Employment Security Department: Frequently asked questions -- March 2009

Washington Service Corps is the oldest publicly funded service program of its type in the nation. It provides a small living allowance and educational scholarships to young adults aged 17 and up who commit to 10½ months of community service. The program is administered by the Employment Security Department, using money provided by the federal AmeriCorps program.  

Washington Reading Corps blends public, private and community resources to help struggling readers in kindergarten through sixth grade. It places 300 AmeriCorps State and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members in approximately 100 high-need elementary schools and early-learning centers throughout the state in order to build sustainable tutoring and literacy-development programs. The program is administered through a partnership between the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Washington Commission for National and Community Service (WCNCS), and the Washington Service Corps, a program of the Employment Security Department.

ReadyCorps is a statewide VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program administered by Employment Security’s Washington Service Corps. It provides a small living allowance and educational scholarships to young adults aged 18 and up who commit to 12 months of community service. The service projects focus on homeland security issues relating to disaster preparedness, emergency planning and community outreach activities. ReadyCorps members serve with host sites such as emergency-management agencies, fire and sheriffs’ departments, local Red Cross chapters, and other community-based organizations.

Individuals interested in applying for service programs associated with Washington Service Corps should visit its Web site; programs are listed down the left side of the home page. Individuals must be at least 17 years old to apply and commit to serving a 10½ to 12-month term. 

Community volunteers are a vital component of all Washington Service Corps programs. Anyone wishing to volunteer should visit Washington Service Corps online to view programs in his or her area, or call 888-713-6080.

• 22 team-based projects per year for the Service Corps, Reading Corps, and ReadyCorps combined.
• 150 individual placement projects a year.
• 30 of Washington’s 39 counties are served.
• $12.7 million budget (2008-09) for operating costs and project grants. In addition, the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will add $2.2 million to the budget and 175 additional Washington Service Corps members for one year, beginning in the third quarter of 2009.