Eight Years Out: The Public Impact of AmeriCorps Service with Bob Grimm

Today's guest is Bob Grimm, Director of Research and Policy
Development & Senior Counselor to the CEO at the Corporation
for National and Community Service (CNCS) in Washington, DC. He
speaks with Idealist.org's Amy Potthast about the study design and
outcomes, and about some of the people who have served in
AmeriCorps.



Solid evidence now exists to show that participating in a term of
service program (like AmeriCorps, Teach For America, and Peace
Corps) really is an effective launching-off point for a public
service career.  Idealist has long held this belief, and has
been formalizing its support of these programs since 2007.

Earlier this year the Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS) published an eight-year longitudinal study of people
who participated in AmeriCorps programs in 1999-2000, as well as of
people who considered participating but chose not to during the
same year. It turns out that two-thirds of AmeriCorps alumni
(including AmeriCorps*NCCC alumni) from that year are currently
engaged in nonprofit or government careers -- outnumbering the
group who didn't participate in AmeriCorps.