The window for workshop proposals has closed.
This information is intended to be used in tandem with the online proposal submission portal. Contact Alli Zuel, Network and Volunteer Engagement Manager, with any questions about this document or the proposal process.
Important Dates
National Service Training Purpose
The purpose of National Service Training is to support and guide national service leaders in growing their resources, tending to their specific needs, building their capacities, and creating a space for inspiration. 2026 National Service Training will provide practical tools while facilitating thoughtful discussions for the primary audiences.
2026 National Service Training will encompass one in-person event and one virtual event.
Proposal submission deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025, at midnight Eastern.
This information is intended to be used in tandem with the online proposal submission portal. Contact Alli Zuel, Network and Volunteer Engagement Manager, with any questions about this document or the proposal process.
Important Dates
- Thursday, November 13, 2025 | Call for Workshop Proposals released
- Friday, December 12, 2025 | Workshop proposals due
- Friday, January 16, 2026 | Presenter selection notification
- Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 3pm Eastern | Presenter Informational Session — In Person
- Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | Materials due for in-person NST
- Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 3pm Eastern | Presenter Informational Session — Virtual
- Tuesday, April 14 – Thursday, April 16, 2026 | in-person NST in Dallas, TX
- Wednesday, April 15, 2026 | Materials due for virtual NST
- Wednesday, April 29 – Thursday, April 30, 2026 | virtual NST
National Service Training Purpose
The purpose of National Service Training is to support and guide national service leaders in growing their resources, tending to their specific needs, building their capacities, and creating a space for inspiration. 2026 National Service Training will provide practical tools while facilitating thoughtful discussions for the primary audiences.
2026 National Service Training will encompass one in-person event and one virtual event.
- Dallas, TX — April 14-16, 2026
- Virtual — April 29-30, 2026
Proposal submission deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025, at midnight Eastern.
Expected Event Audience
The primary audiences for these trainings are:
AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps Seniors, Volunteer Generation Fund, volunteer engagement, and disaster services staff
Expected attendance for the training is anticipated to be approximately 800 people in-person and 250 people joining virtually. All workshop rooms, both online and in-person, will have a maximum capacity of 100 people.
Attendees of the National Service Training include federal grant recipients and subrecipients, and are likely using federal grant funds to attend the training. While we expect attendees to take responsibility for what workshops they attend and to understand if any content may not be applicable to their grant, we expect all presenters to ensure their presented content is in compliance with AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions.
National Service Training Outcomes
During the training, we hope to accomplish the following:
Presenter Categories
ASC welcomes a variety of individuals to submit a workshop proposal. There are two categories of presenters: peer presenters and partner presenters.
Session Format
All sessions will be presented in a live format during a 75-minute session block.
For the in-person event, presenters are required to present in person in the Dallas, TX area.
For the virtual event, presenters will present live (not pre-recorded) to a virtual audience. Presenters during the virtual event should be prepared for their session to include two-way interaction with virtual participants. This can include chat, breakout rooms, and interactive elements such as polls.
Successful Proposals
Successful proposals will present information in specific areas of national service or related programming and build specific skills by giving session participants an opportunity to practice the concepts presented. The audience of a particular session will not exceed 100.
Presenters may consider including a hands-on component for participants to practice what they are learning in some interactive way: individual, small group, or large group activities; discussion; games; reflection; worksheets; panel discussion; etc. Please note that all in-person rooms will be set with chairs in theater style so adjust any planned activities accordingly.
Please limit the total number of presenters per proposal to no more than four.
We encourage presenters to allow time for audience questions.
Elements of unsuccessful proposals include:
Target Audience
Presenters must understand that the participants who attend these trainings have varied levels of experience. Proposals that address advanced levels are strongly encouraged. Proposals should specifically identify the targeted Level of Instruction for the audience.
Prioritized Session Topics
Proposals that address additional topics will be considered; however, during the selection process, priority will be given to proposals that address the below list of topics. Regardless of the topic, all presentations should focus on providing practical tools and information that attendees can act on and implement in their own programs/organizations.
Proposal Submission
Proposals must be submitted via Whova. You will have until the submission deadline on Friday, December 12, to make any edits to your workshop proposal.
You may submit up to three workshop proposals. If you have any questions or concerns about the proposal form, please contact Alli Zuel, Network and Volunteer Engagement Manager.
The primary audiences for these trainings are:
- AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps National, and AmeriCorps Native Nations program and/or fiscal staff
- State and territorial service commission staff and commissioners
AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps Seniors, Volunteer Generation Fund, volunteer engagement, and disaster services staff
Expected attendance for the training is anticipated to be approximately 800 people in-person and 250 people joining virtually. All workshop rooms, both online and in-person, will have a maximum capacity of 100 people.
Attendees of the National Service Training include federal grant recipients and subrecipients, and are likely using federal grant funds to attend the training. While we expect attendees to take responsibility for what workshops they attend and to understand if any content may not be applicable to their grant, we expect all presenters to ensure their presented content is in compliance with AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions.
National Service Training Outcomes
During the training, we hope to accomplish the following:
- Expose participants to new ideas to support their work.
- Meet the needs of all experience and stakeholder levels.
- Explore strategies that strengthen and sustain member, volunteer, and participant opportunities and experience.
- Build participant knowledge base in program, fiscal, and grants management.
- Strengthen and expand national service connections and cross-stream partnerships.
- Provide opportunities for professional development in areas outside of program, fiscal, and grants management.
- Facilitate best practice sharing and discussion on pressing challenges facing the field.
- Questions answered
- Solutions to the problems they face
- New resources and connections
- A plan and actionable steps for specific improvements in grants, fiscal, performance, and/or program management
- A renewed spirit for service and strategies to sustain that spirit
Presenter Categories
ASC welcomes a variety of individuals to submit a workshop proposal. There are two categories of presenters: peer presenters and partner presenters.
- Peer presenters include any staff member of an organization currently managing an AmeriCorps grant/project, including commission staff, AmeriCorps program staff, AmeriCorps Seniors staff, and AmeriCorps agency staff.
- Partner presenters include trainers and consultants who do not work at a state/territorial service commission, the federal AmeriCorps agency, or an AmeriCorps program/project.
Session Format
All sessions will be presented in a live format during a 75-minute session block.
For the in-person event, presenters are required to present in person in the Dallas, TX area.
For the virtual event, presenters will present live (not pre-recorded) to a virtual audience. Presenters during the virtual event should be prepared for their session to include two-way interaction with virtual participants. This can include chat, breakout rooms, and interactive elements such as polls.
Successful Proposals
Successful proposals will present information in specific areas of national service or related programming and build specific skills by giving session participants an opportunity to practice the concepts presented. The audience of a particular session will not exceed 100.
Presenters may consider including a hands-on component for participants to practice what they are learning in some interactive way: individual, small group, or large group activities; discussion; games; reflection; worksheets; panel discussion; etc. Please note that all in-person rooms will be set with chairs in theater style so adjust any planned activities accordingly.
Please limit the total number of presenters per proposal to no more than four.
We encourage presenters to allow time for audience questions.
Elements of unsuccessful proposals include:
- Slide-heavy presentations with minimal interaction
- Sales pitches or promotional content
- Sessions without clear, actionable takeaways
- Lectures without audience participation
- Single-perspective panels (we want diverse voices)
Target Audience
Presenters must understand that the participants who attend these trainings have varied levels of experience. Proposals that address advanced levels are strongly encouraged. Proposals should specifically identify the targeted Level of Instruction for the audience.
- Introductory: Staff with less than two years of experience on this topic
- Advanced: Staff with more than two years of experience on this topic
- General Audience (GA): Mixed audience with various levels of experience
Prioritized Session Topics
Proposals that address additional topics will be considered; however, during the selection process, priority will be given to proposals that address the below list of topics. Regardless of the topic, all presentations should focus on providing practical tools and information that attendees can act on and implement in their own programs/organizations.
- AmeriCorps member recruitment, management, and retention
- AmeriCorps Seniors and/or AmeriCorps VISTA program management
- Data collection, data evaluation, and data-driven decision-making
- Developing talent and alum workforce and career pathways
- Engaging philanthropy, corporations, and donors to diversify funding
- Accessibility and reducing barriers to service
- Leadership development for experienced AmeriCorps program staff
- Leadership development for experienced state/territorial service commission staff or commissioners
- Supporting AmeriCorps members (e.g., mental health, utilizing benefits, budgeting, housing, Education Awards, etc.)
- Training, orientation, and support tips and best practices
- Uniform Grant Guidance and related fiscal grant management
- Volunteer management, disaster services, and community engagement strategies
Proposal Submission
Proposals must be submitted via Whova. You will have until the submission deadline on Friday, December 12, to make any edits to your workshop proposal.
You may submit up to three workshop proposals. If you have any questions or concerns about the proposal form, please contact Alli Zuel, Network and Volunteer Engagement Manager.
Proposal Selection
Proposals will be reviewed and selected based on the following criteria:
All information will be emailed to the lead presenter, who is responsible for sharing with any co-presenters, as applicable.
Presenter Materials
Presenters will be required to submit presentation materials in advance of the event. ASC requests that presenters make slides and any applicable handouts or accompanying materials available in our event app for all event attendees to review. ASC will not print any materials for workshop sessions. Presenters may make printed materials available at their own cost.
All presenters must submit the following by the deadline requested, as applicable.
Partner Presenter Honorarium
ASC will offer an honorarium of $1,250 for each selected in-person workshop submitted by a partner presenter. An additional $500 will be provided if the same session is presented a second time during the event, either virtually or in-person. This honorarium will be provided per workshop to partner-presented workshops only.
For example, if the workshop “AmeriCorps Is Great” has one presenter, $1,250 will be given. If the workshop “How to Enroll AmeriCorps Members” has five presenters, $1,250 will be given. If the workshop “How to Enroll AmeriCorps Members” is offered a second time on the agenda, an additional $500 will be given.
ASC will offer an honorarium of $500 for each selected virtual workshop submitted by a partner presenter. This honorarium will be provided per workshop, not per presenter.
When partner presenters submit a workshop proposal, you will be asked to indicate whether you will accept the honorarium or decline the honorarium.
Peer presenters are not eligible to receive the presenter honorarium.
Registration
All presenters will be required to register for National Service Training regardless of how long they plan to attend the event. All workshops selected for inclusion in the agenda will be given one discount code, which will bring the registration cost to $0 for one presenter. Any additional presenters beyond the one waived registration will need to pay the current registration fee.
Please contact ASC with any questions regarding event registration.
Informational Session
ASC has elected to offer a recording walking through the Call for Proposal information with the proposal launch. You can review the recording and the slide deck at your convenience. If you have questions after watching the recording, contact Alli Zuel, Network and Volunteer Engagement Manager.
Proposals will be reviewed and selected based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to the training purpose and outcomes
- Ability to address timely, relevant, and updated topics (see above topic list)
- Building of participants’ skills/knowledge
- Presenter’s training experience, skills, and style
- Topic, content, and methodology
- Clear outcomes for increasing participant skills and knowledge
- Cost and budget availability
All information will be emailed to the lead presenter, who is responsible for sharing with any co-presenters, as applicable.
Presenter Materials
Presenters will be required to submit presentation materials in advance of the event. ASC requests that presenters make slides and any applicable handouts or accompanying materials available in our event app for all event attendees to review. ASC will not print any materials for workshop sessions. Presenters may make printed materials available at their own cost.
All presenters must submit the following by the deadline requested, as applicable.
- PowerPoint (PPT) version of the workshop presentation — This is solely for the purpose of preloading workshops onto presentation room computers.
- PDF version of the workshop presentation — If the version of the presentation that you would like to share with registered attendees differs from the version that you will be presenting from, please provide a separate PDF version. Otherwise, ASC will PDF the submitted PPT version and share that with attendees.
- Handouts — If you have any handouts or resources that you would like to share with attendees, you may submit them in advance for attendees to access virtually. ASC will not be making any printed copies of any workshop materials.
Partner Presenter Honorarium
ASC will offer an honorarium of $1,250 for each selected in-person workshop submitted by a partner presenter. An additional $500 will be provided if the same session is presented a second time during the event, either virtually or in-person. This honorarium will be provided per workshop to partner-presented workshops only.
For example, if the workshop “AmeriCorps Is Great” has one presenter, $1,250 will be given. If the workshop “How to Enroll AmeriCorps Members” has five presenters, $1,250 will be given. If the workshop “How to Enroll AmeriCorps Members” is offered a second time on the agenda, an additional $500 will be given.
ASC will offer an honorarium of $500 for each selected virtual workshop submitted by a partner presenter. This honorarium will be provided per workshop, not per presenter.
When partner presenters submit a workshop proposal, you will be asked to indicate whether you will accept the honorarium or decline the honorarium.
Peer presenters are not eligible to receive the presenter honorarium.
Registration
All presenters will be required to register for National Service Training regardless of how long they plan to attend the event. All workshops selected for inclusion in the agenda will be given one discount code, which will bring the registration cost to $0 for one presenter. Any additional presenters beyond the one waived registration will need to pay the current registration fee.
Please contact ASC with any questions regarding event registration.
Informational Session
ASC has elected to offer a recording walking through the Call for Proposal information with the proposal launch. You can review the recording and the slide deck at your convenience. If you have questions after watching the recording, contact Alli Zuel, Network and Volunteer Engagement Manager.
Event Sponsorship
If you are interested in supporting ASC's mission and vision and promoting your organization through sponsorship and exhibiting, please visit our 2026 Sponsorship page or contact Chad Driscoll, Training and Technical Assistance Manager.
