The state launched the third cohort of its Maryland Corps and Service Year Option program on Thursday, which will connect members with service opportunities at more than 200 host sites.
“Today we celebrate you not because you are perfect, but because this world is imperfect, and you are raising your hand to do something about it,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “I don’t need to tell you the enormous challenges we are up against as a state and a nation. These are not easy times to live through. But always remember: leaders don’t pick moments, moments pick leaders. Our collective hope is that after you graduate from this program, you continue to serve, because your service will be the thing that saves us.”
The Maryland Corps and Service Year Option program was created in 2023 to provide service opportunities for Maryland youth and adults looking to give back to their communities while gaining hands-on work experience.
Participants will each receive $6,000 upon completion of their service year.
The program received more than 3,500 applications this year, the most to date.
The 2025-2026 cohort includes members from all 24 Maryland jurisdictions. More than half are people of color, more than 85% are 24 years old or younger, and more than 70% are entering the program without a college degree.
The Department of Service and Civic Innovation, which oversees the Maryland Corps and Service Year Option program, this year added two new service tracks: Benefits Navigator Corps and IT Accessibility Corps.
Members of the Benefits Navigator Corps track will work in ENOUGH communities, areas of Maryland with high concentrations of child poverty. These members will help residents access SNAP, Medicaid, tax filing, and other programs.
Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López called the Benefits Navigator Corps track “a game-changer” that will break down barriers to vital resources for Maryland families.
“This whole-of-government approach ensures more Marylanders are invited to access the benefits they deserve, while preparing a new generation of trusted messengers and community leaders,” López said in a statement. “It’s not just about connecting people to benefits—it’s about building stability, opportunity, and long-term success for families across our state.”
In the IT Accessibility Corps track, members will work with state agencies to improve the accessibility of digital services, including supporting document remediation, website testing, and accessibility certification.
Inaccessible state websites prevent disabled Marylanders from obtaining the services and benefits they rely upon, but this new service track will help remove those obstacles, said Maryland Department of Information Technology Secretary Katie Savage.
“The new IT Accessibility Corp embodies the best of civil service; they will be learning and applying technical skills that will help the most vulnerable among us get the benefits they deserve,” Savage said in a statement.
Nearly 100 members this year will work on projects to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen community resilience, and advance environmental justice” through an expanded partnership between the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
“The Chesapeake Bay Trust is proud to continue our partnership with DSCI and Governor Moore in the second year of the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps – Maryland Corps and Service Year Option programs,” Chesapeake Bay Trust President Dr. Jana Davis said in a statement. “These programs are growing Maryland’s pathways to green careers by building on the success of and expanding the Bay Trust’s long-standing Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Program, preparing new leaders for the jobs of the future, and helping our state meet its ambitious climate goals.”
