42 USC 12595 - National service educational awards

Collapse to view only § 12595. National service educational awards

§ 12563. Innovative and community-based service-learning programs and research
§ 12591. Description of participants
§ 12592. Selection of national service participants
§ 12593. Terms of service
§ 12594. Living allowances for national service participants
§ 12595. National service educational awards
§ 12653k. Funds

§ 12563. Innovative and community-based service-learning programs and research

(a) DefinitionsIn this part:

(1) Eligible entity

(2) Eligible partnershipThe term “eligible partnership” means a partnership that—

(A) shall include—

(i) 1 or more community-based entities that have demonstrated records of success in carrying out service-learning programs with economically disadvantaged students, and that meet such criteria as the Chief Executive Officer may establish; and

(ii) a local educational agency for which—(I) a high number or percentage, as determined by the Corporation, of the students served by the agency are economically disadvantaged students; and(II) the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (as defined in section 7801 of title 20) for the secondary school students served by the agency is less than 70 percent; and

(B) may also include—

(i) a local government agency that is not described in subparagraph (A);

(ii) the office of the chief executive officer of a unit of general local government;

(iii) an institution of higher education;

(iv) a State Commission or State educational agency; or

(v) more than 1 local educational agency described in subclause (I).1

1 So in original. Clause (v) does not contain subclauses.

(3) Youth engagement zone

(4) Youth engagement zone programThe term “youth engagement zone program” means a service-learning program in which members of an eligible partnership collaborate to provide coordinated school-based or community-based service-learning opportunities—

(A) in order to address a specific community challenge;

(B) for an increasing percentage of out-of-school youth and secondary school students served by a local educational agency; and

(i) not less than 90 percent of such students participate in service-learning activities as part of the program; or

(ii) service-learning is a part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.

(b) General authority

(1) integrate service-learning programs into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this part as “STEM”) curricula at the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or postbaccalaureate levels in coordination with practicing or retired STEM professionals;

(2) involve students in service-learning programs focusing on energy conservation in their community, including conducting educational outreach on energy conservation and working to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing and in public spaces;

(3) involve students in service-learning programs in emergency and disaster preparedness;

(4) involve students in service-learning programs aimed at improving access to and obtaining the benefits from computers and other emerging technologies, including improving such access for individuals with disabilities, in low-income or rural communities, in senior centers and communities, in schools, in libraries, and in other public spaces;

(5) involve high school age youth in the mentoring of middle school youth while involving all participants in service-learning to seek to meet unmet human, educational, environmental, public safety, or emergency and disaster preparedness needs in their community;

(6) conduct research and evaluations on service-learning, including service-learning in middle schools, and disseminate such research and evaluations widely;

(7) conduct innovative and creative activities as described in section 12523(a) of this title;

(8) establish or implement summer of service programs (giving priority to programs that enroll youth who will be enrolled in any of grades 6 through 9 at the end of the summer concerned) during the summer months (including recruiting, training, and placing service-learning coordinators)—

(A) for youth who will be enrolled in any of grades 6 through 12 at the end of the summer concerned; and

(B) for community-based service-learning projects—

(i) that shall—(I) meet unmet human, educational, environmental (including energy conservation and stewardship), and emergency and disaster preparedness and other public safety needs; and(II) be intensive, structured, supervised, and designed to produce identifiable improvements to the community;

(ii) that may include the extension of academic year service-learning programs into the summer months; and

(iii) under which a student who completes 100 hours of service as described in ,

(9) establish or implement youth engagement zone programs in youth engagement zones, for students in secondary schools served by local educational agencies for which a majority of such students do not participate in service-learning activities that are—

(A) carried out by eligible partnerships; and

(B) designed to—

(i) involve all students in secondary schools served by the local educational agency in service-learning to address a specific community challenge;

(ii) improve student engagement, including student attendance and student behavior, and student achievement, graduation rates, and college-going rates at secondary schools; and

(iii) involve an increasing percentage of students in secondary school and out-of-school youth in the community in school-based or community-based service-learning activities each year, with the goal of involving all students in secondary schools served by the local educational agency and involving an increasing percentage of the out-of-school youth in service-learning activities; and

(10) conduct semester of service programs that—

(A) provide opportunities for secondary school students to participate in a semester of coordinated school-based or community-based service-learning opportunities for a minimum of 70 hours (of which at least a third will be spent participating in field-based activities) over a semester, to address specific community challenges;

(B) engage as participants high percentages or numbers of economically disadvantaged students;

(C) allow participants to receive academic credit, for the time spent in the classroom and in the field for the program, that is equivalent to the academic credit for any class of equivalent length and with an equivalent time commitment; and

(D) ensure that the classroom-based instruction component of the program is integrated into the academic program of the local educational agency involved; and

(11) carry out any other innovative service-learning programs or research that the Corporation considers appropriate.

(d) Applications

(e) PriorityIn making grants under this part, the Corporation shall give priority to applicants proposing to—

(1) involve students and community stakeholders in the design and implementation of service-learning programs carried out using funds received under this part;

(2) implement service-learning programs in low-income or rural communities; and

(3) utilize adult volunteers, including tapping the resources of retired and retiring adults, in the planning and implementation of service-learning programs.

(f) Requirements

(1) Term

(2) Collaboration encouraged

(3) Evaluation

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 119, as added Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1204, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1479; amended Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(bbb)(3), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2185.)

§ 12591. Description of participants

(a) In general

For purposes of this division, an individual shall be considered to be a participant in a national service program carried out using assistance provided under section 12571 of this title if the individual—

(1) meets such eligibility requirements, directly related to the tasks to be accomplished, as may be established by the program;

(2) is selected by the program to serve in a position with the program;

(3) is 17 years of age or older at the time the individual begins the term of service;

(4) has received a high school diploma or its equivalent, agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent (unless this requirement is waived based on an individual education assessment conducted by the program) and the individual did not drop out of an elementary or secondary school to enroll in the program, or is enrolled in an institution of higher education on an ability to benefit basis and is considered eligible for funds under section 1091 of title 20; and

(5) is a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.

(b) Special rules for certain youth programs

An individual shall be considered to be a participant in a youth corps program described in section 12572(a)(3)(B)(x) of this title that is carried out with assistance provided under section 12571(a) of this title if the individual—

(1) satisfies the requirements specified in subsection (a), except paragraph (3) of such subsection; and

(2) is between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service.

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 137, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 101(b), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 808; amended Pub. L. 103–304, § 3(b)(3), Aug. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 1567; Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1312, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1509.)

§ 12592. Selection of national service participants

(a) Selection process

(b) Nondiscrimination and nonpolitical selection of participants

(d) Recruitment and placement

(e) National leadership pool

(1) Selection and training

(2) Emphasis on certain individuals

In selecting individuals to receive leadership training under this subsection, the Corporation shall make special efforts to select individuals who have served—

(A) in the Peace Corps;

(B) as VISTA volunteers;

(C) as participants in national service programs receiving assistance under section 12571 of this title, particularly those who were considered, at the time of their service, disadvantaged youth;

(D) as participants in programs receiving assistance under part D of this subchapter, as in effect on the day before September 21, 1993; or

(E) as members of the Armed Forces of the United States and who were honorably discharged from such service.

(3) Assignment

(f) Evaluation of service

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 138, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 101(b), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 809; amended Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1313, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1510.)

§ 12593. Terms of service

(a) In general

(b) Term of service

(1) Full-time service

(2) Part-time service

(3) Reduction in hours of part-time service

(4) Extension of term for disaster purposes

(A) Extension

(B) Single term of service

(1) Release authorized

A recipient of assistance under section 12571 of this title or a program sponsoring an approved national service position may release a participant from completing a term of service in the position—

(A) for compelling personal circumstances as determined by the organization responsible for granting the release, if the participant has otherwise performed satisfactorily and has completed at least 15 percent of the term of service; or

(B) for cause.

(2) Effect of release for compelling circumstances

If a participant eligible for release under paragraph (1)(A) is serving in an approved national service position, the recipient of assistance under section 12571 of this title or a program sponsoring an approved national service position may elect—

(A) to grant such release and certify the participant’s eligibility for that portion of the national service educational award corresponding to the portion of the term of service actually completed, as provided in section 12603(c) of this title; or

(B) to permit the participant to temporarily suspend performance of the term of service for a period of up to 2 years (and such additional period as the Corporation may allow for extenuating circumstances) and, upon completion of such period, to complete the remainder of the term of service and obtain the entire national service educational award.

(3) Effect of release for cause

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 139, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 101(b), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 810; amended Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1314, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1510.)

§ 12594. Living allowances for national service participants

(a) Provision of living allowance

(1) Living allowance required

(2) Maximum living allowance

(3) Federal work-study students

(4) Proration of living allowance

(5) Waiver or reduction of living allowance

The Corporation may waive or reduce the requirement of paragraph (1) with respect to such national service program if such program demonstrates that—

(A) such requirement is inconsistent with the objectives of the program; and

(B) the amount of the living allowance that will be provided to each full-time participant is sufficient to meet the necessary costs of living (including food, housing, and transportation) in the area in which the program is located.

(6) Exemption

(b) Coverage of certain employment-related taxes

A professional corps program described in section 12572(c)(1)(D) of this title that desires to provide a living allowance in excess of the maximum allowance authorized in subsection (a)(2) may still apply for such assistance, except that—

(1) any assistance provided to the applicant under

(2) the national service program shall be operated directly by the applicant and shall meet urgent, unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs, as determined by the Corporation.

(d) Health insurance

(1) In general

(2) Option

(e) Child care

(1) Availability

A State or other recipient of assistance under section 12571 of this title shall—

(A) make child care available for children of each full-time participant who needs child care in order to participate in a national service program carried out or supported by the recipient using the assistance; or

(B) provide a child care allowance to each full-time participant in a national service program who needs such assistance in order to participate in the program.

(2) Guidelines

(f) Individualized support services

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 140, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 101(b), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 811; amended Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1315, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1511.)

§ 12595. National service educational awards

(a) Eligibility generally

A participant in a national service program carried out using assistance provided to an applicant under section 12571 of this title shall be eligible for the national service educational award described in division D if the participant—

(1) serves in an approved national service position; and

(2) satisfies the eligibility requirements specified in section 12602 of this title with respect to service in that approved national service position.

(b) Special rule for VISTA volunteers

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 141, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 101(b), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 814.)

§ 12653k. Funds

(a) FindingsCongress finds the following:

(1) Social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit community organizations are developing innovative and effective solutions to national and local challenges.

(2) Increased public and private investment in replicating and expanding proven effective solutions, and supporting new solutions, developed by social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit community organizations could allow those entrepreneurs and organizations to replicate and expand proven initiatives, and support new initiatives, in communities.

(3) A network of Social Innovation Funds could leverage Federal investments to increase State, local, business, and philanthropic resources to replicate and expand proven solutions and invest in supporting new innovations to tackle specific identified community challenges.

(b) PurposesThe purposes of this section are—

(1) to recognize and increase the impact of social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit community organizations in tackling national and local challenges;

(2) to stimulate the development of a network of Social Innovation Funds that will increase private and public investment in nonprofit community organizations that are effectively addressing national and local challenges to allow such organizations to replicate and expand proven initiatives or support new initiatives;

(3) to assess the effectiveness of such Funds in—

(A) leveraging Federal investments to increase State, local, business, and philanthropic resources to address national and local challenges;

(B) providing resources to replicate and expand effective initiatives; and

(4) to strengthen the infrastructure to identify, invest in, replicate, and expand initiatives with effective solutions to national and local challenges.

(1) Community organization

(2) Covered entityThe term “covered entity” means—

(A) an existing grantmaking institution (existing as of the date on which the institution applies for a grant under this section); or

(B) a partnership between—

(i) such an existing grantmaking institution; and

(ii) an additional grantmaking institution, a State Commission, or a chief executive officer of a unit of general local government.

(3) Issue area

(d) Program

(e) Periods; amounts

(f) EligibilityTo be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (d), an entity shall—

(1) be a covered entity;

(2) propose to focus on—

(A) serving a specific local geographical area; or

(B) addressing a specific issue area;

(3) propose to focus on improving measurable outcomes relating to—

(A) education for economically disadvantaged elementary or secondary school students;

(B) child and youth development;

(D) health, including access to health services and health education;

(E) resource conservation and local environmental quality;

(F) individual or community energy efficiency;

(G) civic engagement; or

(H) reductions in crime;

(4) have an evidence-based decisionmaking strategy, including—

(A) use of evidence produced by prior rigorous evaluations of program effectiveness including, where available, well-implemented randomized controlled trials; and

(B) a well-articulated plan to—

(i)(I) replicate and expand research-proven initiatives that have been shown to produce sizeable, sustained benefits to participants or society; or(II) support new initiatives with a substantial likelihood of significant impact; or

(ii) partner with a research organization to carry out rigorous evaluations to assess the effectiveness of such initiatives; and

(5) have appropriate policies, as determined by the Corporation, that protect against conflict of interest, self-dealing, and other improper practices.

(g) ApplicationTo be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (d) for national leveraging capital, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may specify, including, at a minimum—

(1) an assurance that the eligible entity will—

(A) use the funds received through that capital in order to make subgrants to community organizations that will use the funds to replicate or expand proven initiatives, or support new initiatives, in low-income communities;

(B) in making decisions about subgrants for communities, consult with a diverse cross section of community representatives in the decisions, including individuals from the public, nonprofit private, and for-profit private sectors; and

(C) make subgrants of a sufficient size and scope to enable the community organizations to build their capacity to manage initiatives, and sustain replication or expansion of the initiatives;

(2) an assurance that the eligible entity will not make any subgrants to the parent organizations of the eligible entity, a subsidiary organization of the parent organization, or, if the eligible entity applied for funds under this section as a partnership, any member of the partnership;

(3) an identification of, as appropriate—

(A) the specific local geographical area referred to in subsection (f)(2)(A) that the eligible entity is proposing to serve; or

(B) the issue area referred to in subsection (f)(2)(B) that the eligible entity will address, and the geographical areas that the eligible entity is likely to serve in addressing such issue area;

(4)

(A) information identifying the issue areas in which the eligible entity will work to improve measurable outcomes;

(B) statistics on the needs related to those issue areas in, as appropriate—

(i) the specific local geographical area described in paragraph (3)(A); or

(ii) the geographical areas described in paragraph (3)(B), including statistics demonstrating that those geographical areas have high need in the specific issue area that the eligible entity is proposing to address; and

(C) information on the specific measurable outcomes related to the issue areas involved that the eligible entity will seek to improve;

(5) information describing the process by which the eligible entity selected, or will select, community organizations to receive the subgrants, to ensure that the community organizations—

(A) are institutions—

(i) with proven initiatives and a demonstrated track record of achieving specific outcomes related to the measurable outcomes for the eligible entity; or

(ii) that articulate a new solution with a significant likelihood for substantial impact;

(B) articulate measurable outcomes for the use of the subgrant funds that are connected to the measurable outcomes for the eligible entity;

(D) provide a well-defined plan for replicating, expanding, or supporting the initiatives funded;

(E) can sustain the initiatives after the subgrant period concludes through reliable public revenues, earned income, or private sector funding;

(F) have strong leadership and financial and management systems;

(G) are committed to the use of data collection and evaluation for improvement of the initiatives;

(H) will implement and evaluate innovative initiatives, to be important contributors to knowledge in their fields; and

(I) will meet the requirements for providing matching funds specified in subsection (k);

(6) information about the eligible entity, including its experience managing collaborative initiatives, or assessing applicants for grants and evaluating the performance of grant recipients for outcome-focused initiatives, and any other relevant information;

(7) a commitment to meet the requirements of subsection (i) and a plan for meeting the requirements, including information on any funding that the eligible entity has secured to provide the matching funds required under that subsection;

(8) a description of the eligible entity’s plan for providing technical assistance and support, other than financial support, to the community organizations that will increase the ability of the community organizations to achieve their measurable outcomes;

(9) information on the commitment, institutional capacity, and expertise of the eligible entity concerning—

(A) collecting and analyzing data required for evaluations, compliance efforts, and other purposes;

(B) supporting relevant research; and

(C) submitting regular reports to the Corporation, including information on the initiatives of the community organizations, and the replication or expansion of such initiatives;

(10) a commitment to use data and evaluations to improve the eligible entity’s own model and to improve the initiatives funded by the eligible entity; and

(11) a commitment to cooperate with any evaluation activities undertaken by the Corporation.

(h) Selection criteriaIn selecting eligible entities to receive grants under subsection (d), the Corporation shall—

(1) select eligible entities on a competitive basis;

(2) select eligible entities on the basis of the quality of their selection process, as described in subsection (g)(5), the capacity of the eligible entities to manage Social Innovation Funds, and the potential of the eligible entities to sustain the Funds after the conclusion of the grant period;

(3) include among the grant recipients eligible entities that propose to provide subgrants to serve communities (such as rural low-income communities) that the eligible entities can demonstrate are significantly philanthropically underserved;

(4) select a geographically diverse set of eligible entities; and

(5) take into account broad community perspectives and support.

(i) Matching funds for grants

(1) In general

(2) Additional requirements

(A) Type and sources

(B) Eligible entities including State Commissions or local government offices

(i) In general

(ii) Local government office

(3) Reduction

(j) Subgrants

(1) Subgrants authorizedAn eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (d) is authorized to use the funds made available through the grant to award, on a competitive basis, subgrants to expand or replicate proven initiatives, or support new initiatives with a substantial likelihood of success, to—

(A) community organizations serving low-income communities within the specific local geographical area described in the eligible entity’s application in accordance with subsection (g)(3)(A); or

(B) community organizations addressing a specific issue area described in the eligible entity’s application in accordance with subsection (g)(3)(B), in low-income communities in the geographical areas described in the application.

(2) Periods; amounts

(3) ApplicationsTo be eligible to receive a subgrant from an eligible entity under this section, including receiving a payment for that subgrant each year, a community organization shall submit an application to an eligible entity that serves the specific local geographical area, or geographical areas, that the community organization proposes to serve, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the eligible entity may require, including—

(A) a description of the initiative the community organization carries out and plans to replicate or expand, or of the new initiative the community organization intends to support, using funds received from the eligible entity, and how the initiative relates to the issue areas in which the eligible entity has committed to work in the eligible entity’s application, in accordance with subsection (g)(4)(A);

(B) data on the measurable outcomes the community organization has improved, and information on the measurable outcomes the community organization seeks to improve by replicating or expanding a proven initiative or supporting a new initiative, which shall be among the measurable outcomes that the eligible entity identified in the eligible entity’s application, in accordance with subsection (g)(4)(C);

(C) an identification of the community in which the community organization proposes to carry out an initiative, which shall be within a local geographical area described in the eligible entity’s application in accordance with subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (g)(3), as applicable;

(D) a description of the evidence-based decisionmaking strategies the community organization uses to improve the measurable outcomes, including—

(i) use of evidence produced by prior rigorous evaluations of program effectiveness including, where available, well-implemented randomized controlled trials; or

(ii) a well-articulated plan to conduct, or partner with a research organization to conduct, rigorous evaluations to assess the effectiveness of initiatives addressing national or local challenges;

(E) a description of how the community organization uses data to analyze and improve its initiatives;

(F) specific evidence of how the community organization will meet the requirements for providing matching funds specified in subsection (k);

(G) a description of how the community organization will sustain the replicated or expanded initiative after the conclusion of the subgrant period; and

(H) any other information the eligible entity may require, including information necessary for the eligible entity to fulfill the requirements of subsection (g)(5).

(k) Matching funds for subgrants

(1) In general

(2) Types and sources

(l) Direct support

(1) Program authorized

(2) Terms and conditions

(3) Application; matching funds

(m) Research and evaluation

(1) In general

(2) Research and evaluation activities

(A) Research and reports

(i) In generalThe entity carrying out this subsection shall collect data and conduct or support research with respect to the eligible entities and community organizations receiving grants under subsections (d) and (l), and the initiatives supported by such eligible entities and community organizations, to determine the success of the program carried out under this section in replicating, expanding, and supporting initiatives, including—(I) the success of the initiatives in improving measurable outcomes; and(II) the success of the program in increasing philanthropic investments in philanthropically underserved communities.

(ii) ReportsThe Corporation shall submit periodic reports to the authorizing committees including—(I) the data collected and the results of the research under this subsection;(II) information on lessons learned about best practices from the activities carried out under this section, to improve those activities; and(III) a list of all eligible entities and community organizations receiving funds under this section.

(iii) Public information

(B) Technical assistance

(D) Reservation

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 198K, as added Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1807, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1564.)