The future of the United States hinges on an educated workforce that's equipped with the skills they need to meet the challenges that lay ahead. AmeriCorps members across the nation are working to ensure that our students are up to the task.

For America's economy to achieve its full potential, our students need to be in a position to succeed every step of the way from cradle to career. But many students fall behind due to poor preparation, lack of educational support, or underperforming schools. Changing this requires interventions to break cycles that, if ignored, become a curse that passes from generation to generation.

More than 18,000 AmeriCorps members are engaged as teachers, tutors, mentors, and counselors to help students prepare for school and stay on the path to graduation, continue their education, or enter the workforce.

Programs like Jumpstart, which utilizes 4,300 AmeriCorps members, provide early childhood support that increases the reach of pre-kindergarten programs and provide language and literacy education to help children build a solid foundation for school. Tutors and mentors in AmeriCorps programs help struggling students find confidence and build skills to help them keep pace with their classmates. And AmeriCorps partners like City Year and Teach for America educate and encourage students to keep them in school and pointed toward graduation.

AmeriCorps members like Lilly Guiterrez of the Urban Education Service Corps in Denver, CO, work to combat the dropout crisis that plagues many American schools by developing relationships with students and encouraging them to stay in school – even if they have to go to their homes to make sure they come to class.

The new School Turnaround AmeriCorps program will support more efforts like this with a dedicated unit of AmeriCorps members who will provide additional support and resources in persistently underachieving schools.

The Corporation for National and Community Service invests more than half of its funding in education --including nearly $200 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for college tuition and student loan repayments – as the benefits far outweigh the costs. AmeriCorps works for education because we believe every student can succeed and deserves the opportunity to achieve their dreams.