FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 23, 2024

WASHINGTON, DC – AmeriCorps today announced the launch of Energy Communities AmeriCorps, a new initiative engaging 150 AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members in nine federally designated coal and power plant communities. 

The Energy Communities AmeriCorps project is a testament to the power of collaboration, working hand in hand with the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. This group supports economic revitalization, environmental remediation, and energy workers, and we invite you to be part of this journey.

The public-private partnership, a beacon of hope championed by the White House, will invest federal and philanthropic funds, building on the administration's commitment to supporting energy communities. The initiative aims to create a more prosperous and promising future for those who powered the nation's growth.

The initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Conservation Legacy, a longtime AmeriCorps partner, will lead the project and work with local host sites to recruit members, prioritizing displaced energy workers. “Conservation Legacy is excited about launching Energy Communities AmeriCorps,” said Amy Sovocool, President of Conservation Legacy. “Through this partnership, we are honored to involve AmeriCorps members in revitalizing communities that have significantly contributed to shaping our nation.”

AmeriCorps and Conservation Legacy are recruiting for positions that will start in October. AmeriCorps VISTA members will serve on projects building local capacity to support economic development, workforce readiness, and remediation. These projects will involve conducting community needs assessments, organizing public meetings, writing grants, and educating residents about public health and safety hazards. Members will also have the opportunity to work closely with local host sites and community leaders, gaining valuable experience in community development and environmental remediation.

"Growing up in Dickenson County, Virginia, I saw the coal industry's downturn leave communities like mine with fewer resources than ever,” said AmeriCorps VISTA alum Austin Counts. “Jobs were scarce, and many had to leave to find work. My years as a VISTA member opened new career pathways with the Virginia Department of Energy’s State Energy Office and Appalachian Voices' New Economy program, focusing on Virginia’s energy communities.

Counts continues, “This initiative supports struggling coal and power plant towns. Investing in these communities can help them rebuild, create new opportunities, and ensure they remain integral to our nation's energy landscape."

To learn more about opportunities created by this initiative, visit https://stewardslegacy.org/eca...

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About AmeriCorps 

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation's most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; it empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

About Conservation Legacy 

Conservation Legacy focuses on local impact by engaging youth, young adults, and veterans in conservation and service programs from 15 locations nationwide. We are embedded in our communities to meet on-the-ground conservation needs. Learn more at https://stewardslegacy.org/eca.... Learn more about our programs: Energy Communities AmeriCorps Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps | Appalachian Conservation Corps | Arizona Conservation Corps| Conservation Corps New Mexico | Conservation Corps North Carolina | Southeast Conservation Corps | Southwest Conservation Corps | Stewards Individual Placements | Preserve America Youth Summit

Contacts

Conservation Legacy Energy Communities Lead:
April Elkins-Badtke
Executive Director, Stewards East
april@conservationlegacy.org
304-444-2764

Media Relations:

Conservation Legacy Communications
Elizabeth Powers
Director of Communications
Epowers@conservationlegacy.org