Available leadership/ AmeriCorps positions for interested student volunteers

Got some time? Want to make a commitment and some money for volunteering? We have the following AmeriCorps positions available, through the AmeriCorps Education Award Only program. Please note that terms are by calendar year. If you start a one-year term on October 2, 2007, you’ll finish up October 1, 2008.

• 300 hours, $1000.00 Ed Award, 1 year term. (Campus Compact Program—7 Available)
• 900 hours, $2362.50 Ed Award, 2 year term. (Campus Compact Program—2 Available)
• 900 hours, $2362.50 Ed Award, 2 year term (Bonner Program—first year students only—less than 30 credits; 8 available).

What is the Education Award?

See this great description for all the details. Basically, the Education Award functions like a scholarship, in reverse. You sign up to complete a term of service, do all your hours (and the paperwork to document them), and voila! You get an Education Award. The Education Award is not a check, but a voucher from the US Government good for current or future educational expenses, including student loans. It’s good for 7 years and you don’t have to use it all at once.

What’s the difference between the Bonner Program terms and Campus Compact terms?

The Bonner Program, aside from being for first year students only, is a bit more structured. On average, Bonner Leaders (the name for students in the Bonner Leader Program) serve 8 hours per week at a local nonprofit in a service internship, and receive 2 hours per week of leadership training on a variety of topics. JSC’s Bonner Leader Program is one of many in the US—see our Bonner Program website and the Bonner Foundation’s website for more information. Generally Bonner Leaders are at the same organization for both years of their 2-year term (optional extension for another 2 years), giving the maximum benefit to the organization and the student.

The Campus Compact AmeriCorps positions are a bit more flexible. You can do all your hours at one organization, or many. There are fewer set training requirements. JSC students in this program generally work to find their own service opportunities, and traditionally have been students who are already participating in some kind of service. This program is particularly designed to encourage students to “go deeper” or commit more time to a program they’re already doing. For example, if you’re going to be mentoring 220 hours this year, you could sign up for a 300-hour term and use those extra 80 hours to become a mentoring coordinator (help with recruitment and training of new mentors). Many JSC students in this program have integrated one-time projects and alternative break trips into their hours.

300 or 900 hours? That’s a lot!

Maybe. Think of it this way: 2 semesters a year, 15 weeks in a semester, right? (count ‘em. This doesn’t include breaks or exams.) If you commit 10 hours a week (say 2 hours a day during the week, or maybe every other Saturday plus 7 hours during the week), that’s 150 hours in a semester. Two semesters and you’re done with a 300 hour award. For a 900-hour award, include service during breaks (including the summer) for the other 300 hours. Or, go up to 15 hours per week during the semester (15 hours per week x 15 weeks = 225 hours x 4 semesters = 900 hours). Some Work-Study positions also qualify for AmeriCorps. So for example, if you’re already working 8 hours per week as a Reading Partner for America Reads (8 hours/week x 15 weeks =120, x 2 semesters = 240 hours), you can sign up for a 300-hour term and do an additional 60 hours of service somewhere else.

Does everything count?

Most volunteering qualifies. It has to be for a non-profit organization, to begin with. Only service in the USA qualifies. (Note: Break Away trips in the USA qualify! Students participating in Break Away usually accomplish 30-50 hours of service, depending on the trip.) There are some prohibited activities, like lobbying or union organizing. (Not that we don’t think you should do these things as a US Citizen, as is your right! Just not counting for your AmeriCorps hours.) 20% of your hours can be “training and enrichment,” such as workshops or conferences. 10% of your hours can be fundraising. The rest of your hours should be direct service. Some restrictions apply, this is a basic overview—contact us with questions.

OK, Sign me up!

Want in? Call, email, or stop by and see Laura Megivern to learn more and sign up.