Public Health AmeriCorps

At a glance

Public Health AmeriCorps is a groundbreaking initiative made possible through partnership between CDC and AmeriCorps and is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program supports efforts to build a strong and diverse workforce that is ready to respond to the nation’s public health needs.

A diverse group of five female Public Health AmeriCorps members are outdoors having a conversation.

Our Shared Vision

Announced September 2021, Public Health AmeriCorps provides a pathway to recruit, train, and develop the next generation of public health leaders. This program leverages the expertise of CDC and AmeriCorps. It capitalizes on AmeriCorps' experience managing some of the most prominent public service and workforce development programs in the nation. It also benefits from CDC's technical expertise as the country's leading public health agency. This 5-year grant program provides

  • Grantee organizations with workforce support
  • Members with pathways to public health careers

Grantee Organizations

In April 2023, AmeriCorps announced the second year of grants totaling nearly $90 million to more than 100 organizations. This announcement builds on the first year of funding, which provided nearly $70 million to 82 organizations. Eligible organizations included

  • Indian Tribes
  • Institutions of higher education
  • Local governments
  • Public health departments
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • State service commissions
  • States and U.S. Territories

Funding awards include 78 continuation grants and 27 awards to new Public Health AmeriCorps grantees. This supports more than 4,700A AmeriCorps members, adding capacity to our strained public health system. It also helps these members develop skills that can lead to public health careers. Of the new grantees, 13 serve rural communities, 16 serve urban areas, and 8 serve both rural and urban communities.

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a report on the public health workforce. It recognizes Public Health AmeriCorps as an example of leadership development and investment in future public health leaders. The report also highlights the role of AmeriCorps members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individual Members

Opportunities for Individuals‎

If you are looking for a full- or part-time opportunity to serve your community, use the interactive search tool to find an opportunity by location.
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Check out Make Your Mark with Public Health AmeriCorps to learn more about becoming a member.

BenefitsB

  • Hands-on experience
  • Training from experts
  • Living allowance
  • Education award
  • Student loan deferment / forbearance

Project Focus Areas

  • Health equity and social determinants of health
  • COVID-19 recovery, testing, and vaccination support
  • Access to services and reducing barriers to care
  • Behavioral health (mental health and substance use disorder)

Activities

  • Health education and training
  • Community outreach and engagement
  • System navigation, referrals, and linkage to care
  • Research, data collection, analysis, and assessments

Our Shared Successes

Public Health AmeriCorps Bolsters Pima County Workforce with Student Intern Program

"I chose to intern at Pima County Health Department because...‎

I wanted the opportunity to gain real world public health experience as well as the opportunity to have a positive impact on the health and wellness of Pima County Health Department (PCHD) employees through health programming and planning". Sailor Hutton, AmeriCorps Intern, PCHD
Image of Sailor Hutton, an AmeriCorps intern for Employee Training and Development
Sailor Hutton, AmeriCorps intern at PCHD. Photo courtesy of PCHD Newsroom.

Public Health AmeriCorps enhances Pima County Health Department's (PCHD) workforce by placing students from the University of Arizona into PCHD. Student interns address public health needs (e.g., emergency preparation, health equity, etc.) while increasing PCHD's capacity to serve the public. The internship allows students to gain practical work experience and improve skills that will be beneficial when entering the workforce. Jacqueline Larson, an environmental health technician intern at PCHD, told Pima County Newsroom "this internship has allowed me a glance into the work the Health Department does in preventing infectious disease from mosquitoes and practicing surveillance methods".

Youth Mental Health Corps Builds from the Success of Public Health AmeriCorps

Younger generations are struggling with a mental health crisis; the second leading cause of death among 10–14-year-olds is suicide. Youth Mental Health Corps supports mental health in schools by recruiting 18–24-year-olds to provide mental health support in communities. This program builds on the success from Public Health AmeriCorps (PHA), a collaborative partnership with CDC and AmeriCorps. PHA has brought AmeriCorps members into nonprofits and municipalities to address urgent health needs of young people and their families. Youth Mental Health Corps is a state-embedded approach to mental health. The program will hire and train 18-24-year-olds to provide mental health support to students across 11 states. Participating states include California, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia, Maryland and Utah.

See Also: Gen Z put mental health on the map. Let them lead in solving the crisis.

Resources

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Content Source:
Public Health Infrastructure Center, Division of Workforce Development; Division of Workforce Development
  1. As of June 1, 2024
  2. Member benefits apply to all member cohorts across the five funding years. Project focus areas and member activities only apply to the 2022 cohort. Project focus areas and member activities may vary in future cohorts depending on the public health needs of grantee organizations.