National Service Timeline
History of National Service
Text Version
| 1960s | Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP); Foster Grandparent Program; Senior Companion Program Demonstration projects launched for these three programs to demonstrate the effectiveness of the service model and to engage older Americans in a range of service activities. |
| 1964 | VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Created by President Lyndon B. Johnson as a part of the "War on Poverty." |
| 1970s | Senior Service Programs + Peace Corps + VISTA = The ACTION Agency |
| 1973 | Domestic Volunteer Service Art of 1973 RSVP, Foster Grandparent Program, and Senior Companion Program become authorized through this act. |
| 1989 | Points of Light Foundation President George H.W. Bush creates the Office of National Service in the White House and the Points of Light Foundation to foster volunteering. |
| 1990 | National and Community Service Act of 1990 Signed by President Bush, the legislation authorizes grants to schools to support service-learning through Serve America and demonstration grants. Learn and Serve America is created. |
| 1992 | AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) created |
| 1993 | Corporation for National and Community Service created AmeriCorps created; Senior Corps incorporates the three senior-focused programs: Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP. |
| 1994 | King Holiday and Service Act of 1994 Congress establishes MLK Day as a national day of service. |
| 2002 | 2002 State of the Union Address After 9/11, President George W. Bush asks all Americans to devote two years or 4,000 hours to volunteer service during their lifetimes. |
| 2006 | President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Launched by CNCS to honor the nation's top college and universities for their commitment to community service, civic engagement, and service-learning. |
| 2007 | First Annual AmeriCorps Week Officially launched in May 2007. |
| 2009 | Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed April 21, 2009: President Barack Obama signs bipartisan law to expand and strengthen national service programs. |
| 2009 | First Annual September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance |
| 2010 | Social Innovation Fund launched Ensures that high-impact nonprofits are able to attract the resources they need to grow and improve the economic, education and health prospects of low-income communities. |
| 2011 | 5-Year Strategic Plan The plan details specific objectives, strategies and performance measures, which determine how CNCS will evaluate success over the next five years. |
| 2012 | FEMA Corps launched An innovative new partnership designed to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to and recover from disasters while expanding career opportunities for young people. |