The U.S. House of Representatives has proposed eliminating funding for AmeriCorps, a vital institution that supports hundreds of organizations and millions of Americans through its extensive volunteer service network. This defunding would have a devastating impact on the nation’s ability to provide essential services.
Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), a national nonprofit, relies on AmeriCorps funding to provide educational resources and mentorship to thousands of young men of color. Our mission is to increase the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from colleges and universities. We envision a nation where these young men are overrepresented in higher education, underrepresented in the criminal justice system, and leaders in their communities. For over a decade, IYT has evolved into a transformative program serving over 4,400 young men across 70 school sites, with new initiatives launching in Maryland and Minnesota. Our services are crucial for helping young men of color achieve academic success which is strongly associated with positive health outcomes, reduced criminal justice involvement, and a stronger workforce.
The defunding of AmeriCorps could deprive young men of color of the resources and support needed to reach educational milestones. Without AmeriCorps funding, many nonprofits, including IYT, would struggle to maintain the volunteer networks and development programs essential for serving youth and their families.
For over 10 years, IYT’s peer mentorship program has helped hundreds of young men of color attend and graduate from college, impacting thousands more. Our 12-year commitment starts in 7th grade, guiding students through academic and personal challenges. We provide wellness services, financial literacy workshops, and college tours to help our members envision and achieve higher education. Our services support communities of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including Asian, Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern, and Indigenous members.
Our program includes college and career counseling, leadership workshops, youth advocacy programs, and weekly check-ins focused on wellness and academic progress. Mentors provide both academic, personal, and professional guidance, they act as liaisons between teachers and parents, and foster a sense of community through fellowship activities and study halls. IYT focuses on and advocates for members, offering emotional support and friendship throughout their academic journey.
AmeriCorps funding is particularly vital to IYT’s mentorship program, where young people dedicate a year to serving as mentors in their local communities. Many IYT graduates return as AmeriCorps members, creating a robust pipeline of leadership and academic excellence and a strengthened workforce in the communities they serve.
In FY 2022-23, IYT served 3,189 members, achieving a college enrollment rate 23% higher than the state average, with a 100% high school completion rate and a 20% higher A-G completion rate than the California average. The College Academy program supports young men of color from 7th through 12th grade, fostering college readiness and improving access. For instance, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander brothers in IYT were 59% more likely to meet A-G course requirements in relation to their peers across California, and Hispanic/Latino brothers were 74% more likely.
The impact of IYT’s programs is reflected in the words of one member: “IYT has improved me both academically and socially. These bi-weekly mentorships help me evaluate where I stand and where to improve. The workshops and college tours broadened my scope of higher education and the opportunities available to a person of color like myself.”
The Mentor Fellowship Program further extends this impact by offering young leaders the opportunity to provide mentorship and academic support. Testimonials from AmeriCorps/IYT fellows emphasize the program’s significance. One mentor noted, “Working at IYT, I realized the power of storytelling in connecting with students on a deeper level. This experience reinforced my belief in providing a safe space for young people to open up and be heard.”
The importance of our work at IYT is shown in statistics to combat the school-to-prison pipeline. For example, according to the American Bar Association, “Black students are 2.2 times as likely to receive a referral to law enforcement or be subject to a school-related arrest as white students.” IYT mentors advocate for students, helping them navigate challenges at school as liaisons between the teachers, admin, and students. IYT’s vitality is also supported by increasing positive health outcomes as shown by the National Institute of Health they note that “downward educational pathways were predictive of increases in crime, whereas upward pathways were associated with decreases in crime.” Programs like IYT that promote upward educational pathways are linked to lower crime rates and better health outcomes.
Improve Your Tomorrow is making indirect but effective interventions in health disparities by increasing educational attainment. Without AmeriCorps funding, organizations like ours would face significant challenges in serving young men across the U.S. Preserving these services is crucial to building a thriving community where young men of color are overrepresented in higher education, underrepresented in the criminal justice system, and leaders in their communities.