About AmeriCorps
Disaster Services Economic Opportunities Education Environmental Stewardship Healthy Futures Veterans Services
Benefits of Service
The benefits that individuals serving with an AmeriCorps SC program are eligible to receive are listed below.
Living Allowance
Your living allowance will help cover the basic costs of living, which allows national service to be an option for everybody. Furthermore, living within tight economic bounds encourages AmeriCorps Members to relate more closely with the resource-limited communities they serve. (The amount of living allowance varies by program and term type. Please refer to the application process for each AmeriCorps SC program listed below for more details.)
Health Insurance
Health insurance, which meets Affordable Care Act standards, is provided to those serving full-time as AmeriCorps Members. Coverage varies by program, but general questions are addressed on this website.
Education Award
Following your successful completion of your AmeriCorps term of service, you will become eligible to earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. This can be applied to existing student loans or to future education endeavors. Each AmeriCorps Member can earn up to the equivalent of two full-time education awards, totaling over $11,000. Over 180 institutions of higher education will match your AmeriCorps Education Award.
Professional Development / Job Training
Many AmeriCorps Members utilize the valuable job training, professional development, and networking opportunities they participating in while serving in an AmeriCorps SC program to advance their career after their term of service.
Childcare Assistance
Full-time service Members may qualify for childcare assistance. The application process can be completed here.
Loan Forbearance
Your federal student loans qualify for loan forbearance (i.e. payment postponement) during your term of service. Furthermore, the federal government will pay for the interest that your loans accrue while in forbearance during your year of service. You can learn more about applying for loan forbearance here.
Meet Like-Minded Peers
You will get to serve alongside other service-minded peers who seek to strengthen our South Carolina communities. Further, you will join a network of over 1,000,000 AmeriCorps Alum, who can link you to resources and job opportunities following your AmeriCorps service. Register here to start receiving AmeriCorps Alum benefits today.
2022-2023 AmeriCorps SC Programs
Click on each tab below to view our entire portfolio! Each program has a link to apply following the description.
Black River United Way's Growing Great Readers (GGR) program offers a high-quality, comprehensive, research-based, English literacy-tutoring program that supports students, families, and the communities of Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties. GGR’s purpose is to provide struggling readers at local elementary schools with highly trained AmeriCorps tutors and volunteers to ensure that children advance to reading grade level before third grade and close reading gaps. The Growing Great Readers program continues to have success in helping students improve in reading literacy by offering small group supplemental instruction, one-on-one tutoring and skills focused tutoring with our members and volunteers in-person and virtually. Many of our AmeriCorps Members not only learn new skills but are able to serve students in a way that benefits the entire community.
As an AmeriCorps Member, you can expect to receive:
- Personal and Professional Development
- Experience in elementary school environment or with an educational nonprofit
- Opportunity to be a part of a national service movement
- Gain Access to more Job Opportunities
- See true IMPACT in your community
City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to help keep students in school and on track to graduate. City Year AmeriCorps members commit to a year of full-time service in schools, where they work as tutors, mentors and role models. When you join City Year, you work alongside a diverse team to create learning environments where all students can succeed.
More Details and Apply Here!
The Cleveland Academy of Leadership is an elementary school located on the Northside of Spartanburg in Spartanburg County School District 7. AmeriCorps Members will serve in person in a classroom in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade to support the certified classroom teacher. Members will assist with a variety of activities including but not limited to providing small group instruction, supporting social/emotional needs of students, enriching family/school relationships, and monitoring student progress and attendance. Members will serve during regular school hours and will be asked to participate in extra activities throughout the school year such as parent conferences and on-site meetings. Members will also be assisting classroom teachers with remote learning as well as e-learning activities throughout the year.
Furman College Advising Corps members are recent college graduates placed as full-time Advisers in South Carolina high schools to help students navigate their “life after high school.” From exploring technical training to two-year colleges and four-year universities, we help high school students and their families find higher education programs that are the best match and fit for them, and take the steps to get there. (More Information & How to Apply Here)
Pattison’s Academy focuses on improving the lives of children with disabilities, focusing on improving student behavior and instruction, family engagement, personal care, and summer support in Charleston. AmeriCorps members strive to increase the number of students with severe disabilities who reach significant improvement on the majority of Individualized Education Plan developmental benchmarks. A variety of AmeriCorps positions are available.
Gain valuable experience and give back to your community through service with South Carolina First Steps. Our AmeriCorps Members engage directly with families and communities to help ensure that all children start school ready to reach their highest potential. AmeriCorps opportunities are available throughout the state with local First Steps partnerships and at the South Carolina First Steps Office in Columbia, SC. Activities range from providing one-on-one support for parents, to hosting virtual events about school readiness and community services.
Help each student determine which college or program best fits their needs and work with them through all phases of preparation: increasing standardized test scores, completing program applications, gaining access to funding to pay for post-secondary education, and developing skills that will ensure continued success. CCOC will serve at least 900 hours over the academic year.
Teach For America recruits, trains, and supports talented and ambitious recent college grads and professionals to teach in high-need communities and bolster the national effort for educational equity. TFA corps members become leaders within the education field and across sectors, united in their advocacy for students and families in high-need communities. Details and Apply Here!
At United Way of Kershaw County's Ready Readers AmeriCorps program, Members serve as tutors and train and support volunteer mentors in Kershaw County. AmeriCorps Members will be responsible for preparing 300 1st and 2nd graders for our 10 Kershaw County Title 1 elementary schools who need reading skill support in order to achieve 3rd grade reading level by 3rd grade. In addition, the AmeriCorps Members will secure 300 volunteers who will matched with a reading buddy to work on reading skills 30 minutes a week. (Apply Here)
The Midlands Reading Consortium (MRC) is a direct service program of United Way of the Midlands. MRC addresses low reading proficiency by supplementing and enhancing shared reading experiences to ignite a love of reading and improve reading engagement for elementary school students. MRC improves reading engagement through a variety of strategies such as one-to-one reading sessions, guest reading opportunities, incentives to support summer reading camps, book donations, the ‘Be a Book Bunny’ program, company read-for-a-day events, reading nooks, and family engagement events. AmeriCorps Members will enroll prekindergarten to second grade students in one-to-one reading engagement sessions with district approved volunteers, engage parents about the importance of reading at home, increase home libraries through book distribution, and promote literacy through general outreach and community engagement in Richland and Lexington Counties.
We are looking for applicants of all ages (17+) from various backgrounds who are comfortable working with young children and desire to make an impact in the community. AmeriCorps Members will receive specialized trainings on early childhood literacy, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mandated reporting, racial equity and inclusion, and nonprofit leadership. Details and How to Apply!
AmeriCorps members at Able SC work one-on-one with students and adults with disabilities to teach independent living skills related to financial stability, employment, and youth transition, as well as self-advocacy, disability pride, and educational opportunity. Members serve out of either Able SC’s Columbia or Greenville offices, building personal relationships with our consumers that will lead to greater independence.
AmeriCorps members with AIM AmeriCorps serve in the areas of Pivotal Support, Financial Wellness, Workforce Development, Food Security, and Housing Services due to increased need created by COVID-19. AmeriCorps members will help meet the increase in demand for basic needs within Anderson County while also working to expand programming to the surrounding areas of Abbeville and Oconee.
Through their “Apprenticeship to Employment” program, GTC Public Works is hosting AmeriCorps members who perform apprenticeships as General Maintenance Technicians (GMTs). Members enrolled in the apprenticeship program undergo an experiential learning opportunity that seeks to impart knowledge of the trades as well as a sense of public service. Members in this program learn and apply skills in HVAC, electrical, carpentry, and other infrastructure trades!
Trident United Way’s Financial Stability Program serves individuals and families in Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties by supporting their journey towards financial stability. We understand that living at or below poverty level fosters an unstable and sometimes chaotic daily life for individuals and families. That is why our program is committed to addressing the current economic hardships and provide financial education by leveraging the unique strengths of the Trident United Way system and its community partners to make a difference in the lives of people. AmeriCorps Members in our program, serve as Family Navigators within community agencies providing services that help clients address their basic needs, increase their basic skills, and increase their income.
AmeriCorps Upstate is building a dynamic team of service-minded, results-driven candidates who will provide direct financial stability services to low-income individuals and families throughout the Upstate of SC, leading them into economic mobility. To increase access to economic mobility, our team is trained to provide three main services to individuals in need. Resource navigation includes basic case management, benefits application assistance, and case management. We offer basic financial literacy education both in classroom and individual settings. Finally, team members are trained through IRS curriculum to provide free income tax preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Selected candidates will be matched with host organizations across 4 Upstate counties: Greenville, Anderson, Laurens, and Pickens for a year of full-time service. Team members have the opportunity to learn from experts in the nonprofit field, gain practical experience in community and economic development, community outreach, and more. This is a great opportunity for recent graduates, veterans, retirees, or anyone who is interested in starting a career in the nonprofit field. If you have the desire to serve others and have skills or experience related to social services, human services, case management, or community organization, you would be a great fit for our program.
Through United Way of the Piedmont's AmeriCorps Program, AmeriCorps members serve as Financial Stability Navigators at local organizations in the Piedmont region of South Carolina to address critical community needs related to economic opportunity. Members directly serve low-income households by providing care coordination and financial literacy services, preparing and filing income tax returns for free, and assisting households to apply for state and federal benefits.
Mental Health America of Greenville County (MHAGC) is a nonprofit organization that positively impacts mental health through advocacy, awareness, and service in Upstate SC. MHAGC provides consumer support services for individuals living with chronic mental illness and operates a 24/7 CRISISline and TEENline phone/online chat/texting service to provide nonjudgmental listening and information on community resources. MHAGC’s AmeriCorps Program exists to more directly support consumers of its services and to decrease the number of CRISISline and TEENline’s missed requests for service. AmeriCorps Members serve in a variety of roles, including directly working with support service consumers, volunteer recruitment and coordination, and serving as a CRISISline/TEENline phone worker in both part time and full time service positions.
Healthy Learners is devoted to removing children’s health barriers to learning so that all children can be at their best in the classroom. Healthy Learners AmeriCorps members serve as a link between the student client and community partners including health care providers, school personnel, and childcare providers – including safely transporting children to provider appointments as well as coordinating delivery of glasses, medications, and other resources. Full and part-time positions available in Allendale, Bamberg, Hampton, Columbia, Dillon, Marion, Greenwood, Laurens, Georgetown, and Williamsburg.
This year the United Way of Anderson County celebrates 75 years of service Anderson County. Our organization has been a proud host of an AmeriCorps program for over a decade. Our outstanding AmeriCorps Members participate in community disaster preparedness and response throughout South Carolina. By the end of the program year, AmeriCorps Members will arrange for individuals in the community to be trained in Disaster Preparedness, they will train students on disaster preparedness, and discussions will take place with local county governments to establish the foundation for effective disaster response. Our members also get the opportunity to respond to a disaster in the event assistance is needed. The program provides training to Members in CERT, RedCross, Active Assailant, and FEMA response. Our members are prepared to deploy (across the state or online) in the event of a disaster in South Carolina.
The Palmetto Conservation Corps is dedicated to developing future conservation leaders through education and service. The Corps works to improve public lands and communities through conservation projects, community partnerships and outreach, service-learning, and environmental education. Corps experiences include hands on trail building and maintenance, Wilderness First Aid, CPR & AED training, camping, invasive species mitigation, and so much more!
A part of Public Health AmeriCorps, members at SC Free Clinic Association serve as Community Health Workers (CHWs) at Free Clinic locations across South Carolina. Members assist the Free Clinics in providing patient navigation services to our most vulnerable and underserved populations. The CHW AmeriCorps members work closely with patients, medical providers, primary care teams, and other community agencies to improve access to care and patient outcomes.
Where is AmeriCorps in South Carolina? Search our interactive map!
In-service Emergency Fund
SC Service Leaders understand that a term of service can be tough, and when unexpected financial challenges arise, it can make it even more difficult for an AmeriCorps Member to complete their service commitment. To help address this barrier, SC Service Leaders is pleased to announce the In-Service Emergency Fund. The intent of the In-Service Emergency Fund is to provide limited financial assistance to individuals currently serving in an AmeriCorps SC program who have experienced an unexpected expense that may impact their ability to successfully complete their term of service. To learn more, please click here.
AmeriCorps SC Alum
