Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§12657 Training and technical assistance

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 129— - NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STATE GRANT PROGRAM › § 12657

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Corporation must provide training and technical help, either directly or by using grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements (including with State Commissions). This help goes to programs that already get national service support and to groups—especially in rural and underserved areas—that want to start national service programs or apply for funding. The help can cover many things: applying for and running programs, leadership training, better teaching and program quality, budgeting and management, training participants, risk-management, recruiting and keeping volunteers, evaluating programs, making programs accessible to people with disabilities (using reserved funds under section 12581(k) if needed), building community partnerships, and training for the National Senior Service Corps. The Corporation must give priority to requests that serve places with the greatest need, areas with few or no service programs, underserved rural and urban populations, and projects that combine students, out-of-school youth, and older adults.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §12657

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Corporation shall, directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements (including through State Commissions), conduct appropriate training for and provide technical assistance to—
(1)programs receiving assistance under the national service laws; and
(2)entities (particularly entities in rural areas and underserved communities) that desire to—
(A)carry out or establish national service programs; or
(B)apply for assistance (including subgrants) under the national service laws.
(b)Such training and technical assistance activities may include—
(1)providing technical assistance to entities applying to carry out national service programs or entities carrying out national service programs;
(2)promoting leadership development in national service programs;
(3)improving the instructional and programmatic quality of national service programs;
(4)developing the management and budgetary skills of individuals operating or overseeing national service programs, including developing skills to increase the cost effectiveness of the programs under the national service laws;
(5)providing for or improving the training provided to the participants in programs under the national service laws;
(6)facilitating the education of individuals participating in national service programs in risk management procedures, including the training of participants in appropriate risk management practices;
(7)training individuals operating or overseeing national service programs—
(A)in volunteer recruitment, management, and retention to improve the abilities of such individuals to use participants and other volunteers in an effective manner, which training results in high-quality service and the desire of participants and volunteers to continue to serve in other capacities after the program is completed;
(B)in program evaluation and performance measures to inform practices to augment the capacity and sustainability of the national service programs; or
(C)to effectively accommodate individuals with disabilities to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in national service programs, which training may utilize funding from the reservation of funds under section 12581(k) of this title to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities;
(8)establishing networks and collaboration among employers, educators, and other key stakeholders in the community to further leverage resources to increase local participation in national service programs, and to coordinate community-wide planning and service with respect to national service programs;
(9)providing training and technical assistance for the National Senior Service Corps, including providing such training and technical assistance to programs receiving assistance under section 5001 of this title; and
(10)carrying out such other activities as the Chief Executive Officer determines to be appropriate.
(c)In carrying out this section, the Corporation shall give priority to programs under the national service laws and entities eligible to establish such programs that seek training or technical assistance and that—
(1)seek to carry out high-quality programs where the services are needed most;
(2)seek to carry out high-quality programs where national service programs do not exist or where the programs are too limited to meet community needs;
(3)seek to carry out high-quality programs that focus on and provide service opportunities for underserved rural and urban areas and populations; and
(4)seek to assist programs in developing a service component that combines students, out-of-school youths, and older adults as participants to provide needed community services.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 6101(a) of Pub. L. 111–13, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2009 Amendment note under section 4950 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 12657

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73