Job Training Programs for Youth : ALMS and AmeriCorps
All Leaders Must Serve (ALMS) is a nonprofit California mentoring organization with a unique
approach to job readiness. We empower young adults ages 15-25 to become job-ready, not just
through traditional resume writing and job search, but also through our transformative training in
soft skills, which includes work ethic, character development, and communication skills.
In 2017, ALMS became an AmeriCorps Partner with the Youth Investment Center, providing
services to school districts, youth-serving agencies, and private foundations. Young people within
ALMS participated by offering youth mentor training, academic support, and life skills
development. Our youth served as peer mentors at 1) Woodland Community College, Wellness
Center; 2) Yolo County's Health & Human Services as an outreach navigator to foster and at-risk-
youth; and 3) the Pregnancy Support Group, training young mothers in parenting, daily living,
relationships, communication, housing, and finances.
However, now that AmeriCorps is at risk, the opportunity for youth employability services may be
compromised, potentially downgrading the experience and opportunities for young adults entering
social service roles in their community, particularly in areas where they are most needed.
AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 men and women in intensive service each year at more
than 15,000 locations. Members gain valuable professional, educational, and life benefits, and the
experience has a lasting impact on the members and the communities they serve.
The work that AmeriCorps offers cannot reach the families it serves without the sensitivity and
youth mentor training from AmeriCorps. The youth who choose to join AmeriCorps through the
ALMS internship program have suffered from personal trauma and wanted to help others who need
the same type of understanding they have received from the ALMS mentorship program.
So, when I read in the July 28th article in the Daily Democrat newspaper that AmeriCorps was at
risk of losing its funding, I was alarmed that a social security pathway for young adults was being
canceled, removing a potential experience for youth mentor training.
The article reported that Congress had approved funding for AmeriCorps for 2025. However, as of
July, the funds have not been released, and no proposed budget includes AmeriCorps after 2026.
The reported information may mean that the 32-year-old program may end unless another funding
source comes through.
The loss of the program would have a profound impact on hundreds of California school children,
particularly low-income students who have been served by AmeriCorps staff and interns who
offered tutoring, mentorship, and after-school programs. It would also impact mothers and infants
who received the unique and irreplaceable services of AmeriCorps interns. These interns regularly
visited the homes of young parents for baby wellness checks, providing accountability and support
for young parents struggling with a newborn. The AmeriCorps intern visits the at-home moms
during the first six months to ensure that the baby's appointments are being kept, the baby looks
healthy and happy, and parents can voice their questions and struggles in caring for their child.
ALMS loved placing young people in situations where they could grow and expand, and ALMS has
placed several young adults into the AmeriCorps program, which offered hands-on job training. The
opportunity to engage in AmeriCorps youth mentor training and activities opened these young
adults' world beyond ALMS, exposing them to a level of social service work that inspired their
careers. Ten years later, the young women who took part in these internships through AmeriCorps
are entrenched in serving their community, and they are firm in their commitment to serve others.
It's truly inspiring to see how the young ladies from ALMS, participating in the AmeriCorps program,
not only gained job training but also learned valuable life lessons. The expectation for them to apply
the powerful lessons they receive is not just a professional requirement but also a personal growth
opportunity. This growth and experience will empower them in their own lives, making us all proud
of their journey and supportive of their future.
Not only will our youth miss out on valuable experience and knowledge, but the loss of AmeriCorps
will also make it challenging for school officials to fill dozens of vacancies and secure funding for
permanent jobs that support the training and guidance of youth mentors. It's been challenging for
public schools, which are facing numerous education cuts, to provide services through after-
school programs, migrant education, and other initiatives.
When we think of AmeriCorps, we often think of adult mentors. However, ALMS has successfully
used the program to offer entry-level opportunities and a pathway to professional social service
jobs. Along with the job readiness training, ALMS offers AmeriCorps youth mentor training as an
additional and final training course before participants enter their careers. ALMS researches the
community and leverages its network of influential and business friends to secure part-time
employment opportunities for youth. By doing so, ALMS has successfully created jobs where none
existed, thereby filling in the gaps that often go unnoticed. The outcomes of our youth after serving
as AmeriCorps interns are a testament to the impact of AmeriCorps on the community, making
everyone feel connected and responsible for its continuation.
For example, one young lady mentored at-risk youth at a continuation school, sharing her personal
experiences, which developed into relationships. Her training from ALMS and AmeriCorps gave her
the tools to be an adult mentor to the female students who needed her encouragement to stay in
school and believe in themselves.
Another young lady assisted in opening a Wellness Center for Foster Youth at the local community
college. There, she made herself available for students who needed emotional support between
classes. The student continued to receive training and participate in other community activities
that gave her an understanding of cultures outside her own. The experience in her two years as an
AmeriCorps Intern gave her the confidence to see her future in a social service career pathway.
Because ALMS serves young adults throughout high school and into college, we had the
opportunity to serve a single mom and allow her the chance to participate in AmeriCorps. This
young mother assisted a Pregnancy Support Group. She used her Spanish-speaking skills to
communicate with other Spanish-speaking mothers – showing them videos for infant care,
assisting in picking out supplies, and translating for the staff. This young mom went on to build a
career in the medical field and is working on her education to become an RN.
AmeriCorps doesn't have to be just for professional adults serving their community. AmeriCorps
can be an opportunity for a high school graduate with job readiness training and an option for a
college student who needs a part-time job.
For more information contact Jayne Williams, Executive
Director at jayne@almsinyolo.org or go to our website at www.AllLeadersMustServe.org. If you
would like to donate to youth mentorship programs, visit www.AllLeadersMustServe.org/donate.
