New Evaluation Finds Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Is Helping Members Build Careers and Civic Skills
By Saher Randhawa / Also featured in Maryland Today
What happens when young Marylanders have the opportunity to serve their communities while building skills and experience for their futures? A new evaluation from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute offers an encouraging early answer: service can be a pathway to workforce development, professional growth and civic engagement.
The Do Good Institute recently completed an impact evaluation of the first two classes of the Maryland Corps/Service Year Option (MC/SYO), a flagship initiative of Maryland's Department of Service and Civic Innovation (DSCI). The report examines early outcomes for MC/SYO Members during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 program years, the first years of program operations
Researchers Nathan Dietz, Thomas Luke Spreen, Nolan Pope and Tommy Bennett examined changes among Members during their service and approximately six months after completion, comparing post-service outcomes with a matched comparison group from the Current Population Survey. Although small sample sizes made it challenging to find post-service differences in key outcomes that were statistically significant, the results were very promising.
“Governor Moore built the Maryland Corps/Service Year Option on the belief that service can make a difference in communities, connect Marylanders to careers of meaning and impact, and build bonds across lines of difference,” said Jonny Dorsey, Secretary of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation. “This early impact evaluation provides encouraging evidence that we are on the right track and reaffirms Governor Moore’s vision of a Maryland where service is a professional development pathway open to every young person.”
MC/SYO Members were more likely to be employed six months after completing their service than when they enrolled, with a substantially larger pre-post increase in employment rates than was found among the comparison group. Among Members who were already employed at enrollment, hourly wages increased 57.5%, compared with 23.0% among the comparison group. The increase in wages was not statistically significant, but the increase in employment rates was marginally significant, despite sample size limitations.
Members were also significantly more likely than the comparison group to be both working and attending college after their service. Although the evaluation found no significant change in overall college enrollment, the fact that MC/SYO alumni were more likely to be enrolled in college and working reflects the emphasis that the program model places on staying flexible and ready to capitalize on available opportunities.
The program also showed gains during the service year. An analysis of pre-service and post-service survey data showed that MC/SYO Members reported significant improvements in their perceptions of training and mentorship, confidence in professional settings, ability to develop and carry out plans for their futures, and ability to identify problems in their communities.
The study found positive movement in civic engagement as well. Members reported increased voter registration rates and a higher projected likelihood of voting in national elections, although researchers found fewer significant changes in areas such as connection to community, appreciation for diversity and participation in non-electoral civic activities.
The researchers emphasize that these findings represent an early look at MC/SYO's impact. Because the program is still in its early stages, limited post-service data makes it difficult to identify statistically significant differences across every outcome. Still, the employment and wage gains, combined with professional development during the service year, offer promising early evidence that service can help young adults build skills and connect to both economic and civic opportunities.
These findings also support the broader goals of Service United, a new initiative from the National Governors Association recently announced by incoming NGA Chair, Maryland Governor Wes Moore. The initiative seeks to expand service opportunities that strengthen communities while helping participants build skills and pathways to employment. The early results from the Maryland Corps/Service Year Option provide empirical support for these workforce and civic goals. Future research that follows additional classes through MC/SYO and into the workforce will help reveal the program’s longer-term impact.
Read the full evaluation, Maryland Corps / Service Year Option Impact Evaluation Report: Classes 1 and 2, 2023-24 and 2024-25, to learn more about the program's early impact.