42 U.S.C. § 12657 — Training and technical assistance

(a) In general: The Corporation^* must provide training and technical assistance -- either directly, or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements (including through State^* Commissions) -- to (1) programs already getting help under the national service laws^*, and (2) entities, especially those in rural areas and underserved communities, that want to (A) start or run national service programs, or (B) apply for help (including subgrants) under the national service laws.

(b) Activities included: This training and technical assistance can include: (1) helping entities that are applying to run national service programs, or already running them; (2) building leadership skills within national service programs; (3) improving how well national service programs teach and run their activities; (4) building the management and budgeting skills of people who run or oversee national service programs, including skills that make programs more cost-effective; (5) improving the training given to participants in national service programs; (6) teaching participants about risk management, including safe practices^*; (7) training people who run or oversee national service programs -- (A) in recruiting, managing, and keeping volunteers, so programs give high-quality service and participants want to keep volunteering afterward; (B) in evaluating programs and measuring performance, to make programs stronger and longer-lasting; or (C) in including people with disabilities effectively, using money reserved under section 12581(k) if needed; (8) building networks and teamwork among employers, educators, and other community leaders, to bring in more resources and coordinate community-wide service planning; (9) training and helping the National Senior Service Corps, including programs that get help under section 5001; and (10) any other activities the Chief Executive Officer decides are appropriate.

(c) Priority: In doing this work, the Corporation must give priority to programs and entities that (1) want to run high-quality programs in places that need services most; (2) want to run high-quality programs in places with no national service programs, or where existing ones are too small to meet community needs; (3) want to run high-quality programs focused on service in underserved rural and urban areas; and (4) want to help programs build a mix of students, out-of-school youth^*, and older adults as participants providing needed community services.