42 U.S.C. § 12511 — Definitions

This section defines terms used throughout this subchapter. (1) Adult volunteer. Someone — like an older adult, a person with a disability, a parent, or a worker at a business or nonprofit — who helps students or out-of-school youth at a school without pay, and who is past the age the State requires kids to be in school. (2) Alaska Native-serving institution. Has the meaning given in a different law, section 1059d(b) of title 20. (3) Approved national service position. A national service position for which the Corporation has approved a national service educational award (described in section 12603) as a benefit for finishing the service. (4) Approved silver scholar position. A position in a program described in section 12653c(a) for which the Corporation has approved a silver scholarship educational award as a benefit for finishing the service. (5) Approved summer of service position. A position in a program described in section 12563(c)(8) for which the Corporation has approved a summer of service educational award as a benefit for finishing the service. (6) Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution. Has the meaning given in section 1059g(b) of title 20. (7) Authorizing committees. The House Committee on Education and Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (8) Carry out. When used about a national service program, this means planning, starting, running, expanding, or repeating the program. (9) Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, appointed under section 12651c — not the chief executive of a State. (10) Community-based agency. A private nonprofit (including a church or other religious group) that represents a community or a large part of one, and works to meet human, education, environmental, or public safety needs there. (11) Community-based entity. A public or private nonprofit that has experience meeting unmet human, education, environmental, or public safety needs, and meets any other rules the Chief Executive Officer sets. (12) Corporation. The Corporation for National and Community Service, set up under section 12651. (13) Disadvantaged youth. Economically disadvantaged youth who are also at least one of: out-of-school (including unemployed); in or aging out of foster care; limited in English; homeless or a runaway; at risk of not finishing high school; a former juvenile offender or at risk of delinquency; or a person with a disability. (14) Economically disadvantaged. Someone the Chief Executive Officer decides is low-income, based on the latest Commerce Department data. (15) Elementary school. Has the same meaning as in section 7801 of title 20. (16) Encore service program. A program under section 12572(a), (b), or (c) that involves a significant number of participants age 55 or older, and uses their skills and experience to help design and run the program. (17) Hispanic-serving institution. Has the meaning given in section 1101a(a) of title 20. (18) Historically black college or university. A "part B institution" as defined in section 1061 of title 20. (19) Indian. A person who belongs to an Indian tribe, or who is a "Native" as defined in section 1602(b) of title 43. (20) Indian lands. Any real property owned by an Indian tribe, held in trust by the United States for an Indian or tribe, or held by an Indian or tribe under U.S. restrictions on sale. (21) Indian tribe. (A) An organized Indian group, band, nation, or community — including any Native village as defined in section 1602(c) of title 43, and any Regional or Village Corporation defined in section 1602(g) or (j) of title 43, that is recognized as eligible for special federal Indian programs; and (B) any tribal organization controlled, approved, or chartered by such a group. (22) Individual with a disability. Except as section 12635(a) says otherwise, has the meaning given in section 705(20)(B) of title 29. (23) Institution of higher education. Has the same meaning as in sections 1001(a) and 1002(a)(1) of title 20. (24) Local educational agency. Has the same meaning as in section 7801 of title 20. (25) Medically underserved population. Has the meaning given in section 254b(b)(3) of this title. (26) National service laws. This chapter, plus the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. (27) Native American-serving, nontribal institution. Has the meaning given in section 1059f(b) of title 20. (28) Native Hawaiian-serving institution. Has the meaning given in section 1059d(b) of title 20. (29) Out-of-school youth. Someone who: (A) is under 27; (B) has not finished college or the equivalent; and (C) is not currently enrolled in an elementary school, secondary school, or college. (30) Participant. (A) For division C of this chapter, someone in an approved national service position; for any other part of this chapter, someone enrolled in a program that gets money under this subchapter. (B) A participant is not counted as an employee of the organization they are serving through. (31) Partnership program. A program where an adult volunteer, a nonprofit, a college, or a business helps a local school agency. (32) Predominantly Black Institution. Has the meaning given in section 1059e of title 20. (33) Principles of scientific research. Research methods that: (A) are rigorous, systematic, and objective, aimed at reliable, valid knowledge; (B) present findings and claims that match the methods actually used; and (C) as fits the research, use systematic and empirical methods, use data analysis strong enough to support the findings, use measurements that give reliable and generalizable results, make strong cause-and-effect claims only from designs (like random-assignment experiments) that rule out other explanations, describe studies clearly enough to be repeated or built on, are accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or reviewed by an independent expert panel, and hold up across multiple studies or sites. (34) Program. Unless context requires otherwise, and except within the term "academic program," this means a program described in a list of specific sections of this chapter (12523(a), 12561a, 12561(b)(1), 12572(a)/(b)/(c), 12612(b)(1)/(2), 12653b, 12653c, 198G, 12653h, or 12653k), or an activity that could be funded under sections 12639a, 12653, 12653o, 12653p, or 12657. (35) Project. An activity carried out through a program funded under this subchapter that results in a specific, identifiable service or improvement that would not otherwise happen with existing funds, and that does not duplicate the routine work of the employer the participants are assigned to. (36) Qualified organization. A public or private nonprofit with experience working with school-age youth that meets criteria the Chief Executive Officer sets. (37) School-age youth. (A) People between ages 5 and 17; and (B) children with disabilities, as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, who get services under Part B of that Act. (38) Scientifically valid research. Applied, basic, or field-initiated research whose design, methods, and conclusions are properly built according to the "principles of scientific research" defined above. (39) Secondary school. Has the same meaning as in section 7801 of title 20. (40) Service-learning. A teaching method where (A) students or participants learn through organized service that meets a real community need, is coordinated with a school or community program, and builds civic responsibility, and (B) that service is built into the academic curriculum (or the program's educational parts) and gives structured time to reflect on the experience. (41) Service-learning coordinator. Someone who provides the services described in section 12523(a)(3) or (b). (42) Service sponsor. An organization or other group chosen to provide a placement for a participant. (43) State. Each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. (44) State Commission. A State Commission on National and Community Service that a State keeps under section 12638. Outside of section 12638 itself, the term also covers an alternative administrative body the Corporation has approved to act in a Commission's place. (45) State educational agency. Has the same meaning as in section 7801 of title 20. (46) Student. Someone enrolled full- or part-time in an elementary school, secondary school, or college. (47) Territory. The U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. (48) Tribally controlled college or university. Has the meaning given in section 1801 of title 25. (49) Veteran. Has the meaning given in section 101 of title 38.