This report provides an overview of the full body of empirical evidence on national service as of August 2015, identified through a systematic search and review process.

Key findings of this report include the following:

The Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) Spring 2016 Capstone class worked with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to study the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams’ (A-DRTs) experiences under the Incident Command System (ICS) during recent deployments to the December 2015 flood in Missouri.

The researchers analyzed existing research and collected primary data on the Incident Command System (ICS) to better understand strengths and weaknesses of the model in responding to the flood.  

The study found that:

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a voluntary program that offers financial incentives to farmers to restore riparian habitat and preclude agricultural activities in those buffers during the contract duration (10 or 15 years). The primary purpose of CREP is to restore habitat for salmon and steelhead and improve water quality in those streams.

This report summarizes the results of monitoring contracts signed through the end of 2012 and monitored for effectiveness for the calendar years of 2008-2012.

The study found that:

The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is a service program that provides opportunities to young adults to protect and restore the natural environment. WCC projects include enhancement and restoration of wetlands and riparian corridors.

Study Goals:

The goal of this impact evaluation report is to assess the effectiveness of different WCC restoration methods.

Research Question:

What are the relative benefits on plant survival when comparing solid tube protectors vs. deer repellant (Plantskydd®)?

Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) focuses on the design and implementation of environmental restoration projects, including wetland and riparian corridor enhancement and restoration. This report was contracted to The Watershed Company (TWC) to evaluate the success of grant-funded restoration projects by evaluating the efficacy of the WCC restoration activities from 2014-2015. TWC assessed changes in native cover and invasive cover via a Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI) statistical analysis. 

Back to Work 50+: Women’s Economic Stability Initiative (BTW50+: WESI) is an AARP program that is geared on building the capacity of local education and training institutions to address the needs of older women workers between 50-64 years of age with incomes between 120% and 200% of poverty level. The six subgrantees’ participation allowed for an increase of the number of program staff members and the capacity to serve larger numbers of participants.

Study Goals:

The evaluation’s three components have the following goals:

The Montana State Parks AmeriCorps Program is an environmental service program of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks that promotes healthy, active, and environmentally aware communities by enhancing park land, enriching educational opportunities, increasing volunteerism, and improving community outreach in state parks. Montana State Parks AmeriCorps members educate and engage park visitors about the threat of noxious weeds to parks, public lands, and the state.

Study Goals:

EarthCorps is a Seattle-based non-profit organization that trains young adults in environmental restoration techniques along shorelines, forests, and trails in the Puget Sound area. Over the course of a year-long training program, volunteers (including AmeriCorps members) learn practical skills that can be used to combat global warming, pollution, and environmental degradation.

Study Goals:

Year Up’s Professional Training Corps program in Philadelphia (PCT-P) provides intensive full-time training and work experience for low-income young adults aged 18-24. Unlike Year Up’s core Professional Training Corps program (PTC), its PTC-P programs are located on the campuses of college partners, rather than in stand-alone offices.

Both the core and the PTC-P versions of Year Up: