AmeriCorps Members are most successful when they have had the opportunity to explore their motives and learn the facts before they commit to a year of personal and professional growth, challenge and opportunity.
On this page, our members have expressed what they think you need to know if you are interested in being a part of the Intermountain project. Our goal is to give you clear expectations and give you information "from the trenches" so you can thoroughly examine your commitment to AmeriCorps and the Intermountain project.
The Commitment…
The Skills You Need…
Your Placement Site…
Your Knowledge of the Intermountain Project…
ABOUT THE COMMITMENT...
An AmeriCorps term is quite a commitment! To earn the 1700 hours, AmeriCorps members need to invest at least 8 hours per day. To reach the 1700 hours, you must participate in activities after school and through the schools’ winter and spring breaks. Occasionally, you are required to volunteer your time on weekends. When other site staff members are not donating this "extra" time, we have found that it is difficult for some members to maintain their commitment.
Please examine – How do you think you will do? Would you feel overburdened, or view this as your opportunity to serve? Are you able to commit to a full 10 1/2 months of service? (12 months, if VISTA.)
If your school days are consistently less than 8 hours and you take too many personal and sick days, you may have to invest some extra time to hit your yearly 1700 hour goal. If you are having difficulty reaching your 1700 hours, you may receive credit for volunteer hours with a not-for-profit group or community association.
Please examine – Are you willing to invest the 1700 hours, and would you be interested and available to "make up" these hours to earn your education benefit?
Remember that there are two, three-day, statewide trainings called SERVES that you will be required to attend. (Travel and lodging expenses are paid.)
Please examine – Is there anything that would prohibit you from traveling to these trainings or are there any conditions that would prohibit you from participating fully in the training events?
All Intermountain AmeriCorps members travel to a central location (usually Wenatchee) quite often for meetings on Fridays. These required meetings give members the opportunity to get to know each other, to share ideas, and be part of a larger service movement. Meetings may include training specific to your service, team building, leadership or conflict resolution training and business meetings. Meetings are frequent at the beginning of the term (weekly), and less frequent by mid year (two meetings a month). Some members find this rejuvenating and exhilarating, and some find it draining. Depending upon where you are placed, you might have to travel up to two hours to attend these meetings. (Your travel mileage is reimbursed).
Please examine – What are your feelings about attending these meetings? What would the benefit be to you or to the team? Are you willing to commit to the travel and time necessary for meetings? Would you enjoy them?
AmeriCorps members must live on a limited “income”.
Please examine carefully how you plan to budget so you can survive through the 10-1/2 (12 for VISTA) months. We have had over 400 members go through our program, from all different economic backgrounds…it is possible!
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ABOUT THE SKILLS NEEDED...
Our members say that organizational skills are SO important for AmeriCorps members, and that if they don’t have them at the beginning of the year, they will by the end! There is a bit of daily paperwork connected with our project and with every AmeriCorps project – paperwork that can measure the impact of the work you do with the kids, paperwork to measure the value of the project, and school paperwork as well. All of the paperwork has deadlines.
You will be responsible for compiling information using specific evaluation tools with students and staff. This process will require daily record keeping. You will be asked to fill out monthly reports. Three times yearly you will deliver evaluations to students and teachers, and organize and compile this data. Four times during the year you will be asked to write reflections of your experiences.
Please examine – What experience have you had that prepares you for this? What part of this process would you most enjoy or find most challenging? What would you learn from the effort? Are you willing to do it?
AmeriCorps members have found that they must be flexible in the time they invest in their service. One service day may be seven hours long, and the next might be nine.
Please examine -- How flexible are you in handling work situations that might require staying later or arriving early?
Strong interpersonal skills are very important! Regardless of the team you choose, you will often work together with a group of AmeriCorps members, teams of teachers, or community groups. You will have the opportunity to work with many different personalities, styles, and philosophies.
Please examine – Are you able to learn and grow from the experience of team process? Do you have, or are you willing to learn, the skills that will create a cohesive team?
AmeriCorps members offer the following "laundry list" of skills they consider most important for a member to possess:
Communication skills (oral and written)
Interpersonal skills
Organizational skills
Basic computer skills
Past members say the ideal member possess these qualities:
Is dedicated to youth
Understands the concept of "service"
Has a strong work ethic
Is Self-motivating
Is flexible
Is a team player
Is open to new experiences
Has a positive attitude
Has a sense of humor
Is tolerant of bureaucracy
Understands the meaningfulness of paperwork
Is patient
Is punctual
Is compassionate and understanding
Even if members don’t possess some of the above skills and qualities, an ideal member is a member who is willing to work towards these qualities and skills. Is willing to grow personally and professionally.
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ABOUT YOUR PLACEMENT SITE...
At your site you need to be able to "go with the flow", handle stress, fast-paced work, and changes in direction – all the aspects that go along with developing and implementing an innovative project.
Please examine -- How do you react to this environment?
As an AmeriCorps member, you will have incredible enthusiasm and ideas, and will be placed within a site setting where systems, protocol, and values sometimes differ from what you envision. Sometimes, members feel frustrated that they cannot change the academic or social climate of the sites.
Please examine -- What would be your approach to these situations that would make you successful with your project, with site staff, and with your students?
Our members feel that they often make personal sacrifices for the improvement of the site they serve. They don’t earn much of a living allowance in the first place, and people often expect them to go "above and beyond" because of their concerned nature and the fact that they are volunteers. On the other hand, sometimes members sense apathy from site staff who don’t seem to know or care why they’re there.
Please examine - Can you keep service at the heart of what you do through the 10-12 months so that you can maintain positive enthusiasm – while not compromising yourself or taking on too much?
All of our project locations are rural, with the exception of Wenatchee, which has nearly 40,000 people. There are bus lines between a few communities, but services are minimal. Members have appreciated the rugged beauty of our communities, and many have become a part of their small service community, but some find it slow and boring.
Please examine – Are you comfortable living in a rural environment (Where there might not be a Starbucks on every corner but instead you have the local community coffee stop)?
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ABOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE INTERMOUNTAIN PROJECT...
Often members wish they had reviewed the individual project goals more closely before choosing a specific team (Reading Corps, VISTA or SET). The projects are very similar in theme, but differ significantly on a daily basis.
Please examine - Have you reviewed each section of our web site so that we can be assured that you understand the differences and similarities between projects, the project parameters and goals, and the expectations of you as an AmeriCorps member? Have you examined the three primary program objectives you would be working towards as a member of the SET, VISTA, or Reading Corps project…picture yourself in your daily service.
We hope that our members will be highly visible in the community to "sell" the whole AmeriCorps concept and build sustainability of their effort in the community, so the community can continue to provide services when the member is gone. This might include attending community meetings, being active in community events, and submitting regular publicity of your AmeriCorps efforts.
Please examine -- What have you done that might prepare you for this? Would you enjoy it?
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