---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12521"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12521"
heading: "Purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12521"
units:
  - "Chapter 129 — National and Community Service"
  - "Subchapter I — National and Community Service State Grant Program"
  - "Division B — School-Based and Community-Based Service-Learning Programs"
  - "Part I — Programs for Elementary and Secondary School Students"
---

# §12521. Purpose


The purpose of this part is to promote [service-learning](/usc/42/12626.md?p=9) as a strategy to—

- (1) support high-quality [service-learning](/usc/42/12626.md?p=9) [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) that engage students in meeting community needs with demonstrable results, while enhancing students’ academic and civic learning; and
- (2) support efforts to build institutional capacity, including the training of educators, and to strengthen the service infrastructure to expand service opportunities.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 111, as added Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1201, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1467.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 12521, Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 111, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 103(a)(2), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 825, prescribed general authority of the Corporation for National and Community Service to make grants for service-learning programs, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 111–13.

Another prior section 12521, Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 111, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3132; Pub. L. 102–10, § 4(2), Mar. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 30, prescribed general authority of Commission on National and Community Service to make grants for service-learning programs, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 103(a)(2), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 825.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 6101(a) of Pub. L. 111–13, set out as an Effective Date of 2009 Amendment note under section 4950 of this title.