Gov. Gavin Newsom has sworn in more than 10,000 new California Service Corps members who will be paid to work on community projects across the state, expanding a program that the governor’s office says  has become the largest state-level service force in the nation.

Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement Director Josh Fryday welcomed the new members for the 2026-27 service year. They will work on disaster preparedness and recovery, hunger, student mentoring, and climate action while gaining hands-on experience and skills that can help lead to college and career opportunities.

Since Newsom established the California Service Corps in 2019, more than 50,000 Californians have participated in the program and logged nearly 26 million hours of service, according to the governor’s office. The program is now larger than the federal Peace Corps.

“The solution to so many of our challenges comes from service, which can bring people together, give people a sense of purpose, and remind us of our common humanity,” Newsom said.

The new service corps comes as California prepares for what the governor’s office described as a potentially strong El Niño season. Newsom has directed California Volunteers to prepare service members and volunteers to help communities with preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

The corps includes programs such as College Corps, California Climate Action Corps, and Youth Service Corps. Since 2018-19, the programs report that members have tutored or mentored more than 608,000 students, distributed more than 313 million pounds of food, and provided disaster preparedness, response, or recovery services to more than 318,000 people.

“Ten thousand Californians are starting their service today, and each one is empowered to make a difference,” Fryday said. “Service creates opportunities to strengthen communities, address challenges and inspire others to do the same.”

Newsom also launched the California Service Corps Alumni Network, which will connect more than 50,000 current and former participants with career development, networking and job opportunities.

The network is designed to help alumni build on the skills and relationships gained through service while staying connected to public service and their communities.