![[photo, 100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/images/buildings/1198-1-07705b.jpg)
In 1986, the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism formed as the Office on Volunteerism (Chapter 13, Acts of 1986), and adopted its present name in 1998 (Chapter 22, Acts of 1998). From January 1997 to 2003, the Office functioned under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. In 2004, it transferred to the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives (Executive Order 01.01.2004.57). In October 2005, it joined the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives.
The Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism supports and promotes service and volunteer efforts that engage Marylanders to strengthen their communities. By combining traditional volunteerism with modern programs, the Office helps meet pressing needs in the areas of education, health, the environment, and public safety (Code State Government Article, secs. 9.5-201 through 9.5-206). The Office also provides training and technical assistance to volunteer organizations, "Communities of Promise," and national service programs throughout Maryland. Technical assistance includes telephone and on-line consultations, site visits, workshops, presentations, and printed materials.
Formerly located at 300 West Preston Street in Baltimore, the Office moved to 301 West Preston Street in October 2005, when it joined the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives. In May 2016, it moved to 100 Community Place in Crownsville, Maryland.
100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland, July 2016. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Under the Office are three main units: Administration, Outreach, and Programs.
AMERICORPS
Access AmeriCorps seeks qualified persons with disabilities for Maryland national service programs. Initiated by the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, this program recruits and provides reasonable accommodations to AmeriCorps members with disabilities.
Learn and Serve is a federal program that awards grants for states to set up service-learning programs in schools and community organizations. In Maryland, more than 350,000 students (in kindergarden through college) work in service-learning programs.
For high school students in Maryland, 75 hours of service-learning must be completed prior to graduation. Service-learning requires that students apply what they have learned in the classroom to help their community. These projects must address a real need in areas such as health, education, environment, or public safety. They may require research, planning, organizing, scheduling, and problem-solving skills, as well as academic knowledge.
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PROGRAMS
AmeriCorps, the domestic Peace Corps, offers individuals the opportunity to spend a year serving in Maryland communities. In return, AmeriCorps members receive an education award to help pay college costs or or repay student loans. Maryland has twenty-five AmeriCorps programs serving communities from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore.
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e-mail: mdmanual@mdarchives.state.md.us