AmeriCorps Orientation Presentation - Westminster College

Why Join AmeriCorps?• Help others• Gain new skills• Get educational benefits• Serve your community

Utah Campus CompactAmeriCorps Program The Utah Campus Compact AmeriCorps Programinvolves 1,200 college and university students in Utah. Students in the program serve at non-profits, schools,and governmental organizations in their communities. Collectively, Utah Campus Compact AmeriCorpsstudents will provide over 500,000 hours of service tocommunity organizations each year.. After completing their service, students earn aneducation award ranging between $1,175 and $2,775.

AmeriCorps BenefitsThe Utah Campus Compact AmeriCorpsProgram provides the followingbenefits for students:• Training• Depending on your campus, aSegal AmeriCorps Education Award• 300 hours = $1,175• 450 hours = $1,468• 675 hours = $2,114• 900 hours = $2,775

The AmeriCorps StoryGet Things Done for America

AmeriCorpsRooted in America’s Tradition of Service1933: Civilian Conservation Corps1961: Peace Corps1964: VISTA1993: The Corporation forNational and CommunityService and AmeriCorps2009: Serve America Act

Corporation for National andCommunity Service & AmeriCorpsThe Corporation for National and Community Service is the federalagency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosterscivic engagement through service and volunteering. TheCorporation administers three main programs:• Senior Corps: 450,000Americans 55+• AmeriCorps: 85,000 members• Learn and Serve America:1.5 million students inservice-learning

Serve America Act• Signed into law April 21, 2009• Landmark legislation to expand service• Expands AmeriCorps to 250,000 members by 2017• Priority focus on education, health, environment, veterans, andeconomic opportunity

AmeriCorps Fast Facts637,000 AmeriCorps members since 1994774 Million Hours served by AmeriCorps members$1.77 Billion2.4 Million3,300$6.3 BillionSegal AmeriCorps Education Awardsearned by AmeriCorps membersVolunteers mobilized by AmeriCorpsmembers in 2009Number of organizations served byAmeriCorps membersAmeriCorps funds invested in nonprofitand community groups since 1994

AmeriCorps TodayMeeting critical needs across America• Teach and Tutor• Mentor Youth• Build homes• Fight poverty• Conserve the environment• Provide health services• Respond to disasters• Mobilize volunteers• Assist veterans• Much, much more…

This is ourprogramAmeriCorps TodayThree ProgramsAmeriCorpsState/NationalAmeriCorpsVISTAAmeriCorpsNCCC

AmeriCorps State and National• Largest branch of AmeriCorps• About 77,000 members serve each year• Members serve with more than1,840 organizations nationwide• Members address needs in education,environment, health, housing, disasterresponse and more• Grantees include national and localnonprofits, schools, universities,public agencies, and Native Americantribes• Full-time and part-time opportunities

AmeriCorps VISTA• Focus on ending poverty• Created in 1964• 7,200 members serve each year• VISTAs collaborate with low-incomeindividuals and communities to fightpoverty across the nation• Focus on capacity building:raising funds, recruiting volunteers,and designing sustainable programs• More than 1,300 project sponsors• Full-time year-long service

AmeriCorps NCCC• Team-based residential service• Focus on disaster response,environment, housing, and youth• Teams travel to projects inneighboring states• Open to 18-24 year-olds• 1,100 members serve each year• Members live on five campuses:Sacramento, CA; Denver, CO; Vinton,IA; Perry Point, MD; and Vicksburg, MS• Full-time 10-month service

Who Benefits from AmeriCorps?We All Do• Youth, seniors, and others in need benefit from the tutoring,mentoring, health, housing, and other services membersprovide.• Communities benefit from having better schools, saferstreets, more affordable housing, a cleaner environment, andmore engaged citizens.• Organizations gain from having more reach and impact: 92%of sponsoring groups say members helped increase howmany people they served to a large or moderate extent.• Members acquire leadership and career skills, earn money forcollege, and learn how to be active citizens.

AmeriCorps AlumniContinuing Their Service and CommitmentLongitudinal studies show AmeriCorps alums:• are more connected to their communities• continue to participate in community activities• choose public service careers at higher levelsthan their peers

TheSegal Education Award You will earn an education award ranging between $1,175 and$2,775 after you complete your term of service. The education award is issued to members 2-4 weeks aftersuccessful completion of service hours, end-of-service survey,and all paperwork. You can participate in AmeriCorps for the equivalent of two full-timeterms of service ( a full-time term is 1700 hours). Students who do not complete their term of service do not receivean education award and this counts as one of their possible termsof service.

Using theSegal Education AwardAmeriCorps members can use their education awards in threeways:PastPresentFutureMembers can repay qualified student loans suchas Stafford, Perkins, Federal Direct/Indirect.Members can apply the voucher to their currenteducation expenses for the cost of attendancethrough the financial aid office on their campus.Members can use the voucher for up to 7 yearstoward graduate programs, continuing educationclasses, specialty and trade schools, and studyabroad.

Interested In Joining AmeriCorps? Keep Reading! Think about how andwhere you want to serve Talk to AmeriCorpsmembers and alums Find out what programsare recruiting at yourinstitution Apply!

How do I apply?You must:Be a United States citizen or permanent resident alien of the U.S.,Be 17 years old or older, and possess or be working toward a high schooldiploma or GED.1. Read through this orientation and verify you have doneso.2. Complete all enrollment documents and be clearedthrough a criminal history check. (Don’t worry, we payfor it.)3. Serve in your community.4. Complete your time cards on or before the first of eachmonth.5. When you finish your service hours you’ll earn aneducation award!

What do I have to do?You must serve at a qualifying not-for-profit (501(c)3) organization or governmentagency. Each site must apply to host AmeriCorps members. Only one applicationper site is necessary. You must do 60% of your service at one site, and you musthelp mobilize volunteers for your site. (More about that later.)Member Development gives you the opportunity to pursue personal andprofessional goals that are education and service related. It is an important aspectof AmeriCorps service. Member development hours can account for up to 20% ofyour total service term and include:Class time related to your direct service,Professional conferences or workshops,Faculty meetings or agency staff meetings, andTime spent reflecting on your service individually or with peers on monthlytime logs.The maximum number of member development hours you can accrue with eachterm of service is:300-hour term = 60450-hour term = 90675-hour term = 135900-hour term = 180

The Corporation for National andCommunity Service has defined someactivities that are not allowed inAmeriCorps projects and activities.Individuals may engage in these activitiesduring their own time, but may notinclude these activities as part of theirterm of service.

These activities are prohibited:• Influencing legislation; lobbying• Letter-writing campaign to Congress• Engaging in partisan political activities• Advocating for or against political parties, platforms, orcandidates• Registering voters• Organizing or participating in boycotts, strikes, or protests• Religious Activities• Engaging in religious instruction or proselytizing• Conducting worship services• Constructing, operating, or maintaining facilities devoted toreligious instruction or worship

More prohibited activities:• Participating in activities that pose a significant safety risk toclients. (Ropes courses are appropriate service activities.)• Grant writing or fundraising for operational expenses at thenonprofit agency.• Providing a direct benefit to a for-profit entity, a labor union, apartisan political organization, or an organization engaged inreligious activities.• Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing.• Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargainingagreements.• Providing abortion services or making referrals for such services.

For more informationCheck out this link or theUtah Campus Compact AmeriCorps website:utcc.oncorpsreports.com

Orientation VerificationPlease visit the link below to verify yourparticipation in this orientation and receivefurther instruction on enrolling.http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KBH3VMPIf you have any other questions please email:Johanna Phelps-HillenMitch Longsonjhillen@utahsbr.edumlongson@utahsbr.edu