Michael D. Smith

For decades, AmeriCorps volunteers have been on the front lines of climate change by helping to restore natural spaces and support communities impacted by extreme weather events. But the American Climate Corps, an initiative announced by the Biden-Harris Administration in September 2023, has “supercharged” these efforts by connecting AmeriCorps with seven other federal agencies and enabling a larger intake of volunteers, says Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps’ CEO.

AmeriCorps serves as the American Climate Corps' central hub, coordinating the efforts of all agencies involved. Smith says the initiative isn’t just helping address some of the urgent challenges of today, but is also “preparing folks for the clean energy economy jobs of the future.” Volunteers support everything from deploying low cost green energy solutions to managing extreme heat by planting trees. Within four weeks of announcing the American Climate Corps, 50,000 people applied, Smith says: “We just don’t see those sorts of numbers.” 

Smith's journey to climate advocacy began in social justice. Prior to joining AmeriCorps, as an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity, he saw how “low income communities, communities of color, were bearing the brunt of climate change.” This experience now informs his leadership at AmeriCorps, where he has focused on ensuring volunteers receive higher living allowances so that people from all backgrounds can participate. He also says it means directing resources toward systemic solutions. “A lot of people want to come up with a ‘clean the park’ day. That’s great. But if we aren’t looking at root causes,” he says, “we're going to be doing that, you know, forever.”