choosing one of the following upcoming webinars.

Please choose one of the webinars below to register:

Resources for Members and Supporters

NCCC Wellness Resources
Health and wellness resources for NCCC members.

Parents and Educators
Help spread the word about AmeriCorps NCCC opportunities.

Campuses and Regions

Approximately 2,200 AmeriCorps members serve in the AmeriCorps NCCC Traditional and FEMA Corps programs each year. Members are assigned to one of four regional campuses, located in Vinton, IA, Sacramento, CA, Vicksburg, MS and Aurora, CO. Members remain on campus during initial training and return to campus between projects for “transition.” The remainder of the service term is typically spent away from campus at assigned project locations throughout the given region. Click below to explore each of AmeriCorps NCCC’s unique campuses:

Learn more about the NCCC regions:

• North Central Region
• Pacific Region
• Southern Region
• Southwest Region

How to Apply

Not ready to start your application? Connect with us first for application resources and more information.

For help with the application, read the Guide to Completing Your AmeriCorps Application or call the National Service Hotline at 1-800-942-2677.