This award funds the approved 2025-2026 americorps national direct program

Up2Us, Inc. received a $4.47M Project Grant awarded on September 11, 2025, by the Corporation for National and Community Service's Office of Grants Management under the AmeriCorps State and National program (CFDA 94.006). The award funds the organization's 2025-2026 AmeriCorps National Direct program through September 10, 2028, with a regulatory match requirement of 30% and a budgetary match of 49.64%. Based in New York, Up2Us will deploy AmeriCorps members as coach-mentors to provide evidence-based sports-based youth development interventions serving underserved urban communities nationwide.

The grant supports Up2Us's multi-state mentoring initiative that strategically leverages sports as a mechanism for youth engagement, violence prevention, academic participation, and social-emotional skill development. AmeriCorps members will work with professional sports teams to recruit mentors and provide structured youth intervention programming in partner cities including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The program is designed to support approximately 90-135 coach-mentors serving 7,500-11,880 youth mentees across multiple states. Upon successful service completion, AmeriCorps members will earn Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards applicable toward higher education or qualified student loan repayment. Up2Us must maintain comprehensive financial and program records for three years following final Federal Financial Report submission and ensure all compensated individuals complete National Service Criminal History Checks.

No member may enroll prior to the approved start date of the member enrollment period. Your 2025-2026 regulatory match is 30% and your budgetary match is 49.64%.