Former U.S. Presidents to Join Obama in Celebrating AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps volunteers fill sandbags to protect businesses in Clarksville, Missouri, from rising floodwaters on July 3.

Washington — Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush will join President Obama September 12 in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps national service program.

Clinton and Obama will address hundreds of AmeriCorps members at the White House and will appear by video at pledge ceremonies around the United States.

President George H.W. Bush will participate in an AmeriCorps pledge ceremony at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, while President George W. Bush and Laura Bush filmed a video that will be shown at pledge ceremonies around the country.

AmeriCorps is a volunteer public service organization. Its members serve at more than 25,000 locations from coast to coast, strengthening education, providing disaster services, fostering economic opportunity, assisting veterans and military families, preserving the environment and expanding health services. As they serve others, AmeriCorps members expand opportunity for themselves and gain skills, experience and education support to help jump-start their careers.

Each president played a key role in the formation and growth of AmeriCorps.

President George H.W. Bush signed the 1990 National Service Act, which created the Commission on National and Community Service and funded national service pilot programs. In September 1994, Clinton proposed and signed the legislation creating AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service and launched the first class of 20,000 AmeriCorps members. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, President George W. Bush added 25,000 AmeriCorps positions.

Since coming to office, Obama has taken many steps to expand national service as a solution for pressing challenges, from signing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and launching the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service to creating innovative AmeriCorps partnerships, including FEMA Corps, School Turnaround AmeriCorps and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) AmeriCorps.

“For 20 years, AmeriCorps has been a remarkable force for good in communities across the nation,” said Wendy Spencer, chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps. “The participation of four presidents in this nationwide pledge ceremony is a testament to the value of AmeriCorps and its indispensable role in solving problems, strengthening communities and expanding economic opportunity.”

The 80 pledge ceremonies taking place across the United States on September 12 will kick off a year of service for some 75,000 AmeriCorps members.

Since 1994, more than 900,000 men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.2 billion hours of service addressing critical challenges, from poverty and hunger to disasters and the dropout crisis. AmeriCorps members have earned more than $2.7 billion in education scholarships to pay for college or pay back student loans.