Reports and Publications

Serving Communities - Changing Lives

The Washington Commission for National and Community Service has a growing history of bringing about change in communities through service activities. Hundreds of communities and organizations have benefited from the dedication of AmeriCorps members, and as a result the lives of many have been changed for the better. While serving in a variety of programs, AmeriCorps members learn the skills or gain the confidence that lead them to exciting new endeavors – often while retaining a life-long ethic of service. Please read the 2008 Annual Report to learn about the statewide accomplishments from the 2007-2008 program year, our special initiatives, and stories of service in Washington State.

• 2008 Annual Report

• 2007 Annual Report

• 2006 Annual Report

AmeriCorps Service Offers Personal and Professional Boost

A survey conducted by VeraWorks, Inc., suggests that AmeriCorps service in Washington State profoundly influences participants' professional and personal direction, aspirations and commitments. Survey respondents of the 2006-2007 service year described AmeriCorps as an intense experience boasting enriching relationships, compelling and intensely rewarding service work, and novel and challenging experiences. Participants reported that the AmeriCorps experience made them more skilled, confident, directed and service-oriented. The findings from this largely qualitative survey are consistent with quantitative studies completed in the last three years.

• Executive Summary
• Full Report

AmeriCorps Members Gravitate to Jobs in the Public Sector

A study by VeraWorks, Inc., suggests that participants of AmeriCorps in Washington State are more likely than other Washington workers to be employed in sectors focusing on the public good. These sectors are made up of organizations in government, healthcare, elementary and secondary education and nonprofit services. The conclusion originates from a comparison of the fourth quarter, 2005, in-state employment of Washington AmeriCorps 2001-2005 participants to the employment of the overall employed population.

• Executive Summary
• Full Report

AmeriCorps Readies Members for Educational and Employment Success

Pre- and post-surveys of educational and employment preparedness during the 2005-2006 program year, indicate that serving in Washington State AmeriCorps programs statistically increased participant readiness in the following areas: confidence in their ability to obtain an education, responsibility for educational success, and an increase in basic work skills. A final area, responsibility for employment success, increased for members without a four-year college degree, who made up half of the respondents. As one survey respondent noted, the Washington AmeriCorps experience gives participants "more opportunities to go places."

• Executive Summary
• Full Report

AmeriCorps Increases Civic Participation

The results of a study of AmeriCorps members serving in Washington State during the 2004-2005 program year indicate that serving in AmeriCorps increases civic engagement. The study finds that one year in AmeriCorps increases participant commitment to community service, community-based activism, knowledge of community problems, connection to community, sense of effectiveness in community service and personal growth. Participants credit AmeriCorps with making them “a deeper kind of patriot than the average American,” “learning a lot about how society works,” and wanting to “get more involved in my community.”

• Executive Summary
• Full Report

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Reports

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) conducts and supports high quality, rigorous social science evaluation research designed to:

• Measure the impact of Corporation’s programs and shape policy decisions;

• Encourage a culture of performance and accountability in national and community service programs;

• Provide information on volunteering, civic engagement, and volunteer management in nonprofit organizations; and,

• Assist in the development and assessment of new initiatives and innovative demonstration projects designed to shape future community service policy decisions.

Visit the CNCS website for evaluations, reports and research which support the Corporation's commitment to supporting the American culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility.