Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Prospective Members: Fact Sheet
Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.
Explore your possibilities. Discover your power.
If you are looking for a way to serve your community, consider joining Maryland’s new Maryland Corps/Service Year Option. Maryland Corps/Service Year Option offers a year of professional growth and career exploration where you can earn a living wage, gain new skills, and identify where your talents and purpose intersect, all while serving your community with your fellow Marylanders.
What is Maryland Corps/Service Year Option?
Maryland Corps/Service Year Option is an opportunity for those to find a meaningful way to serve in various sectors across the state. Service roles will provide you with job training, an on-site mentor, and resources to be successful (personal money management training, career exploration, etc.) all while earning at least $15 an hour in your role. Upon successful completion of the program, members earn $6,000 toward tuition costs or as a cash stipend.
Benefits Explained:
- Earn at least $15 an hour
- Receive professional development, on the job training, mentoring and time to explore potential career paths for your future.
- Career coaching and job seeking assistance throughout the Service Year, and upon completion of your year of service.
- Members also receive $6,000 that can be paid out as a taxable cash stipend or deposited into a Maryland 529 account toward your future tuition costs.
Member Requirements:
- Serve full-time at your sponsoring organization and participate in targeted professional development. The program is a minimum 40 hours per week time commitment between the service at your Host Site Partner and the required professional development.
- Interest in meeting new people, developing new professional skills and discovering new possibilities for your career and/or educational journey.
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Must be at least 18 years old to serve.
What will I do as a Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Member?
Maryland Corps/Service Year Option members will be paired with an apprenticeship program, nonprofit, business or government agency that supports your professional development. Organizations in the following issue areas will be prioritized during the 2024-2025 service term:
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Climate
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Work on clean energy projects like home weatherization and windmill energy.
- Education
- Serve in classrooms as tutors for children, youth recreation assistants or as a nutrition assistance professional. Serve in or out of classrooms to help youth connect to knowledge about health, well-being and life skills.
- Community Health
- Serve in a public health organization helping Maryland residents access vaccines and other preventative medicine, or as a mental health advocate, helping connect people to the care they need.
- Public Service
- Apprenticeships and Trades
- Serve in a defined pathway to obtain hard skills in a specific high-growth industry – like construction management or advanced manufacturing.
- Information Technology
- Gain skills in competitive fields like web development, artificial intelligence, or software development and coding.
- Public Safety
- Serve alongside police and law enforcement to build strong partnerships with communities to identify individuals at-risk of violence, connect them to essential resources and co-produce public safety.
Important Dates
- Program Begins: September 11, 2024
- Program Concludes: Summer 2025
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
For more information contact
applytoserve@maryland.gov
