Are you looking to make a difference in your community while also establishing a fulfilling and successful career? In celebration of National Public Health Week, AmeriCorps is raising awareness of Public Health AmeriCorps, a new program in partnership with CDC that is recruiting, training, and developing the next generation of public health leaders.
“AmeriCorps connects incredible people like you to programs that are improving our nation by serving others,” says AJ Pearlman, Public Health AmeriCorps director. “Togethering, we aim to open doors for people who want to make an impact. Joining Public Health AmeriCorps is an opportunity to drive change while also gaining valuable, first-hand experience to jumpstart your career in public health.”
Public Health AmeriCorps is currently recruiting thousands of people to serve in public health roles at health departments, government agencies, community-based organizations, schools, and other settings across the US. Depending on organizational and community needs, some common roles include:
- nutrition education;
- vaccine confidence and uptake support;
- mental health training and mentorship;
- chronic disease education and management; and
- garden to table programming tackling food insecurity.
For example, AmeriCorps members helped more than 2.5 million people at COVID-19 vaccination sites and conducted 1.7 million wellness checks. Members are also helping women and veterans access healthy foods through a garden-to-table program, assisting local emergency management programs to prepare for the next disaster, providing mental wellness counseling to students, and much more.
AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving during the height of the pandemic.
“We all saw the importance of a strong public health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many of today’s public health needs are related to COVID-19 recovery, our nation is also grappling with critical challenges around mental health, substance abuse, health equity, nutrition, access to care, climate change, and more,” says Pearlman. “That’s why we’re recruiting and training changemakers who want to help address these urgent challenges in their communities.”
Members receive on-site, hands-on experience and have access to a comprehensive training program. In addition, members receive benefits including:
- education award (applicable to higher education or student loan forgiveness);
- student loan deferment or forbearance;
- living allowance; and
- training from experts.
Adults of all ages and backgrounds are eligible to join Public Health AmeriCorps—whether you’ve never thought about public health as a career or have some experience but need help with a path forward. Public Health AmeriCorps is focused on recruiting members who live in, come from, and represent the communities they serve.
Visit AmeriCorps.gov/PublicHealth for a complete list of opportunities and guidance on how to apply. Part-time and full-time roles are available in rural and urban locations across nearly every state, DC, Guam and Puerto Rico. Contact publichealth@americorps.gov with any questions.