Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation
Project Title
Towards the research and learning components related to Maryland’s Service Year Option and Maryland Corps
Date
Sep. 12, 2024
Duration
24 months
Description
Young people should have access to opportunities to serve their communities and build a foundation for a shared future. To promote service and volunteerism in the state of Maryland, the Department of Service and Civic Innovation was established by executive order and subsequently formalized by the SERVE Act of 2023 (Serving Every Region Through Vocational Exploration). The SERVE Act allows for a Service Year Option–a gap year opportunity for recent high school or General Education Diploma graduates–and Maryland Corps—for anyone over the age of 18. In its inaugural year, more than 250 young adults and more than 100 employers participated. With Corporation support, the Department of Service and Civic Innovation will strengthen these programs in two key areas: 1) program enhancements in service member development, success, and civic leadership, and 2) research, learning, continuous improvement, and documentation and promotion that will improve the program and create the basis for replication in states and localities around the country.