Governor Tony Evers congratulated the honorees at the 2024 Governor's Service Awards, stating that "So much of our local impact rests on the shoulders of dedicated volunteers and organizations such as yourselves, and we could not have the reach or influence that we do in this state without partners like all of you. Whether you have been doing this work for two years or twenty years, rest assured, the work you are doing is truly making our state a better place for Wisconsin kids, families, and communities everywhere."

Highlighting the difference that the honorees made through their service, Serve Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Duffy reflected that "these individuals have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others. They are assisting homeless youth, offering compassion and care to our vulnerable seniors, and ensuring our youth have the necessary resources, education, and love to thrive. Their selfless efforts have made a tangible difference in the lives of countless fellow community members." READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin is pleased to open nominations for the 2023 Governor’s Service Awards. The award ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 7, at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.

The Governor's Service Awards honor outstanding national service members, volunteers, and programs. Those honored by these awards will have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their service, with their generous service impacting the lives of countless Wisconsinites. Awards will recognize outstanding national service by individuals and programs serving through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors and the tremendous impact volunteers make throughout the state by honoring a Volunteer of the Year from each of six Wisconsin regions. READ MORE

Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes congratulated the honorees at the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards, explaining that  “throughout the tough times the last two years, it has been volunteers, just like the honorees who are here today, that have inspired us all to believe that an end the pandemic is possible and that everyone doing their part is exactly the way that we can achieve that.”  He continued by saying “I'm excited to help recognize 14 wonderful, amazing individuals and one organization from throughout the state for the impactful service that you've done with the Governor’s Service Awards, as well as 49 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers for reaching the milestone of twenty years of volunteer service in their communities.

The Governor’s Service Awards honors outstanding volunteers, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors participants and national service organizations that address serious social needs across Wisconsin. The 2022 awards were presented on May 26th and were sponsored by Serve Wisconsin, which is the state commission for national and community service. READ MORE

MILWAUKEE– Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps CEO, formally announced five Wisconsin Public Health AmeriCorps grant awards to four organizations at an event on Friday, April 29, in Milwaukee. Public Health AmeriCorps is a partnership between AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health AmeriCorps will support the recruitment, training and development of a new generation of public health leaders whose service will positively impact the lives of people in Wisconsin and throughout the nation.

“Public Health AmeriCorps and Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, United Way Fox Cities and the Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics will add capacity to strained public health systems and build a career pipeline for public health careers in Wisconsin,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “Over the next year, more than 200 new AmeriCorps members will provide invaluable services to rural and underserved communities and address the COVID-19 pandemic, substance use, community health and health education across the state. I look forward to championing these programs in partnership with our grantees, Lt. Gov. Barnes and Wisconsin health leaders.” READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin is pleased to open nominations for the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards. The award ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 26, at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.

The Governor's Service Awards honor outstanding national service members, volunteers, and programs. Those honored by these awards will have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their service, with their generous service impacting the lives of countless Wisconsinites.

New in 2022, in recognition of the tremendous impact volunteers make throughout the state, we will honor one Volunteer of the Year from each of six Wisconsin regions. Additional awards will recognize outstanding national service by individuals and programs serving through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors. READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin proudly announces that Wisconsin has received nearly $8.1 million in grant funding from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and community volunteerism.

"This funding will put 888 AmeriCorps members on the ground to help our local communities as our state continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19," said Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin. READ MORE

Reflecting upon the significant difference that engaged Wisconsin citizens have made within the state, Governor Tony Evers stated that the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards would be “honoring nine Wisconsinites and five organizations in our state that are spearheading positive, impactful change through their service to the people of Wisconsin.”  He continued, telling the honorees that they “have made a real difference thanks to your tireless efforts to support and help your fellow Wisconsinites. But your service is not only outstanding because of the impressive, quantifiable impact you have had in the number of students served, masks made, meals delivered, and many other important measures. It's also outstanding because of the compelling stories of the impact you have had on folks and entire communities across the state.” READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin is pleased to open nominations for the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards, with the award ceremony taking place on Wednesday, August 4, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.

The Governor's Service Awards honor outstanding national service members, volunteers, and programs that have helped address pressing needs in their communities. Those honored by these awards will have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their service efforts, with their generous service impacting the lives of countless Wisconsinites. READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin is seeking to place 20 AmeriCorps VISTA members this August in nonprofits, schools, and government agencies to help them build organizational capacity to alleviate poverty in Wisconsin. 

To learn how AmeriCorps VISTA members can assist in reducing poverty, organizations can register to attend one of four virtual presentations this April. READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin is seeking to place 20 AmeriCorps VISTA members in nonprofits, schools, and government agencies working to end poverty due to racial disparities. VISTA members will help Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations increase their capacity to provide the services that will end racial disparity and create a just Wisconsin.

VISTA Members can help organizations with resource development, design or improve an organization's programming, conduct a community asset and needs assessment, develop the support systems to recruit and manage volunteers, and more. READ MORE

Wisconsin AmeriCorps members provide service throughout the state in education, conservation, health care and addiction recovery, services for vulnerable populations, disaster response, and other local efforts. Additionally, they have provided over 500,000 hours of service since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing invaluable assistance to local communities.

Recognizing AmeriCorps members' contributions to the State of Wisconsin, Governor Evers proposes eliminating the state income tax on the AmeriCorps Education Award. Eliminating the state income tax will attract AmeriCorps members to serve in Wisconsin and use their education award at our colleges and universities. READ MORE

[Madison, WI] – Serve Wisconsin proudly announced that Wisconsin has received $7.3 million in federal funding to support AmeriCorps programming and celebrated the kickoff of the AmeriCorps program year on October 30 at a virtual Opening Ceremony.

At the Opening Ceremony, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes inspired the new AmeriCorps members, saying  “As we continue to weather this crisis, you'll be doing even more important work than ever before to improve the lives of people all across Wisconsin. We have far too many gaps in our health, education, and economic systems, and COVID-19 has only made that more abundantly clear. That's exactly why your service work is so critical.” READ MORE

[Madison, Wisconsin] – Recognizing the power everyday contributions made by engaged citizens Governor Tony Evers recognized 10 individual and three programs at the 2020 Governor’s Service Awards ceremony for their significant service to Wisconsin citizens and communities on October 15, 2020.

The Governor’s Service Awards honors outstanding volunteers, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps participants and programs, veterans, local volunteers, and AmeriCorps alumni that address serious social needs across Wisconsin, including specific recognitions this year for those responding to COVID-19.  The awards are sponsored by Serve Wisconsin, which is the state commission for national and community service. READ MORE

With the goal of improving local and statewide efforts to prepare for and respond to disasters, Serve Wisconsin has received a 2020 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to develop local Community/Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD/VOAD).

“Serve Wisconsin will use the $235,917 VGF grant to support the efforts of all streams of national service in Wisconsin to prepare, respond, and recover from disasters by building a national service volunteer force across the state and strengthening the partnerships and collaborative efforts in the local communities between national service, volunteer organizations, businesses, and governments statewide,” said Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin. READ MORE

AmeriCorps members in Wisconsin have served over 100,000 hours helping to respond to COVID-19!

As Wisconsin passes the 100-day milestone since the issuance of the Safer at Home order, AmeriCorps members continue providing crucial assistance to those impacted by COVID-19 and the closure of schools and other community resources. They are providing virtual assistance to students completing coursework at home, packing and distributing meals at food banks and school meal programs, assisting with contact tracing and patient follow-up calls, assembling and distributing face masks, creating virtual content on community resources, answering COVID-19 hotline calls, assisting various community organizations serving those in need, and through completing other local community projects. READ MORE

Milwaukee, WI – 400 AmeriCorps members and alumni from throughout Wisconsin came together to mark the 25th anniversary of the national service program at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Friday, October 11. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, an AmeriCorps VISTA alumna, enthusiastically swore in the members to “get things done for America” with the AmeriCorps pledge and described for the new AmeriCorps members how her leadership was impacted by her service, stating “I learned the value of self-help, coalition building, cooperation, and mobilization. I realized that great things can be accomplished with the collective strength of community.” Following the AmeriCorps pledge, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes spoke to the attendees regarding the impact of AmeriCorps service on Wisconsin and presented a proclamation from Governor Tony Evers celebrating the 25th Anniversary of AmeriCorps in Wisconsin. READ MORE

Alexis Dean, who served as an AmeriCorps member with United Way of Dane County - Schools of Hope at Mendota Elementary School in Madison during the 2018-2019 school year, was honored with the Excellence in AmeriCorps Award for the Most Impactful Member Service on September 19 during the 2019 AmeriCorps State and National Symposium in Arlington, VA. Alexis was one of the two individuals and three programs nationwide honored for their AmeriCorps service during this ceremony. READ MORE

As part of the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, over 40 volunteers from the Governor’s Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Serve Wisconsin, and Dane County Department of Human Services - Partners for After School Success (PASS AmeriCorps) joined with Dane County Parks staff to complete a service project planting trees and removing invasive plant species at William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park in Madison. READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin proudly announces that Wisconsin has received $7.1 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps and other national service programs. READ MORE

When it comes to enrolling in AmeriCorps, Milwaukee residents rank 7th among large American cities according to new data released by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that administers the AmeriCorps program and leads the nation’s national service and volunteer programs. READ MORE

MADISON, WI - Governor Tony Evers will recognized thirteen outstanding honorees at the 2019 Governor’s Service Awards ceremony for their service to Wisconsin citizens and communities in need. The Governor’s Service Awards honors outstanding volunteers, national service participants, programs, and AmeriCorps alumni that have helped to address serious social needs across Wisconsin. The ceremony took place from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on June 6th at the Monona Terrace located at 1 John Nolen Dr., Madison, WI 53703. READ MORE

As part of its annual recruitment effort, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that administers the AmeriCorps program, today released its annual rankings of the states and cities that generate the most AmeriCorps members (the complete list is below). “We are incredibly proud that Madison is one to the top large cities nationwide for recruiting AmeriCorps members. Madison has a legacy of civic engagement and we are proud to continue the tradition,” said, Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin, the state commission charged with managing AmeirCorps programs in the State of Wisconsin. READ MORE

2018 Governor's Service Recognition Honorees Announced

April 26, 2018

MADISON, WI - Four honorees will be recognized at the 2018 Governor’s Service Recognition ceremony from 3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. on April 30th at Green Lake Conference Center located at W2511 WI-23, Green Lake, WI 54941. The event honors outstanding volunteers, national service participants and programs that have helped to address serious social needs in their communities. These honorees have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their service efforts. READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin Recaps Outstanding 2016-2017 Program Year

March 5, 2018

MADISON, WI - Governor Scott Walker congratulates the 748 Wisconsin AmeriCorps members who completed over 910,000 hours of service for Wisconsin and whose dedication to service profoundly impacted local communities as shown by the outstanding achievements detailed in the annual report such as 3,607 students improving their academic performance, 3,191 homeless youth returning home or to a safe alternative and 239 economically disadvantaged students enrolling in college. READ MORE

Serve Wisconsin Among Eight States Selected to Receive Afterschool Grants from ASC, Mott Foundation

January 22, 2018

MADISON, WI - Wisconsin will be better poised to expand out-of-school time opportunities for youth at a statewide level, thanks to new funding that has been awarded to Serve Wisconsin from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in partnership with America's Service Commissions (ASC). READ MORE

Wisconsin Joins Nationwide AmeriCorps Opening Ceremonies

October 3, 2017

MADISON, WI - On October 10th, a new class of Wisconsin AmeriCorps members will pledge to “get things done for America” as part of nationwide swearing-in ceremonies. 350 AmeriCorps members will take the AmeriCorps member pledge kicking-off their year of service in Wisconsin. READ MORE

MADISON, WI - Serve Wisconsin, the Governor-appointed state service commission, announced today that Wisconsin has received $18,595,357 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs. “This funding will continue to support Wisconsin’s strong tradition of helping those in need and civic engagement. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of our toughest community problems-tutoring at-risk youth, building homes for low-income families, helping people access healthcare, serving in summer camps for disabled children, helping homeless teens find safe housing and meeting many more community needs,” states Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director, Serve Wisconsin. READ MORE