The sudden suspension of federal AmeriCorps funding has paused the contracts of two education staffers at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC).

Under the direction of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk — appointed to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with slashing federal spending — ordered the termination of $400 million in federal grants to AmeriCorps, a federal service program in which individuals serve their communities in critical areas such as education, public safety, health, and the environment.

The funding slash is expected to cut 41% from the agency's 2025 budget. It is estimated that more than 1,000 organizations and about 32,000 AmeriCorps members and volunteers will be affected. In Port Townsend, the order directly affects two AmeriCorps members serving at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC).

Kelly Kingdon and Hillary Sanders are AmeriCorps Marine Stewardship educators who make up two-thirds of the PTMSC's education team. They teach public programs, lead citizen science programs and contribute to educational outreach.

On April 28, they were notified by a series of emails from the Washington Service Corps that they had been placed on administrative hold without pay.

"It was definitely a big shock," said Kingdon. "Honestly, in kind of a deep-down way, I was holding my breath. I was kind of blindsided. I thought there would be a risk for a renewal of the contract. I didn't expect it would happen this fast, like this."

For more than 20 years, PTMSC has relied on AmeriCorps members to help carry out its environmental education initiatives, public programming and conservation outreach. Carolyn Woods, education manager at PTMSC (and the final third of the education team), said their records indicate that since 2001, 74 members have served at the PTMSC, accruing more than 100,000 hours of service to the community.

Woods, a former AmeriCorps member herself, said she takes the situation personally.

"I remember how hard I was working during my term, all the things I got to create and help with, and saying that that is not worthy of being kept and that they're just going to unilaterally cancel that? It's very frustrating," she said.

Diane Quinn, PTMSC's executive director said they were aware that cuts might happen and that they needed to find a way to fulfill the volunteers' contracts financially. She knew that PTMSC would likely be unable to hire them, so she contacted the organization's board of directors, encouraging them to write to their legislators. However, she received a call from someone willing to hire Kingdon and Sanders independently and then the two could volunteer their time to the PTMSC until the original contracts expired.

Sanders said she is grateful for the community's support but disappointed that the cuts will likely affect AmeriCorps volunteers around the country.

"We are very fortunate that PTMSC was able to find a way to temporarily support us in light of the latest cuts to the AmeriCorps program," she said. "Tens of thousands of AmeriCorps (members) are not so lucky and are at risk of losing their housing, health care and education awards, not to mention that they are ineligible for unemployment benefits. It's really an awful situation."

After receiving the order, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced he had joined a multi-state lawsuit, alleging the abrupt termination of AmeriCorps grants was an illegal executive order. The coalition includes 23 attorneys general and the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

"AmeriCorps provides hope and belonging in American communities nationwide. It gives inspiration and purpose to the young people who join its ranks annually," Brown said in a press release on April 29. "But the president thinks public programs and public dollars are his to do with what he will, snatching them up through the same scheming that federal courts have already said is likely illegal."

Gov. Bob Ferguson, himself an AmeriCorps alumnus, released a statement on April 29 condemning the order as "reckless and unlawful." He said the $21.6 million cut from Washington programs will impact critical services that benefit all Washingtonians, but especially the state's most underserved residents, Ferguson said.   

"If allowed to go forward, the Trump Administration's decision will dismantle programs at approximately 800 Washington service sites, administered through Serve Washington with the help of nearly 1,300 volunteers — touching virtually every corner of our state," Ferguson said.

The Associated Press has reported that at least 85% of AmeriCorps staff nationally were either furloughed or laid off. The federal government argues that these cuts are justified, claiming federal financial mismanagement and improper payments; however, no prior notice was given to PTMSC.

While PTMSC has found a short-term solution, Woods is concerned about long-term consequences for the organization if funding is delayed, limited or eliminated entirely.

 "We rely on our members as a team to be able to get ready for our incredibly busy spring and summer season. It's the high season for field trips when the weather gets nice, and the daytime low tides are getting really good," Woods said. "This is when we have a lot of field trips planned. We've got hundreds of students that are expecting to visit us between now and June, so we need to figure out how we're going to lead all those programs. We plan projects, some of them years in advance, so not having stability will affect how we can plan for that," she said.

Quinn said the situation goes far beyond AmeriCorps and affects organizations all over the United States. She said the funding cuts are a symptom of a much bigger problem.

"So many things are under attack that are incredibly critical and vital to American society. I'm losing my two AmeriCorps, and in the big scheme of things, it doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's the collective onslaught. I think that's worrisome," she said.

While uncertainty looms over their service and her livelihood, Kingdon said the community has helped her stay grounded.

"Obviously, it's very normal to respond with anger, frustration and sadness," Kingdon said. "But after that, it really means a lot to see all the support and the generosity and the passion of the community to help support each other and stay positive together through these really hard times. That's what makes it all worth it."