It's a Rap

There is a unique energy that comes from a year of service. It’s the feeling of being “all in,” dedicating your time, skills, and heart to a cause bigger than yourself. At its foundation, education is a service career, educators recognize this same commitment as they enter the classroom each and every day, driven by a shared purpose to support young minds and the broader community.

That’s why we are proud to launch AppleCORE, a Registered Apprenticeship Program working in concert with a NYS AmeriCorps service program, designed to bridge a passion for community impact with a clear, supported pathway into a professional career in education.

AppleCORE is more than a stand-alone service opportunity. It is a specialized workforce pathway into the teaching profession. By weaving together the separate strands, AmeriCorps national service with a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), we have created a model that removes traditional barriers by providing educational support, a living stipend for service, cohort participation, leadership training, and additional hours of paid, on-the-job learning.

Through AppleCORE, aspiring teachers serve their communities while simultaneously earning their New York State Initial Teacher Certification. This “woven” approach offers comprehensive support, including tuition assistance, emergency support, and hands-on guidance, ensuring that aspiring educators are as well supported as the students they serve.

Service years are not just a “good thing to do” to give back. They are a powerful engine for workforce development. Historically, service programs have served as vital career on-ramps in high-need sectors such as healthcare and climate resilience. As New York schools face significant hiring challenges, AppleCORE applies this proven model to education, aligning service, training, and credential attainment.

National research underscores the effectiveness of the service-to-workforce pipeline. Findings from the Service Year Alliance Pathways After Service Report show that:

• Service year participants without a bachelor’s degree are more than twice as likely to go on to earn one compared to peers with equivalent years of work experience.
• 31 percent of service year alumni begin their careers in education, community, or social services, compared to 8 percent of their peers. After ten years, 23 percent remain in these fields, compared to 7 percent of non-participants.
• Service year alumni are significantly more likely to demonstrate and market key workforce ‘soft’ skills, including leadership, collaboration, organization, and teamwork.

By intentionally connecting service to a credentialed career pathway, AppleCORE strengthens New York’s educator pipeline while honoring service as both a public good and a workforce strategy.

AppleCORE prepares aspiring educators to both teach and lead in their communities or from the classroom. Members build lasting skills in communication and collaboration with students, families, and colleagues.They strengthen emotional intelligence and self-management to support student learning and personal resilience, and they develop adaptability and problem solving with a growth mindset to thrive in dynamic school environments. At the same time, AppleCORE members become active contributors to their school communities and classrooms, building strong relationships and a shared sense of purpose. Through service, they see firsthand how educators can strengthen communities, create stability for students, and make a lasting, collective impact beyond the classroom.

As an apprentice the AppleCORE member meets eight apprenticeship competencies that align closely with the service competencies.

For decades, AmeriCorps and other state and national service organizations have demonstrated that service is not only a public good, but also a powerful pathway into the workforce and a proven foundation for developing strong community leaders in high-need professions. Service experiences build essential skills, professional identity, and a deep commitment to community impact.

By pairing service with a Registered Apprenticeship, this work moves beyond career exposure and leadership development to create more intentional, structured workforce pathways. AppleCORE will build on this foundation by partnering with established NYS service programs, including SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps and City Year, to serve as pre-apprenticeship service partners. Together, service and apprenticeship create a seamless bridge from purpose-driven service to sustainable, long-term careers.