The Service Year Alliance has awarded Campus Compact for New Hampshire (CCNH) one of four 2021 National Service Community Challenge Grants. The grants are designed to help community collaboratives attract sustainable funding for programs that use national service to address local needs. The $100,000 in grant funding is spread among just a handful of organizations across the country.

A Sustainable Infrastructure for School Readiness

CCNH will use grant and matching funds to help build a national service infrastructure in the rural northernmost counties of New Hampshire. In building this infrastructure, CCNH will recruit and train AmeriCorps volunteers, who will work with young children to help them prepare for school. The program is designed to address vital community needs identified by local stakeholders, including kindergarten readiness and developing the community talent pool.

“The grant will help us implement a sustainable AmeriCorps program in the North Country designed to give preschool students the resources they need for a successful school start,” says CCNH Executive Director Debby Scire. “At the same time, AmeriCorps members will gain hands-on training and experience, boosting the local talent pipeline. Both goals are part of CCNH’s innovative work to enhance education access and success across New Hampshire.”

Using National Service to Tackle Local Community Needs

Grant recipients were selected for having identified a community need, the necessary stakeholders to address the need, and a clear collaborative approach to utilizing national service. Kristen Bennett, Chief Strategy Officer at Service Year Alliance, notes, “Grant recipients represent an impressive group of committed organizations who are at the forefront of community collaboration. All share a passion for utilizing national service to tackle local challenges. We look forward to seeing their visions and strategies come to life.”

With the support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the National Service Community Challenge Grants are designed to help communities inspired by the Flint Accelerator craft their own national service strategy to address local needs. In addition to CCNH, the 2021 grant recipients were the Serve Illinois Commission, the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service, and the United Way Association of South Carolina.