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AmeriCorps Programs

Are you looking for meaningful opportunities to engage students on your campus and in your local community?

A young person poses in front of two AmeriCorps promotional signs at an event.

Do you have students or recent graduates who are eager to engage in national service? Seed Coalition manages multiple National Service programs that could be a good fit for your campus.

Our College Corps programs offer access to direct service volunteer hours for campuses and community partners, while providing students with mentoring opportunities or professional development in nonprofit and public sector spaces. Our AmeriCorps VISTA program allows programs to recruit full-time capacity building service members focused on reducing poverty.

Learn About Our Current AmeriCorps Options

A group of volunteers in a forest.

VISTA Community Corps

Spend a year building capacity around food or health access in your community. Learn more.

A group of College Corps students.

College Corps: College Mentoring Track

Mentor students at your college while building professional development skills. Learn more.

Two students work together at a community garden.

College Corps: Nonprofit Career Track

This program is still in development. Contact us if you’d like to learn more.

Would you like to host AmeriCorps members on your campus?

Programs differ by state and have varied requirements and benefits. We have included basic information in the table below.

College Corps: Nonprofit Career Track

This program would be a good fit for your campus if…

  • You want professional development opportunities for students or recent grads who are interested in nonprofit or public sector work.

Members of this program…

  • Are upperclassmen or recent grads
  • Serve part-time or full-time
  • Perform direct service and/or capacity building work
  • Average 10 hours per week for part-time service and 38 hours a week for full-time service.
College Corps: Mentoring Track

This program would be a good fit for your campus if…

  • You would like a mentoring service opportunity for your students and desire support for rural, first-gen, or students of color on your campus.

Members of this program…

  • Are upperclassmen or recent graduates
  • Can serve part-time or full-time based on campus needs
VISTA Community Corps

This program would be a good fit for your campus if…

  • You need temporary, project-based full-time help developing capacity for a program you’d like to see institutionalized at your university.

Members of this program…

  • Are recent graduates
  • Serve full-time 
  • Perform capacity building service

AmeriCorps & Seed Member Success Stories

Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota VISTA Project 2019-2023

VISTA members at Hamline developed food access from monthly student-organization based pop-up pantries, to a physical space in an old mailroom, to institutionalizing a centrally-located lounge, office, and food pantry with multiple refrigerators, freezers, shelves, and a sink. Partnerships were built between multiple non-profits in the community and on-campus student leadership to fully fund student workers and thousands of pounds of nutritious food a week, resulting in hundreds of thousands of food distributed to students, staff, faculty, and community members.

a woman sitting on a couch talking to a man

Grand View University, Des Moines, Iowa, Mentoring Program, 2021-present

View students serve as AmeriCorps members mentoring first-year students to further retention efforts. Students serving in these AmeriCorps positions build leadership skills that will help them as they move into professional spaces. Grand View hosts one full-time member to create and coordinate retention efforts run by the part-time members. Site supervisor Heidi Pries states, “Because of the support of this program, we have been able to create initiatives that support retention efforts for our first-year students.”

person standing wearing red shirt

University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa VISTA Project 2021-2024

VISTA members at the University of Iowa have led efforts in expanding the reach and effectiveness of volunteer and service engagement advising, coordinating with community partners to identify service experiences that fit student skills, needs, and interests. VISTAs have collaborated with service-based student organizations to prepare students to engage in service projects throughout the year, and have expanded partnerships with area organizations and resources focused on financial literacy for students.

Are you a student looking for opportunities to engage in National Service? Check if one is available on your campus!

Mentoring Program – Participating Campuses

Contact Carly Bahnsen to learn more.

Nonprofit Career Program – Participating Campuses

Contact Kayla Lyftogt to learn more.

VISTA Community Corps – Participating Campuses & Community Partners

  • Augsburg University, Food Access
  • Bethel University, Community Partnerships and Communications
  • The Bridge of Storm Lake, Community Youth Space
  • Community Action Center, Food Access/Diaper Bank Support
  • Central College, Outreach and Volunteer Recruitment
  • Concordia College-Moorhead, Basic Needs Network
  • Inver Hills Community College, Food and Resource Center
  • St. Catherine University, Student Employment Programs
  • University of Iowa, Volunteer Engagement
  • University of Minnesota, FM 360
  • University of Minnesota, Morris, Rural Food Security/Rural Education
  • University of Northern Iowa & 415 Walnut Collective
  • University of Northern Iowa & Iowa Nonprofit Alliance

Contact Adia Zeman Theis to learn more.

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Seed Coalition strengthens the capacity of colleges and universities to fulfill the public purposes of higher education through its coalition of diverse college campuses in Iowa, Minnesota, and the Midwest. Our network includes rural and urban campuses, public universities and private colleges, community colleges, and trade schools.

We connect higher education professionals who work in the spaces of community and civic engagement and educate students through community and civic learning experiences. Learn about our mission and values and meet our members.

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