Authors
Eric Friedman, Brian Freeman, Benjamin Phillips, Lily Rosenthal, David Robinson, Haleigh Miller, and Allan Porowski
This report presents the results of the 2016 AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Survey, conducted by Abt Global and its research affiliate, Abt SRBI, on behalf of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The AmeriCorps program engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country.
The 2016 AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Survey builds on CNCS’s previous research by exploring how national service experiences successfully encourage national service alumni to stay civically engaged, develop and utilize skills gained through service, and/or pursue service-oriented careers and post-secondary education and employment.
Among the key findings:
- Post-service, AmeriCorps alumni were more likely to engage in a range of community service activities, with almost 80 percent involved or planning to become involved in issues that affect their communities;
- More than half of alumni said their service experience opened up career paths for them they might not have otherwise considered, with 74 percent of alumni currently working in the public or nonprofit sectors (compared to 24 percent of adults nationwide);
- 79 percent of AmeriCorps alumni have a bachelor’s or graduate degree, compared to 33 percent of U.S. adults.