§ 12511.
Definitions
For purposes of this subchapter:
(1)
Adult volunteer
The term “adult volunteer” means an individual, such as an older adult, an individual with a disability, a parent, or an employee of a business or public or private nonprofit organization, who—
(A)
works without financial remuneration in an educational institution to assist students or out-of-school youth; and
(B)
is beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the educational institution is located.
(2)
Alaska Native-serving institution
(3)
Approved national service position
(4)
Approved silver scholar position
(5)
Approved summer of service position
(6)
Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution
(7)
Authorizing committees
(9)
Chief Executive Officer
(10)
Community-based agency
The term “community-based agency” means a private nonprofit organization (including a church or other religious entity) that—
(A)
is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community; and
(B)
is engaged in meeting human, educational, environmental, or public safety community needs.
(11)
Community-based entity
The term “community-based entity” means a public or private nonprofit organization that—
(A)
has experience with meeting unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs; and
(B)
meets other such criteria as the Chief Executive Officer may establish.
(13)
Disadvantaged youth
The term “disadvantaged youth” includes those youth who are economically disadvantaged and 1 or more of the following:
(A)
Who are out-of-school youth, including out-of-school youth who are unemployed.
(B)
Who are in or aging out of foster care.
(C)
Who have limited English proficiency.
(D)
Who are homeless or who have run away from home.
(E)
Who are at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma.
(F)
Who are former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency.
(G)
Who are individuals with disabilities.
(14)
Economically disadvantaged
(16)
Encore service program
The term “encore service program” means a program, carried out by an eligible entity as described in subsection (a), (b), or (c) of
section 12572 of this title, that—
(A)
involves a significant number of participants age 55 or older in the program; and
(B)
takes advantage of the skills and experience that such participants offer in the design and implementation of the program.
(17)
Hispanic-serving institution
(18)
Historically black college or university
(21)
Indian tribe
The term “Indian tribe” means—
(A)
an Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including—
(i)
any Native village, as defined in
section 1602(c) of title 43, whether organized traditionally or pursuant to the Act of
June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the “Indian Reorganization Act”;
[48 Stat. 984], chapter 576;
25 U.S.C 461 et seq.);
1
See References in Text note below.
and
(ii)
any Regional Corporation or Village Corporation, as defined in subsection (g) or (j), respectively, of
section 1602 of title 43,
that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States under Federal law to Indians because of their status as Indians; and
(B)
any tribal organization controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by an entity described in subparagraph (A).
(22)
Individual with a disability
(23)
Institution of higher education
(24)
Local educational agency
(25)
Medically underserved population
(26)
National service laws
(27)
Native American-serving, nontribal institution
(28)
Native Hawaiian-serving institution
(29)
Out-of-school youth
The term “out-of-school youth” means an individual who—
(A)
has not attained the age of 27;
(B)
has not completed college or the equivalent thereof; and
(C)
is not enrolled in an elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education.
(30)
Participant
(A)
In general
The term “participant” means—
(i)
for purposes of division C, an individual in an approved national service position; and
(ii)
for purposes of any other provision of this chapter, an individual enrolled in a program that receives assistance under this subchapter.
(32)
Predominantly Black Institution
(33)
Principles of scientific research
The term “principles of scientific research” means principles of research that—
(A)
apply rigorous, systematic, and objective methodology to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to the subject matter involved;
(B)
present findings and make claims that are appropriate to, and supported by, the methods that have been employed; and
(C)
include, appropriate to the research being conducted—
(i)
use of systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;
(ii)
use of data analyses that are adequate to support the general findings;
(iii)
reliance on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and generalizable findings;
(iv)
strong claims of causal relationships, only with research designs that eliminate plausible competing explanations for observed results, such as, but not limited to, random-assignment experiments;
(v)
presentation of studies and methods in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, to offer the opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research;
(vi)
acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or critique by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review; and
(vii)
consistency of findings across multiple studies or sites to support the generality of results and conclusions.
(36)
Qualified organization
(37)
School-age youth
The term “school-age youth” means—
(A)
individuals between the ages of 5 and 17, inclusive; and
(B)
children with disabilities, as defined in section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (
20 U.S.C. 1401(3)), who receive services under part B of such Act [
20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.].
(38)
Scientifically valid research
(40)
Service-learning
The term “service-learning” means a method—
(A)
under which students or participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that—
(i)
is conducted in and meets the needs of a community;
(ii)
is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service program, and with the community; and
(iii)
helps foster civic responsibility; and
(B)
that—
(i)
is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students, or the educational components of the community service program in which the participants are enrolled; and
(ii)
provides structured time for the students or participants to reflect on the service experience.
(41)
Service-learning coordinator
(45)
State educational agency
(48)
Tribally controlled college or university
([Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 101], Nov. 16, 1990, [104 Stat. 3129]; [Pub. L. 102–10, § 3], Mar. 12, 1991, [105 Stat. 29]; [Pub. L. 102–384, § 3], Oct. 5, 1992, [106 Stat. 1455]; [Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 111(a)], Sept. 21, 1993, [107 Stat. 857]; [Pub. L. 103–382, title III, § 394(h)(1)], Oct. 20, 1994, [108 Stat. 4028]; [Pub. L. 105–220, title IV, § 414(g)], Aug. 7, 1998, [112 Stat. 1242]; [Pub. L. 105–244, title I, § 102(a)(13)(K)], Oct. 7, 1998, [112 Stat. 1621]; [Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1076(ff)], Jan. 8, 2002, [115 Stat. 2093]; [Pub. L. 108–446, title III, § 305(m)], Dec. 3, 2004, [118 Stat. 2806]; [Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1102], Apr. 21, 2009, [123 Stat. 1464]; [Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(bbb)(1)], Dec. 10, 2015, [129 Stat. 2184].)