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

Experience Corps is a big idea come to life. In 1988, civic leader John Gardner wrote a concept paper envisioning an "operation give back" to mobilize the time, talent, and experience of older adults to revitalize their communities. Ten years later, he met Civic Ventures founder Marc Freedman, and Experience Corps was born. Now, in 2008, we are an award-winning network of partners, schools and community service organizations in 22 cities across America. Today, 2,000 Experience Corps members work to improve the lives of 20,000 students.

What does this tell us? That we're tapping into the desire for older adults to be engaged in community, leveraging their capacity to create lasting change, and making sure we conduct the research necessary to deliver the best results.

These results are essential to Experience Corps. Our members tutor children who need basic literacy skills; they mentor students who count on them for guidance; they partner with classroom teachers to make schools better places to learn; they help create healthier communities. We want their investment to count as much as possible – and we expect them to succeed.

The site is packed with pictures of Experience Corps members across the country. Their stories reflect the dedication, skills and training they bring to their work in public schools every day. Testimonies from educational leaders, policy makers, media and families give a glimpse into the way Experience Corps members touch lives every day. Take a look around. It's not very often you get to see a big idea come to life.

If you'd like to learn more, please contact us at info@experiencecorps.org.

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