Serve Washington swears in more than 300 AmeriCorps members during virtual ceremony

OLYMPIA —Around 300 AmeriCorps members from across the state gathered virtually Oct. 21 for Serve Washington’s annual swearing-in ceremony that celebrates the start of the new AmeriCorps service year.

AmeriCorps members commit to a year of service at nonprofit organizations, state and local governments and educational institutions. During the 2022-2023 service year, there will be 23 AmeriCorps programs across the state spread among 21 organizations. These programs will place 1,490 members in hundreds of service sites to help address critical needs in communities.

Through their service, AmeriCorps members help close the achievement gaps for school-age children, prepare low-income students for higher education, protect our environment, and recruit and manage volunteers.

The 2022 ceremony featured a video highlighting AmeriCorps members service over the past year, and a keynote delivered by National University’s 2021 Teacher of the Year Melody Hawkins, who is also an AmeriCorps alum. AmeriCorps members also participated in two networking sessions to talk with other members about what they were looking forward to during their upcoming service year and share resources and tips on how to live on a stipend.

Four AmeriCorps alums who served in programs in the state of Washington participated in a 30-minute question-and-answer panel. They shared personal stories about their time in AmeriCorps and offered advice to incoming AmeriCorps members.

The ceremony concluded with a recitation of the AmeriCorps pledge. AmeriCorps members also had the option to participate in two virtual professional development workshops in the afternoon.

A recording of the entire ceremony as well as individual segments can be viewed on Serve Washington’s YouTube.

Similar swearing-in ceremonies are happening across the country this fall as more than 75,000 individuals begin their AmeriCorps service.  Serve Washington’s AmeriCorps Swearing-in ceremony is planned by staff, with the assistance of Serve Washington’s AmeriCorps member advisory committee. The committee is made up of current AmeriCorps members, many of whom have served more than one year of service.  Members meet regularly for about three months to plan the ceremony.

Serve Washington advances national service, volunteerism and civic engagement to improve lives; expands opportunity to meet the local critical needs of Washington; and strengthens community capacity while creating healthy and resilient communities.

For more information, visit www.servewashington.wa.gov.

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads the nation’s volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit Americorps.gov.