Several organizations with locations in Virginia have announced today that they have received Public Health AmeriCorps grants from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. More than $4 million in grant funding will help to expand several organizations' presence in the regions where they have been providing services. 

Public Health AmeriCorps, a partnership between AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , supports the recruitment, training, and development of a new generation of public health leaders. Supported by a five-year, $400 million investment from the American Rescue Plan Act, Public Health AmeriCorps will help meet public health needs of local communities by providing surge capacity and support while also creating pathways to public health-related careers.

"This new AmeriCorps funding opportunity will enable these organizations to leverage the skills and experience of AmeriCorps members in the their regions, said Kathy Spangler, Executive Director of the Virginia Service Commission. "These members will provide outreach, education, training, and assistance with navigation of health services to support COVID-19 prevention and address other health issues." 

The organizations receiving Public Health AmeriCorps funding include:

• Boat People SOS (BPSOS) - Members will conduct outreach, education, training, and navigation of health services to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake in Arlington and Alexandria. They will seek to increase health knowledge through workshops, as well as help individuals gain access to medical services including COVID-19 vaccines, surveys, evidence-based research on COVID-19, and ways to protect their health. 
• Damien Ministries - Members will serve as Certified Community Health Workers in Northern Virginia providing basic health and medical education and preventive care promotional demonstration specifically focused on COVID-19 health awareness and vaccination information along with other community health issues including training on opioid overdose prevention.
• George Mason University - AmeriCorps members will work in teams to improve community connections and learn how to use data analytics to improve care communication, care coordination, triage, and patient surveillance across two communities in Northern Virginia. 
• Institute for Advanced Learning & Research - Members will expand capacity for public health service by providing direct outreach and education service in the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County. Their strategy is to increase health knowledge and healthy behaviors through education, outreach, referrals, and COVID response.
• Reading & Math Inc. - AmeriCorps members will provide peer support and recovery coaching to individuals working to overcome substance use disorders in Virginia.

Interesting in applying for an AmeriCorps member position with one of these organizations? Adults of all ages and education backgrounds are eligible to serve in Public Health AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is focused on recruiting members with a diverse range of lived experiences and who come from the communities or communities like the ones in which they will serve. Participants in Public Health AmeriCorps can gain a steppingstone into permanent jobs in the public health field.

Who should apply?

• Someone who has never thought about public health as a career but is interested in learning more.
• Someone who has a baseline knowledge of public health but does not see a way to access a job or experience without further education.
• Someone who has studied public health at the community college, undergraduate, or graduate level and/or perhaps received COVID-related certifications or training but doesn't have a known path forward to begin a career.
• Search of opportunities now!

AmeriCorps continues to invest in the nation’s COVID-19 recovery. With existing programs in more than 40,000 locations across the country, AmeriCorps is uniquely positioned to bolster community response efforts. For the past two years, thousands of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers across all 50 states and U.S. territories have continued their service, quickly adapting to meet the changing needs caused by the pandemic and have provided vital support, community response, and recovery efforts, providing support to more than 12 million Americans, including 2.5 million people at vaccination sites.