What is AmeriCorps NCCC?
AmeriCorps NCCC, one of AmeriCorps’ core programs, is a full-time, 10–11-month, service opportunity that covers lodging and travel expenses, allowing young adults to serve on a team, strengthening communities across the country while developing leadership skills.
See where AmeriCorps NCCC teams are serving.
Service Opportunities with AmeriCorps NCCC
AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps applications open Nov. 15, 2025! Both Team Leaders and Corps members receive training in wildfire risk mitigation, reforestation, environmental conservation, and resource management.
AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps Team Leader (ages 18+)
Apply by Feb. 28, 2026, to serve as a NCCC Forest Corps Team Leader.
Begin service in May 2026.
AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps Member (ages 18-24)
Apply by March 31, 2026, to serve as a NCCC Forest Corps Member.
Begin service in June 2026.
For help with the application, read the Guide to Completing Your AmeriCorps Application.
Contact us for more information and questions regarding the application process.
Program Options
Traditional Corps
Serve for 10-11 months with local and national nonprofits to complete hands-on projects.
FEMA Corps
Serve for 10-11 months under the direction of FEMA and focus on disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery projects.
Summer of Service
Summer of Service is a simplified version of NCCC’s other programs, on a shortened timeframe.
Forest Corps
Serve for 10-11 months alongside United States Forest Service performing direct, hands-on service in the areas of wildfire risk mitigation, reforestation, environmental conservation, and resource management.
How to Apply
For help with the application, read the Guide to Completing Your AmeriCorps Application or call the National Service Hotline at 1-800-942-2677.
2. Register
Create a profile, input the required information, and then get started on your application.
3. Apply
Tell us about your motivations, skills, and experience, and provide two professional references.
4. Submit
Complete your application, and then submit it to the specific opportunities you want to pursue.
Benefits
During service, you will receive:
- Basic expenses, including communal housing, meals, and a limited health benefit
- All program-related travel, including to your training location, projects, and back home after your service term
- A modest living allowance for your personal expenses
- Valuable training in leadership, technical skills, teamwork, and more
- Forbearance for federally backed student loans; after you successfully complete your term of service, you are eligible to have the interest incurred during service paid in full
After service, you will receive:
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of over $7,300 to use on future educational expenses or to pay back qualified student loans (Summer of Service graduates will receive a prorated Segal Education Award of approximately $1,550 for completing a term of Summer of Service 2024 with NCCC)
- Competitive job edge in your job search, including access to a network of over 700 Employers of National Service
- Opportunities to make your education more affordable through scholarships, application fee waivers, and other benefits for AmeriCorps alums provided by hundreds of Schools of National Service
Eligibility Requirements
- To serve as a Corps Member, you must be between 18-24 years old. To serve as a Team Leader, you must be 18 or older (no upper age limit). You may apply to Traditional Corps at 17, if you will turn 18 before arriving on campus. You must be 18 to apply to FEMA Corps.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen (required for FEMA Corps and Forest Corps), or a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S.
- Must pass an initial drug screening test upon arrival to the program. A positive test on a drug screen for any substance (including marijuana) at any time during service could result in dismissal from the program.
- Team Leaders must have a valid driver’s license, as they will be expected to drive the team vehicle.
- Must be available for 10-11 months of full-time service consisting of extensive travel.
Reasonable Accommodations
AmeriCorps NCCC welcomes qualified individuals with disabilities into the service program. AmeriCorps NCCC does not have blanket rules that exclude candidates with particular health conditions or disabilities. The agency will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information in assessing a candidate's ability to serve. The agency will make a reasonable accommodation to a known disability of a qualified candidate if it will not impose an undue hardship on the operations of the NCCC campus or program.
Resources for Members and Supporters
NCCC Wellness Resources
Health and wellness resources for NCCC members.
AmeriCorps NCCC Annual Report 2024
Read about AmeriCorps NCCC's recent accomplishments.
AmeriCorps NCCC Field Operations
Up to 500 AmeriCorps members serve in the AmeriCorps NCCC Traditional, NCCC Forest Corps, and NCCC FEMA Corps programs each year. Members are trained and deployed from one of our campuses located in Vinton, IA, Sacramento, CA, or Aurora, CO. Additionally, NCCC FEMA Corps Members may train and deploy from the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD, or the FEMA Incident Workforce Academy in Anniston, AL. Members remain on campus during initial training and may return to a campus between projects for “transition.” The remainder of the service term is typically spent away from campus at assigned project locations throughout the country.
AmeriCorps NCCC Community Partner Resources
For project application questions: NCCCProjectApplications@americorps.gov