AmeriCorps was started by the federal government in 1990 during former President George H. Bush's term and expanded in 1993 under President Bill Clinton's tenure.

Since 1994, AmeriCorps money has funded a small army of young people who have been charged with the duty of “getting things done” for America. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, since 1994 more than 540,000 Americans have served in programs across the nation, providing more than 705 million hours of public service.

AmeriCorps is not a job; it is a term of national service. Participants receive a living stipend, which varies depending on the program. Participants also receive an education award for their term of service, and that money can be used to pay for school or pay back student loans.

Nita Madsen, executive director of the Alaska State Community Service Commission, says her agency distributes $3.5 million annually to AmeriCorps programs in the state of Alaska. All of that money comes from federal funds awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

“That's revenue for the state. We are actually benefiting the state, but that $3.5 million is just a side piece of what happens,” Madsen said.

That money is distributed to numerous nonprofits around the state, which are required to provide a 24 percent matching fund. The federal grant money is partially used to pay for about 200 AmeriCorps members who work for various nonprofit agencies around the state.

These young people, between the ages of 16 and 25, commit to a term of service to the state that varies from 3 months to 12 months, depending on the program. Most programs involve AmeriCorps members working in full-time positions.

In return for their service, they receive an education stipend that can be as much as $4,725 for 1,700 hours of service, or as little $1,000 for 300 hours of service.

Madsen said that since 1994, her agency has paid out more than $6 million in education awards. According to the state Community Service Commission, 42 percent of those funds, or roughly $2.5 million has gone toward students attending colleges and vocational schools in Alaska.

Madsen also said that since 1994, some 2,558 AmeriCorps members have completed 3.2 million hours of service to the state.

While the dollar amounts and hours worked is quantifiable, it is much more difficult to measure the benefits to society.

Consider the story of the most recent organization to get AmeriCorps funding in Alaska: a youth center called Joel's Place in Fairbanks that was awarded a $97,000 AmeriCorps grant to fund 30 summer positions, which are filled by at-risk youth ages 16 to 20. Linda Setterberg, the founder and director of Joel's Place, said they have been able to fill all 30 positions with only two youth dropping out of the program.

Joel's Place is a faith-based Christian nonprofit organization that provides an indoor skating park and free breakfast and lunch for teenagers in Fairbanks. Teenagers from Joel's Place are placed in organizations around town that include the Boys & Girls Club, American Red Cross, North Star Youth Court, and the Literacy Council of Alaska. The youth are placed at these organizations and are expected to work just like an employee.

The youth receive a stipend of $150 a week and are expected to work for 450 hours of service in three months. Upon completion of their service, students receive a $1,250 education award. The experience is a first job for many of the kids.