AmeriCorps State Subgrantees

Each year, Serve DC awards more than $2 million in AmeriCorps grants to District-based organizations committed to using national service to address critical community needs. 

Meet Serve DC’s AmeriCorps State Subgrantees:

Byte Back

Byte Back, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides computer literacy and employment readiness skills to underserved communities throughout the District of Columbia.  Their mission is to improve economic opportunities by providing computer and technology courses to low-income District residents.

Center for Inspired Teaching

Center for Inspired Teaching is transforming education through innovative teacher training. They are building a better school experience for children by helping teachers move from information providers to “Instigators of Thought.” When students learn not just what to think but how to think, they will succeed in the classroom today and in college and careers tomorrow. 

City Year Washington, DC

City Year Washington, DC is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that partners with public schools and teachers to help keep students in school and on track to succeed. This innovative public-private partnership brings together teams of young AmeriCorps members who commit to a year of full-time service in schools. Corps members provide individual support to students who need extra care and attention, focusing on attendance, behavior, and course performance through in-class tutoring, mentoring, and after-school programs.

DC Scores

DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for more than1,450 low-income DC youth at 42 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. DC SCORES accomplishes this in an innovative model combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning throughout the year. They have worked with more than 7,000 students since their founding in 1994, and they aim to serve EVERY child in the District deserving of a team who does not have one. Their holistic after-school program helps DC SCORES students improve their fitness levels by playing soccer; develops their literacy skills and capacity for self-expression by writing poetry; and establishes deep community connections through service projects; all while developing closer bonds with teachers and peers. DC SCORES is an affiliate of America SCORES, a national nonprofit that partners with urban schools in 14 cities.

AARP Experience Corps District of Columbia 

AARP Experience Corps District of Columbia uses the wisdom and experience of their volunteer members, all 50+ years of ager, to improve the literacy and reading skills of the children we serve. AARP Experience Corps is a proven, national program made up of volunteer tutors dedicated to helping children become great readers before finishing third grade. Experience Corps tutors also serve as mentors and role models. Through this intergenerational exchange, children succeed, older adults thrive, and communities are made stronger. What inspires the work of AARP Experience Corps is the idea that from third grade onward, students should be reading to learn, not learning to read. 

Higher Achievement

Higher Achievement closes the opportunity gap during the pivotal middle school years. By leveraging the power of communities, Higher Achievement’s proven model provides a rigorous year-round learning environment, caring role models, and a culture of high expectations, resulting in college-bound scholars with the character, confidence, and skills to succeed. Higher Achievement’s Centers are located in Wards 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8. 

Jumpstart, Washington DC

Jumpstart partners 324 Corps members to work with almost 800 Washington, DC preschool children living in low-income neighborhoods in and around the District. For the entire 2012-2013 school year, they will work together on the language and literacy skills necessary to succeed not only in school, but also in life.

Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)

The Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) is a nationally recognized organization serving all low-income youth and families across the District of Columbia and in Maryland's Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. LAYC provides multi-lingual, culturally sensitive programs in Educational Enhancement, Social Services, Workforce Investment, Art and Media, and Advocacy.

Literacy Lab

The Literacy Lab is a local nonprofit working to improve the reading levels of low-income children in Washington, DC in order to close the literacy gap in the nation’s capital. The Literacy Lab partners with public schools to provide individualized reading instruction to children who are many years behind in order to fill in the missing pieces and build them back up to grade level. With a focus on assessing skill gaps and targeting intervention to increase the effectiveness of instructional time, The Literacy Lab is able to help children reengage at school, leading to increased opportunities in life.

Playworks Washington, DC

Playworks Washington, DC is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, inclusive play. Playworks operates nationally in 23 cities. In fall 2006, Playworks launched program in six schools in Washington, DC. During the 2012-2013 school year, Playworks Washington, DC will serve 13 schools, 10 of which are served by AmeriCorps members, to bring healthy play to approximately 4,000 elementary school students every day.