"It's like a job. You have goals. You see results" -Yuriy, Experience Corps Member

Learn more about Experience Corps™ from answers to these frequently asked questions:

What is Experience Corps?
Experience Corps, an award-winning national program, engages people 55+ in meeting their communities' greatest challenges. Today, in 23 cities across the country, 2,000 Experience Corps members tutor and mentor elementary school students. Independent research shows that Experience Corps boosts student academic performance, helps schools and youth-serving organizations become more successful, and enhances the well-being of the older adults in the process.




What do Experience Corps members do?
Experience Corps members work in public schools and community centers tutoring and mentoring, providing homework help, and giving attention to those children most in need. In addition, members work with teachers, school leaders and youth workers to develop projects, such as parent involvement campaigns, health awareness activities and library book drives, which benefit entire schools and neighborhoods. Experience Corps members often assume leadership roles by acting as team leaders and initiating new projects that meet critical needs.




Where is Experience Corps located?
Experience Corps projects are located in 23 cities throughout the United States: Annapolis, MD; Baltimore, MD; Baltimore County, MD; Beaumont, TX; Boston, MA; Cleveland, OH; Evansville, IN; Grand Rapids, MI; Greater New Haven, CT; Marin County, CA; Mesa, AZ; Minneapolis, MN; New York City, NY; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Port Arthur, TX; Portland, OR; Revere, MA; San Francisco, CA; St. Paul, MN; Tempe, AZ; Tucson, AZ; Washington, DC




What are the core program elements that make Experience Corps unique?
There are many wonderful programs, both locally and nationally, that involve older adults in helping to meet community needs. Experience Corps is a distinct model and approach that is defined by these six elements:

Focus on outcomes

High member commitment

Rigorous member training

Team-based approach

Critical mass of members

Leadership development

What impact does Experience Corps have?
Experience Corps makes a significant impact on students, schools, community organizations and members.

For students

Higher test scores: According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, third graders working with Experience Corps members scored significantly higher on the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program than children in the control schools.

Self-confidence: Teachers report that students who work with Experience Corps members gain in self-confidence and make significant progress in reading and academic achievement.

Committed, caring adults: Experience Corps members provide a consistent adult presence for children, boosting their success inside and outside of the classroom. Research tells us that children need ongoing, secure relationships with adults in their families, schools and communities.

For schools

Classroom Behavior: In schools with Experience Corps, referrals to the principal for classroom misbehavior decreased by half; referrals in the other schools remained about the same.

Learning Environment: Research from the Center for American Progress finds that Experience Corps makes "a significant difference building a positive environment for learning, helps students achieve," and serves as "a cost effective way to improve the quality of education and supplement overworked teachers." >> more

Teachers and Principals: Teachers and principals report high satisfaction with the Experience Corps program. Three out of four teachers report dramatic improvements in student behavior, readiness to learn and respect for older adults. >>more


For Experience Corps members

Health and well-being: Experience Corps members show significant increases in cognitive ability, physical activity, and strength compared to a control group

Social connections: Experience Corps members report social gains, including a significant decrease in time spent watching TV and a significant increase in the number of people they feel they could turn to for help. And, Experience Corps makes communities stronger. As Robert Putnam, Harvard professor and author of Bowling Alone and Better Together, says, "Experience Corps illustrates the extraordinary power and subtlety of social networks to enable people to improve their lives."

Please visit the Experience Corps Impact Page for additional information.

Who are Experience Corps members?
Members are the centerpiece of the Experience Corps program. They are truly local heroes, women and men devoting four or more hours each week to assisting children in some of the poorest communities in our country. These children all too often have little steady adult support, and Experience Corps members fill a critical need for a caring adult in their lives.

Experience Corps members are typically over 55, though some current members range in age from late 40s to early 90s. All potential Experience Corps members are asked to complete an application and participate in an interview and background check. For detailed information about the application process in your area, visit the city page. Members are chosen based on their willingness to participate in all aspects of the program.




What type of previous experience do Experience Corps members need?
Members do not need to have any specific experience to participate. Experience Corps seeks to build on the unique strengths and talents of each member. The program provides many opportunities for ongoing learning and skills development, including pre-service training (in topics critical to successful service with children), team meetings, monthly in-service training, lectures, field trips, conferences, and reflection.




How much time must an Experience Corps member commit?
Experience Corps projects provide multiple options for service. Some require a minimum of four hours per week while others require members to serve at least 15 hours a week for a minimum of one school year. Visit your city page to learn about the requirements in your area. In return for providing intensive service, most members receive a small stipend designed to cover transportation, lunch, and service-related expenses. Many Experience Corps members are semi-retired, working part-time, or have family commitments. Experience Corps members may move from one commitment level to another as their life circumstances change.




How long do these positions last?
Experience Corps members are asked to commit to the program for at least one full year. Members enrolled in AmeriCorps may receive a stipend for up to two years.




How is Experience Corps managed?
The national office of Experience Corps, located in Washington, D.C., coordinates a network of local affiliates around the country. The national office provides support, assistance and training to these affiliates. Local projects are coordinated by an agency in each community. Some of the current local partners are universities, community-based organizations, and local projects of local projects.

Experience Corps is a former program of Civic Ventures, which is leading the call to engage millions of baby boomers as a vital workforce for change.





How is Experience Corps funded?
Experience Corps draws on a variety of funding sources to ensure that the program is not overly dependent on any one funding stream and is sustainable over time. Current funding sources include the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps); private foundations; state and local public and private funds; and in-kind donations.

Learn about how you can support Experience Corps.




What is the future of the Experience Corps program?
Experience Corps continuously adds new members, new school sites, new cities, and new opportunities for civic action and leadership. While Experience Corps is currently focused on tutoring and mentoring in public schools, future projects may focus on other avenues for engaging many more individuals in vital public and community service.