The Corps Network is a proud advocate and representative of the nation’s Service and Conservation Corps. Our number one goal is to sustain and grow the Corps movement.

The Corps Network’s member Service and Conservation Corps operate in 42 states and the District of Columbia. Over 21,000 Corpsmembers, ages 16—25, contribute more than 16 million hours of service annually.

Service and Conservation Corps are a direct descendant of the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, in which three million young men dramatically improved the nation’s public lands while receiving food, shelter, education, and a precious $30-a-month stipend.

Today’s Service and Conservation Corps provide a wealth of conservation, infrastructure improvement, and human service projects—those identified by communities as important. Some Corps improve and preserve our public lands and national parks. Others provide critical energy conservation services, including weatherization, restore natural habitats and create urban parks and gardens. Still others provide disaster preparation and recovery to under-resourced communities. Finally, Corps raise the quality of life in low-income communities by renovating deteriorating housing and providing support to in-school and after school education programs.

Youth Corps: Promising Strategies for Young People and Their Communities, a rigorous multi-site control group evaluation conducted by Abt Associates/Brandeis University, underscored the value of Corps for communities and Corpsmembers. The report documents that
• Significant employment and earnings gains accrue to young people who join Corps,
• Positive outcomes are particularly striking for young African-American men,
• Arrest rates drop by one-third among all Corpsmembers, and
• Out-of-wedlock pregnancy rates drop among female Corpsmembers.