231 members were among the inaugural class of Maryland Corps and Service Year Option graduates who were applauded last Tuesday at their commencement ceremony. The programs were among the first priorities of the Moore administration. The Service Year Option is a first-of-its-kind program that allows recent high school graduates between ages 18 and 21 to complete a year of service at over 100 businesses, agencies, and organizations across the state. It was merged with Maryland Corps, a 2016 program that is open to people of all ages and provides them with vocational training as well.
Leading the way: Paul Monteiro, the secretary of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation, said in his remarks at the commencement that the program will have more than 500 people starting this September. And he said other states are launching programs like Maryland’s — including Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, California and New York.
