AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary

As you may have noticed through social media over the past week, AmeriCorps celebrated its 20th birthday on Friday, September 12th. To mark this exciting occasion, celebrations and swearing-in events were held all over the country; and, being lucky enough to live in D.C. at this time, I got invited to the 20th anniversary event at The White House. (!!!) Bill Clinton (who signed AmeriCorps into action) and Barack Obama both spoke on the importance of service and shared some of the incredible work that has been done over the past 20 years through the efforts of 900,000 members. And afterwards I got to shake both of their hands and say hi. Wow. Moving on, I would like to use this post to share a little more about the AmeriCorps programs.

First, as a typical AmeriCorps member, you commit to a year of service. You do receive a living stipend and (upon program completion) are eligible for an education award which can be used to help pay off loans or cover tuition at Title IV schools. That being said, this is a volunteer-inspired position, so it is not a huge stipend. The hands-on experience you get makes it totally worth it, though. I am interested in returning to school for a reading specialist degree, and this year I am working with a group of kids in one on one literacy interventions to help them boost their reading skills. It is phenomenal practice helping kids on a wide range of levels learn how to "become even better readers" with different kinds of approaches. Other benefits for me are seeing how a public school functions from the inside and getting a feel for what works and what doesn't in classroom management and general school operations.

Throughout the AmeriCorps service year, you need to keep track of your hours and make sure you are on track to reach the requisite number by your exit date. In my full-time position and I am expected to work 40 hours each week. This is not too difficult with my school's extended day schedule, but you do need to schedule in additional volunteer work to make up for holidays, sick days, weather days, etc. I will be traveling for Christmas, so that means I need to build up all that extra time outside of my regular schedule. For me, I can get extra hours by volunteering with an after-school program at my site or by going out into the community in search of volunteer opportunities. It is preferred that we get involved at our school for the bulk of extra hours to help strengthen community bonds and support students outside of reading. There are also school functions to attend such as back to school night or book fairs. Outside opportunities for volunteering in my program are open for more literacy engagement or whatever interests you want to pursue. This service requirement provides a neat way to connect with area organizations and find a cause you truly care about.

What I didn't realize at the beginning of this program year was just how many programs fall under the AmeriCorps umbrella. My trip to the White House was a fun opportunity to engage with other members across services. Here is a brief list of some of the groups I encountered: Reading Corps, STEM Corps, Food Corps, Health Corps, Teach for America, NCCC, Habitat for Humanity, City Year, Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and FEMA Corps. I encourage you to do a thorough search if you are interested in joining AmeriCorps to find a cause that really inspires you!