FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jul 05, 2022

Federal agencies join a diverse coalition of local, state and national education and service organizations to meet President Biden’s call for 250,000 more tutors and mentors 

WASHINGTON, DC. – AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, joined today’s White House launch of the National Partnership for Student Success to meet President Biden’s call for 250,000 more tutors and mentors to accelerate student recovery and success. NPSS is a coordinated, research-based, locally driven, all-in effort worthy of the young people of the United States and their potential.

NPSS is a public-private partnership between the Biden-Harris Administration, including the Department of Education and AmeriCorps, the Johns Hopkins Everyone Graduates Center and a diverse coalition of education and service organizations committed to providing the academic, mental health, and other supports students need to succeed. NPSS will help meet the President’s call for more Americans to step forward in service to students by helping schools and education systems recruit, train and connect more tutors and mentors to local communities.

NPSS unites school districts, students, parents, government agencies, state education departments, AmeriCorps programs, state service commissions, foundations, associations, nonprofit organizations and others around the common goal of getting more trained people to support students both in and out of school, so they can best be positioned to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, succeed and thrive. NPSS also will help school districts and education systems identify ways American Rescue Plan funds can be used to advance this effort, including the $122 billion in American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds and $20 million in Volunteer Generation Funds to assist nonprofit organizations in recruiting and managing up to 200,000 additional volunteers in these critical positions in schools.

“President Biden called on Americans to care for our youth and get our students back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic caused extensive disruption in our nation’s schools and a disproportionate impact on underserved communities. AmeriCorps members have shown that they can help school districts address the impacts of the pandemic, whether it’s providing tutoring and mentoring or leading after-school programs and helping students apply for college or financial aid,” said Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps CEO. “We look forward to accelerating impact and expanding our reach through NPSS with even more state and local education agencies, foundations, business and nonprofit organizations.” 

To help students heal, learn and grow, the U.S. Department of Education developed a Return to School Roadmap and partnered with AmeriCorps to create a subsequent Superintendent’s toolkit earlier this year that highlights ways AmeriCorps members can support schools using American Rescue Plan funds. More than 12,000 schools across the country are leveraging national service programs to assist them in these areas and many others. Approximately 65,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are providing cost-effective, high-impact services to address schools’ most pressing needs and ensure that all students are ready for college, careers and full participation in civic life. National service programs support schools in urban and rural areas, schools with large low-income populations, traditional public schools, public charter schools and schools with large minority and multilingual populations. NPSS will help expand this impact into more communities and classrooms.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency invests more than $800 million in grants for local nonprofit, community, tribal, and state organizations; places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.