|
Serve Wisconsin
June 2025 Newsletter
| |
Federal grants restored for Wisconsin AmeriCorps programs following preliminary injunction | |
Several weeks ago, service at hundreds of sites across Wisconsin stopped due to the unexpected termination of AmeriCorps funding! We are pleased to share that many of our programs and AmeriCorps members were able to resume service earlier this month—and are once again making a positive impact throughout the state.
On Friday, April 25, the federal grants supporting the AmeriCorps programs administered by Serve Wisconsin were terminated, bringing AmeriCorps service to an abrupt halt in the middle of the program year. In response, Governor Evers and Attorney General Kaul announced that Wisconsin would join a multi-state lawsuit challenging the terminations. Following a May 19 hearing, U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman issued a preliminary injunction on June 5 that blocked the grant cancellations and allowed service to resume.
We are excited that several programs have been able to welcome back AmeriCorps members who were serving prior to the grant terminations, and that others are moving forward with previously planned summer AmeriCorps members—including positions at youth camps and on conservation crews.
At the same time, we acknowledge the significant and lasting effects of this disruption. Weeks of uncertainty forced some programs to shut down permanently. In others, staff were laid off or transitioned to new roles, and many AmeriCorps members had to seek other opportunities during the pause.
We want to thank everyone with all of our programs for their service this year, both those that have been able to return and all of those who are not able to do so, and recognize their dedication to making a difference for the people of Wisconsin.
Media coverage about resumption of AmeriCorps service in Wisconsin following preliminary injunction in multi-state lawsuit
| | |
Serve Wisconsin would like to thank Jeanne Duffy for her leadership over the last eight and a half years as our executive director and for her dedication to our state’s AmeriCorps programs and the mission of service. Jeanne will be continuing her career journey with the Department of Administration as the new executive director of the Wisconsin Women’s Council.
Before joining Serve Wisconsin, Jeanne had three decades of experience in community development, management, fundraising, lending and engaging people of all ages in service & philanthropy both domestically and internationally. She began her journey of service and supporting the work of nonprofits by volunteering for five years immediately after graduating college. Her first placement was at Chicago’s 8th Day Center for Justice, and she is eternally grateful for the staff whose commitment to justice and overcoming systemic poverty inspire her to this day. Internationally, she spent two years organizing and securing funding for schools on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala in the early 1990s. Over the next few decades, she supported nonprofits in Chicago, Madison and Latin America.
Jeanne started at Serve Wisconsin in December 2016, bringing her commitment to service and engaging people from all backgrounds to create stronger communities through AmeriCorps service. Over the next eight and a half years as executive director, Jeanne helped facilitate the growth in the number of AmeriCorps programming in state, helping support numerous organizations with planning grants to develop programing and providing training and resources for programs to help them continue serving the public. Under her leadership, Serve Wisconsin also obtained Volunteer Generation Fund grant funding, which has been used to assist communities with disaster preparedness and response, provide training for individuals from local communities to serve on nonprofit boards, and to support projects and volunteer engagement throughout the state. In addition to guiding our commission and AmeriCorps programs through the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeanne served on the State of Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force from February to August 2021 as the Data Management Unit Director for a team that reported, tracked, and analyzed COVID-19 vaccination data.
Jeanne’s last day with Serve Wisconsin was on June 27 and she has since started in her new position as the executive director of the Wisconsin Women’s Council. We would like to wholeheartedly thank Jeanne for her service and wish her the best of luck on this next step in her journey.
| | Green Bay Conservation Corps recognized for helping AmeriCorps members gain credentials during their service and building career paths for entering the job market | | |
In June, Green Bay Conservation Corps (GBCC) was recognized by The Corps Network as the top “Small Corps” in the nation—an honor awarded to Corps with 1–50 members—for their outstanding success in helping AmeriCorps members earn credentials during their service. These credentials—including certificates, licenses, certifications, and degrees—demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and abilities members develop through their service, enhancing their employability and paving the way for long-term career success.
GBCC AmeriCorps members complete conservation projects such as trail maintenance and expansion, invasive species removal and native plant establishment, species inventorying/mapping, as well as engaging the public in educational programming and volunteer service.
In honoring GBCC, The Corps Network highlighted the program’s focus on urban forestry, watershed restoration, and public land maintenance, while also commending the wide range of credentials members earn. These include training in habitat restoration, sustainable landscaping, and green infrastructure, as well as certifications such as:
- Pesticide Applicator Certification, enabling safe and effective pest management
- First Aid Certification, ensuring basic emergency preparedness
- Wilderness First Aid Certification, equipping members for emergency response in remote outdoor settings
These credentials not only enhance participants' qualifications for careers in environmental and conservation fields, but also ensure safety and professionalism in the field.
Serve Wisconsin congratulates GBCC for this national recognition and their continued commitment to supporting AmeriCorps members in developing valuable skills and building pathways to meaningful careers.
| | Marshfield Clinic – Community Corps AmeriCorps member hosts Representative John Spiros for site visit | | |
Marshfield Clinic Health System - Community Corps AmeriCorps member Milena Mileva has been making a difference for people in north central Wisconsin through her service at the Discovery Education Station in Marshfield, which provides STEAM programming and educational activities to the community. Milena engages children in programming about cultures around the world, foreign languages, and art, as well programming focused on serving kids and adults with special needs.
After visiting with state legislators to share about her service during AmeriCorps Day at the Capitol in March, Milena was inspired to invite the state legislators representing the district where she serves to the impact service has in-person. She was happy to be able to host State Representative John Spiros for a visit to the Discovery Education Station and provide the opportunity to demonstrate the impact their programming has for the people she serves. They discussed the importance of the work educating children at the site and the role AmeriCorps members can play to make this possible. During the visit, she presented pictures from the children she serves to Rep. Spiros and the Discovery Education Station is looking forward to him visiting again in the future.
| | |
Service story about AmeriCorps member service with
College Possible Wisconsin
June episode of The S-Files podcast
| | |
This month on The S-Files, we explored the service story of AmeriCorps member Jon Goltz, who served two terms with College Possible Wisconsin with and one term with Wisconsin Reading Corps. Check out this month's episode below. You can access all of the episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.
Serving Students and Gaining Experience for a Career in Education with College Possible Wisconsin and Wisconsin Reading Corps
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service story of AmeriCorps member Jon Goltz, who served two terms with College Possible Wisconsin and one term with Wisconsin Reading Corps. Jon describes his service providing coaching to students at Casimir Pulaski High School and St. Thomas More High School, working with juniors during his first term and seniors during his service this year. He discusses the different types of assistance he has provided to the students on their path to graduating high school and applying to and enrolling in college. Jon also describes his service with Wisconsin Reading Corps providing literacy tutoring to K-3 students at Whitman Elementary School and his path to serving students after a variety of positions in other career fields following graduation. Listen in to learn about how Jon’s AmeriCorps service with College Possible Wisconsin and Wisconsin Reading Corps helped him gain experience working with students and transition into a career in education next year, when he will be a physical education teacher with Milwaukee Public Schools. (listen to the episode here)
NOTE: The interview for this episode was recorded on the morning of April 25, 2025, prior to the unexpected termination of Wisconsin AmeriCorps program grants that evening, which impacts Jon's responses about the remainder of his service term.
| |
|
Calendar: Upcoming Events and Key Dates
JULY 2025
-
July 4 - Independence Day / July 4th (Serve Wisconsin office closed)
SEPTEMBER 2025
| | | | | |
