National Service Agency Announces Training Providers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Corporation for National and Community Service today announced awards totaling $6.6 million that will go to five organizations to provide training and technical assistance to help strengthen national service and volunteer programs.

“National service is entering a new and exciting era marked not only by expansion but also by higher levels of innovation and impact in tackling tough national challenges,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “Our investment in these training providers will help our grantees and the larger nonprofit sector become more effective and efficient in meeting critical national needs through service.”

The organizations selected for the awards are:

• ETR Associates, Scotts Valley, CA – Technology and Knowledge Management ($1.5 million)
       
• AFYA, Inc., Laurel, MD – Training Support ($3.5 million)
       
• JBS International, Inc., Bethesda, MD – Training and Technical Assistance to AmeriCorps State and National ($500,000)
       
• Institute for Community Inclusion/University of Massachusetts Boston – Effective Practices in Disability and Inclusion Services ($1 Million)
       
• National Council on Aging, Washington, DC – Return on Investment for Managing Volunteers ($125,000)

The recently passed Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act envisions new and expanded programs and services of the Corporation that are likely to affect the scope and nature of these cooperative agreements. In selecting these providers, The Corporation was particularly interested in new approaches and cutting edge technologies that creatively support new initiatives and cost-effectively support expansion of national service and the nonprofit sector.

Organizations selected through this competition will work with and support current and future training and technical assistance providers. Providers use their technical expertise and capacity to deliver services primarily through web-based and other distance learning approaches and through targeted face-to-face training.

All materials developed by the training providers will be available through the Resource Center, the knowledge management training and technical assistance provider to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Center offers online training tools and publications, an events calendar, the Effective Practices Collection, and a library of printed publications, videos, and other media available for loan to Corporation grantees. It also serves as an information exchange where individual programs can share innovations and effective practices with others. Content housed at the Resource Center is generated by the Corporation's network of training and technical assistance providers funded by the Corporation to help volunteer and service programs succeed and thrive.