Like never before, our country needs leaders who will recognize and activate all of a community’s assets, connect people across cultures, and facilitate collaborative action.

Today’s young Americans are the most diverse in history, and they are inheriting some of our country’s greatest challenges. Racial and socioeconomic barriers to meaningful and family-sustaining employment perpetuate inequality and limit the life chances of too many promising young people. The employment rate for young adults is at its lowest level in decades, and far too many young people of color struggle to gain a foothold in the job market.

Public Allies is intentional about recruiting young leaders whose promise and potential are too frequently overlooked, dismissed, or ignored, including young adults aging out of the foster care system; our brothers and sisters who must remake their lives following incarceration; and single mothers seeking a bridge from GED to college and career. They need – and deserve – opportunities like Public Allies to activate their full leadership potential.

Our partnership with AmeriCorps dates back to its founding in 1994. Since then, our signature AmeriCorps Ally Program has identified thousands of diverse young adults and prepared them for leadership. Our learning process weaves together four key elements that constitute an experiential journey of self-discovery and professional development:

Allies are placed with with a nonprofit organization where they help address critical community needs such as youth development, education, workforce development, environmental issues, arts programming and community health. Our AmeriCorps program is a dynamic pipeline for talented young people to emerge as leaders and to strengthen the capacity of community organizations.