VISTA, founded in 1964 as a domestic program
similar to the Peace Corps, was incorporated into
AmeriCorps. It provides full-time volunteers to non-
profit, faith-based, and other community organiza-
tions, as well as public agencies, to support programs
intended to bring low-income individuals and com-
munities out of poverty.
All three branches of AmeriCorps overlap in
goals and types of projects, although methods of im-
plementation are different. Volunteers usually re-
ceive a small stipend to cover cost of living, and after
1997, an Education Award upon completion of ser-
vice that can be applied toward college or graduate
education or paying back qualified student loans.
AmeriCorps’ financial support of volunteers has
drawn criticism from some quarters, although Peace
Corps volunteers are also provided with a stipend
and educational support.
The First Five Years The National and Community
Service Trust Act of 1993 created AmeriCorps and
the Corporation for National and Community Ser-
vice (CNCS). VISTA and NCCC were then incorpo-
rated into AmeriCorps. Governor-appointed state
service commissions were created to administer
AmeriCorps funding at the state level, but CNCS did
not officially begin operation until 1994.
The first class of AmeriCorps members, who be-
gan in September of 1994, consisted of twenty thou-
sand people who served in more than one thousand
communities. The same year, four NCCC campuses
opened in Aberdeen, Maryland; Charleston, South
Carolina; Denver, Colorado; and San Diego, Califor-
nia. In 1995, the Aberdeen campus moved to Perry
Point, Maryland.
In 1997, AmeriCorps introduced the Education
Awards Program. Beginning in this year, it became
possible for nonprofits, faith-based organizations,
colleges and universities, and welfare-to-work pro-
grams to join the AmeriCorps network. A fifth
AmeriCorps campus also opened in Washington,
D.C. By 1999, AmeriCorps had 150,000 alumni and
had served more than 33 million people in more
than four thousand communities.
Controversy over Effectiveness From the begin-
ning, there was skepticism about whether Ameri-
Corps was really successful in its goals to accomplish
positive change in American communities and to
encourage its members to continue with education
and service. Evaluations and assessments commis-
sioned by both AmeriCorps and outside organiza-
tions began as early as 1995. These evaluations fo-
cused on funding, use of money, effect in the
community of AmeriCorps programs, and effect on
AmeriCorps volunteers. Overall, studies found that
AmeriCorps programs did have a positive effect on
the communities served. However, effect on the vol-
unteers varied. While some volunteers believed they
gained important skills, the program did not widely
improve education or cultural sensitivity as much as
hoped. Many AmeriCorps members did not use
their Education Awards or continue with higher
education.
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), a
private, nonpartisan nonprofit, argued in 1998 that
AmeriCorps was expensive and ineffectual. Citing
the program’s high dropout rate and the actual cost
of funding an AmeriCorps volunteer, CAGW as-
serted that smaller-scale, nongovernmental volun-
teer programs were more effective in the community
and less wasteful of resources.
During its first five years, AmeriCorps’ funding
more than doubled. However, debate continues
over the effectiveness of AmeriCorps programs in
encouraging higher education and appreciation of
cultural diversity in its participants and in positively
affecting the communities served.
Impact AmeriCorps is a highly visible community-
service program that offers valuable opportunities
and educational incentives to its members. During
the 1990’s, AmeriCorps provided funds and person-
nel to support the start-up of programs such as
Teach For America, City Year, and Public Allies, and
to bring resources to organizations such as the Red
Cross and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
In addition, debate over AmeriCorps’ use of
funds, choice of organizations and projects to fund,
and overall effectiveness for members and commu-
nities brought questions of government account-
ability and responsible use of taxpayer money to
public light.
Further Reading
AmeriCorps. http://www.americorps.gov. The official Web
site provides a history of the organization, infor-
mation about volunteering for AmeriCorps, and
how organizations can join the network.
Marshall, Will, and Marc Porter Magee, eds.The
AmeriCorps Experiment and the Future of National Ser-
vice. Washington, D.C.: Progressive Policy Insti-38 AmeriCorps The Nineties in America