Upload
americorps-placement
View
214
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
"Escape the Ordinary," is a monthly AmeriCorps NCCC newsletter for all applicants. It includes lots of helpful information for you, the applicant, as well as an interview with Blue 3, Gold 4, Green 3 and Silver 5, all from the Pacific Region. Also, check out the links, which provide an intimate look at the daily life of an NCCC team and how Corps Members "get things done!"
Citation preview
Escape the Ordinary
AMERICORPS NCCC
Volume 3, Issue 4
July 2012
AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-
time, team-based residential
program for men and women
ages 18-24. NCCC members
are assigned to one of five
campuses and organized into
teams of 10-12 members.
Campuses are located in Perry
Point, MD; Vinton, IA; Denver,
CO; Vicksburg, MS; and
Sacramento, CA. NCCC teams
serve approximately 4-6 projects
throughout their ten months of
service. NCCC serves every
state, responding to pressing
local needs that are identified by
organizations in the community.
Projects are focused on the
following five categories –
Natural and Other Disasters,
Infrastructure Improvement,
Environmental Stewardship and
Conservation, Energy
Conservation, and Urban and
Rural Development. 100
percent of members are certified
in CPR, first aid, and disaster
response; approximately 9% are
firefighter trained by the
National Park and U.S. Forest
Services. NCCC teams also
support local disaster relief
organizations to help
communities prepare for,
respond to, and recover from
natural or man-made disasters.
Since September 2005, NCCC
members from all campuses
have served more than 9.6
million hours on 5,035 projects.
All About Us Inside this issue:
Where Are We Now?
2
An Inside Look: The Southern
Region
3
Class 18 Congrats 4
Reflections from Class 18: the Pacific Region
5
The Application Process
8
Special points of interest:
See where current
teams are serving.
A reflection from 4
Pacific Region Teams
An Inside Look at the
Southern Region
campus
AmeriCorps NCCC’s Southern Region - Delta 7.
AmeriCorps NCCC’s Southern Region teams working at Hardin Park in New Orleans, LA.
FEMA Corps Team Leaders receiving a campus tour in Vicksburg, MS.
Atlantic Region Perry Point, MD North Central Region Vinton, IA Pacific Region Sacramento, CA Southern Region Vicksburg, MS Southwest Region Denver, CO
Where Are We Now? Click these links to visit each campuses’
Facebook page.
Note: You will have to be logged in to
access each page.
Bridgeport, CT— Buffalo 4, representing the Atlantic Region, is working with Habitat for Humanity—Coastal Fairfield County.
They are conducting framing, hanging drywall, installing windows/doors/siding and signage, decking houses and painting.
Louisville, KY—North Central’s Cedar 5 is currently working with Metro United Way. Some of their tasks include: coordinating
management of volunteer response; to include data entry, work assignments, donation sorting, phone banks and daily reporting to
stakeholders.
Pierre, SD—Oak 6, representing the North Central Region, is working with Oahe Family YMCA. They are mentoring youth
through outdoor educational programs.
Bangor, ME—The Atlantic Region’s Raven 5 is currently working with the City of Bangor. The team is rebuilding steps, edging,
grading, resurfacing trails, clearing brush and overgrowth, repairing outlooks, and supporting a summer camp program.
Plymouth, VT—Also representing the Atlantic Region, Moose 2 is working with Vermont State Parks. They are peeling and
forming poles, notching and setting posts, securing rails, and applying protective sealant for the recreation of a 600-foot traditional
Civilian Conservation Corps style fence at Coolidge State Park.
Fargo, ND—Maple 3, from the North Central Region, is working with River Keepers. Their project includes riverfront cleanup of
fallen trees, debris and shrubs deposited by floodwaters.
**Note** No projects are listed for the Pacific and Southwest Region. Members from these two regions have
graduated. No projects are listed for the Southern Region as members are currently on Summer break.
Want to Serve for a Day? Serve with a current team of NCCC members at a project in your area!
Contact [email protected] for more information.
**Please note, we may be unable to accommodate all “Serve for a Day” requests due to sponsor restrictions.**
Volume 3, Issue 4 Page 2
Volume 3, Issue 4 Page 3
An Inside Look: Southern Region
Continuing with our “Inside Look” series, this issue of Escape
the Ordinary will highlight the Southern Region, located in
Vicksburg, Mississippi.
About the Vicksburg Campus
The AmeriCorps Southern Region Campus is located in Vicksburg, MS
just 45 minutes west of Jackson, the state’s capital. Members serving at
the Southern Region will serve throughout Mississippi, Louisiana,
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West
Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Southern Region campus is located on the grounds of the All
Saints Episcopal School. This historic institution owned by the dioceses
of Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Western Louisiana opened its
doors in 1908 as an all-girls college. The 40-acre campus is home to
nine buildings, an administrative and classroom building, five dorms, a
chapel and a gym. The property also includes two soccer fields, tennis
courts, and a pavilion.
Vicksburg is known for its deep history in both Civil War history and
Southern Culture. Known as the “Red Carpet City of the South”,
Vicksburg is truly a city of Southern hospitality. It is important to note
that Vicksburg is also home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’
Vicksburg District whose different centers and stations in the area
create one of their largest civil works entities. Essentially, from their facilities in Vicksburg, they manage the Mississippi River from beginning
to end and provide critical support to both the military and civilian
sector through development of new technology.
One of the many lounge areas located
on the Southern Region campus
Inside a dormitory room
The swimming pool!
Physical Fitness
Physical training is an important part of the AmeriCorps NCCC
experience. PT will be required three times a week for at least 45
minutes each time. The activities will be determined by teams and
facilitated by Team Leaders. Activities could include running, going
to a gym, playing a team sport, or practicing yoga – there is plenty
of room for variety and creativity. The Southern Region campus
also challenges Corps Members to improve their physical
condition during the program by conducting periodic baseline
tests. During CTI, all Corps Members will be timed on a 1.5 mile
run and will do as many sit-ups in one minute and push-ups in one
minute as they can. The test will be repeated during transition
weeks, so members can measure their improvement.
Volume 3, Issue 4 Page 4
to the 250 members from the Pacific Region who graduated on July 19,
2012 and the 282 members from the Southwest Region who graduated on
July 27, 2012. Welcome to the NCCC alumni family!
Pacific Region Southwest Region
Reflections from Class 18: The Pacific Region
Volume 3, Issue 4 Page 5
For this issue of Escape the Ordinary, I
spoke with members from Blue 3, Gold
4, Green 3 and Silver 5, all from the
Pacific Region about their past service
year and their memorable moments.
BLUE 3
Give our readers a brief summary of
your 4th round.
Jenna Lamoreaux (TL): We had a split
round for our final round. We spent the first
half in Oakland, Oregon working for
Lincoln Middle School. We spent most of
our time improving their Community
Garden by installing a drip irrigation
system, designing and building a tool
shed, installing new plant beds and
weeding. We also spent a lot of our time
improving the outdoor school by
improving the access trails,
removing invasive species and
tending to some recently planted
trees. Our time at Lincoln Middle
School was also spent tutoring and
mentoring some of the students in
attendance.
We spent the second half of our
round in Reno, Nevada working for
the Washoe County School District.
We worked at over eighty schools
inventorying their on-site
chemicals and assisting in their
school revitalization efforts. In the
revitalization we moved furniture,
cleaned classrooms and helped with
general cleaning of the schools.
What was your favorite project this past
service year? And why?
Brian Chase: My favorite project this year
was a week-long project in Bolinas,
California. It was my favorite because of
the location it was in. We stayed in a
beautiful, resort type of house, looking
over the Pacific Ocean. We got to live in a
place for a week that I would never be able
to live unless I was in this program, and it
was beautiful.
How has your team grown over the past
ten months?
Yuan Lin Qiu: My team was able to get
along from the beginning, which made
everything fairly easy. There were bumps
along the way, but we’ve all made it
through and have formed special bonds
along the way.
Your team’s most memorable moment
of the year?
JL: My team’s most memorable moment
involved our favorite thing, food. We
participated in a food eating challenge in
San Francisco called the Pho Challenge.
While we did not succeed, many laughs
and memories were made that night at the
restaurant.
Your team’s most trying moment of the
year?
BC: Our team’s most trying moment of the
service year was our first round project in
Alpaugh, California. We were staying in a
house that, soon after we moved in, got
infested with mice. It was pretty gross
seeing mice everywhere, but the problem
was soon fixed, and while the mice issue
was being fixed our sponsor put us up in a
very nice hotel in Bakersfield California, so
it all worked out.
And finally, what is one piece of advice
you would give to prospective Corps
Members?
YLQ: Pack a variety of clothes no matter
where you project is, because you just
never know. My assumptions of the
weather in every project location have all
been at least slightly off in my service year.
GOLD 4
Give our readers a brief summary of
your 4th round.
Mackenzie Hunter (TL): Our team had a
split 4th round, meaning that our 8-week
project round was split between two
shorter projects. We spent four weeks at
Camp Sweyolaken in Couer d’Alene,
Idaho, and four weeks with Habitat for
Humanity in Portland, Oregon.
What was your favorite project this past
service year? And why?
Meredith Trevino: My favorite project this
year would probably be the work we did
with Habitat for Humanity in Portland, OR. I
learned a lot about construction and how
houses are built, while also being exposed
to a variety of new tools. Habitat for
Humanity is a great organization that has
positive and outgoing people working with
it. It meant a lot for the team and me to be
able to interact with future homeowners.
We were able to hammer side by side to
build their future home, which was a
thrilling experience.
How has your team grown over the past
ten months?
Elizabeth Kelley: Our team started off
with 10 very individual people from 10
different backgrounds and ways of doing
things. In the beginning, we were divided
and got through the day by simply
tolerating each other. With our Team
Leaders persistence and support, in
addition to help from our Peer Helpers, our
team got to know each other on a deeper
level and we found that we had more
similarities than we thought. With time,
those divides decreased and we were able
to work better as a team. Now, we work as
a team and choose to spend time with each
other outside of work. Our team has
become a family and acts as such with the
arguments and lots of laughter. We all love
each other for our good and bad, which I
did not think would happen after our first
Continued on Page 6
Volume 3, Issue 4 Page 6
week together.
Your team’s most memorable moment of
the year?
MH: For me, one of the most memorable
moments of the year was when we did an
ISP with a nonprofit organization in Los
Angeles that offers day programs for
children and adults with developmental
disabilities. We danced the night away at
the holiday party and made friends with
many of the participants with disabilities. It
was great to see the team pushed outside of
their comfort zone, and I think it set the tone
for many of the experiences to come.
Your team’s most trying moment of the
year?
EK: During CTI, each unit goes to Camp
Mendocino to do team building activities
and to get a sense of what NCCC is all
about. There is one team building activity
where each member puts two fingers on a
hula-hoop and is asked to raise the hoop
over their heads together. This one simple
task was not possible for our team and the
reactions it created are laughable now, but
very intense at the moment. Team
members began to wonder what would
happen if the challenge wasn’t a hula-hoop,
but a real challenge. Were people always
going to walk away in anger? Were we
going to yell at each other to do things
correctly when no one knew the answer?
This hula-hoop brought up a lot of team
issues and is something that the team will
always remember and are thankful we
were able to work out all those challenges.
What are your Life after AmeriCorps
plans as of right now?
MT: I plan on doing another year of
AmeriCorps! I will be serving in Denver,
Colorado as a Denver Public Schools corps
member. I will be working with youth who
are at-risk for dropping out of school. This
will involve daily contacts with students and
families, home visits and rallying
community involvement. Although it is
different from NCCC, I know my
experience has prepared me very well!
GREEN 3
Give our readers a brief summary of
your 4th round.
Lauren Brown (TL): Green 3 has had a
very exciting fourth round. We were
fortunate enough to get an amazing spilt
round with two great projects. The first half
of the round was spent in Portland, Oregon
serving with Habitat for Humanity Portland
Metro/East. During our time there we
focused our efforts on helping the
organization complete eight housing units,
supported construction companies during
a builder’s blitz where they completed four
houses in one week, and helped further the
beginning stages of framing on four units.
The second half of the round was spent in
San Francisco serving with the Presidio
Trust. The team served on a variety of
projects. We have supported the irrigation
department in replacing and repairing
existing sprinkler systems. The team has
served with the grounds department in an
effort to plant native plants around the
national park as well as rid the park of
invasive plants. Additionally, the team has
served with the trust’s forestry department
laying compost and mulch to improve
water absorption for recently planted
native trees. The Presidio trust has been
an amazing sponsor with such warm and
inviting site supervisors. The team feels
very lucky to have had such amazing round
four!
How has your team grown over the past
ten months?
Adunola Ademiluyi: Whenever I talk to
my parents or friends from back home,
they always tell me that something is
different about me, that I sound more like
an adult now. It is strange to rap my head
around but in fact, it is very true. I think the
same also applies to my team. Over the
past ten months everyone on my team has
grown in their own way but I think that
overall, everyone has grown and matured
in a positive way. Being in this program has
helped us begin the process of figuring out
what it is that we all want to do with our
lives and most importantly, what we don’t
want to do. We have all gotten the chance
to kind of take a step back and evaluate
ourselves and how we deal with others
around us. I think that living and working
with the same people really helps to
broaden our perspectives and leaves us
more open minded than we were in the
beginning. Working with the non profits
and communities throughout these past 10
months also contributes to the growth my
team has undergone by showing us a
different view of lives outside of the ones
we are used to. I think that an experience
like this really helps to make us all better
people.
Your team’s most memorable moment
of the year?
Phillip Dukes: Our team’s most
memorable moment for me came during
our first service round with the Stelzer
County Park in Lakeside, CA. That day, our
project supervisor visited us down trail at
the worksite, surprising us with a series of
games to celebrate our hard work. The
most hilarious and memorable event of the
day was a relay race which included
balancing an Oreo on the participant’s own
head and moving it into the participant’s
mouth without any assistance from the
participant’s hands. I laughed until I could
scarcely breathe. I feel so thankful for the
event, which helped our team bond with
our sponsors and take time to celebrate
our service.
What was your favorite project this past
service year? And why?
LB: My favorite project during this past
year of service was our third round project
on Catalina Island. The team and I served
with the Catalina Island Conservancy. Our
service included trail building and
maintenance along the Trans Catalina Trail,
invasive plant removal, and fire prevention
and maintenance projects around the
island. The community on Catalina Island
is very tightknit and they were all very
inviting. The team created great
relationships with many staff members. As
well, the team was able to take advantage
of many amenities of living on an island.
Regularly I was able to kayak and paddle
board, we spent many days out on the
boat, playing with dolphins and searching
for sharks. My favorite location on the
island was at Little Harbor at sunset, it was
the most amazing experience of my
lifetime and I miss the island daily.
Continued on Page 7
Volume 3, Issue 4 Page 7
Your team’s most trying moment of the
year?
PD: My team’s most trying moment
occurred during our second round of
service with the Boys and Girls Club of
Truckee Meadows. While our service with
the Boys and Girls Club was very impactful
for our team overall, our project mission
was very open ended, with occasional
periods of sporadic working and waiting.
These moments of lower activity presented
a challenge for our team moral, as some
team members began to feel listless or
unproductive. In the end, though, our team
was able to create new tasks to fill our
workflow and successfully completed the
round.
What are your Life after AmeriCorps
plans as of right now?
AA: As of right now, I plan on going back to
Maryland and starting graduate school. I
have accepted a State and National position
at a health center that I will do while in
school.
And finally, what is one piece of advice
you would give to prospective Corps
Members?
LB: Be flexible and open to all new things
you are about to experience. This year has
great potential to be one of the best
experiences of your life. You have to be
willing to take advantage of it. Time is very
fleeting so be present in every moment
and appreciate everything that you can.
SILVER 5
Give our readers a brief summary of
your 4th round.
Sarah Shellenbarger (TL): Silver Five
spent its fourth round serving Camp Korey,
a camp for children with serious and life-
altering medical conditions that is located
on the original Carnation Farm. Our main
focus was to prepare the property for
camp’s summer season and to design and
construct a prize-winning Fourth of July
parade float to represent Camp Korey in
the community.
What was your favorite project this past
service year? And why?
Corey Yula: My favorite project this year
would have to be round two, where we
spent our time at the Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park in southern California. When we
first found out about the project and that
we’d be camping in tents I have to admit
we weren’t too excited, but within a few
weeks we felt one with nature. Something
about roughing it in the middle of nowhere
and breaking down the boundaries
between the team made my time in the
desert the most influential experience of
my life.
How has your team grown over the past
ten months?
Jean Gose: From the first day to the last
day, my team has grown tremendously
over the past ten months. I will never
forget the moment I met my team for the
first time. I thought to myself “What in
the world did I get myself into?” We all
had different emotions floating around
that dinner table that night, but I never
imagined from that moment I would
become so incredibly close with nine
other people that were completely
different from me. Whenever you throw
ten people of such a diverse spectrum
into one room it can become extremely
overwhelming. My team overcame
many obstacles and challenges and with
the help of such an amazing team leader,
all ten of us will leave this program a
different person from when we came into it.
Your team’s most trying moment of the
year?
SS: During round three, we tutored and
mentored at a local elementary school. Our
team made connections with the kids and
the teachers and learned a lot about the
community. Unfortunately, our team had to
end the project early and unexpectedly.
The hardest part was leaving the students
behind after making those bonds with the
students and knowing how valuable our
presence was at the school.
Your team’s most memorable moment of
the year?
CY: During our fourth and final round we
got the chance to construct a float for the
local 4th of July parade. We came up with a
basic concept and worked for two weeks
straight in the hopes of bringing our idea to
life. By the 4th we had constructed a 12-foot
tree made of chicken-wire and paper
mache that was covered with paper hearts.
It was extraordinary, and the parade crowd
loved it so much we were awarded with the
1st place trophy for floats and an honorary
award from the Grand Marshall.
What are your Life after AmeriCorps
plans as of right now?
JG: As of right now, my Life after
AmeriCorps plans are still up in the air. I
will be moving back to Florida and
hopefully going to Grad school. I know that
after completing ten months of service to
my country, I have been inspired to give
back. I would love to work in the non-profit
world and help as many people as I can. I
love to know that I made a difference in
someone’s life, and I will continue to make
that my mission in life for many years to
come.
AMERICORPS NCCC
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20525 Phone: 800-942-2677 Fax: 202-606-3459
Email: [email protected] http://www.americorps.gov/nccc http://my.americorps.gov
Follow NCCC Online:
How does placement work in NCCC?
NCCC employs a “rolling admissions” process,
similar to many colleges. We have a few
rounds of placements during the application
period and additional rounds of placements
once our application period closes. We
continue to fill slots as they become available,
including up to the day before a campus opens.
All selections and placements are random.
We have far more qualified applicants than
positions available, and unfortunately cannot
guarantee a position to all qualified applicants.
Notes From the Author
Congratulations to those of you who
have been selected to serve in Class 19
of AmeriCorps NCCC this fall and our
inaugural FEMA Corps class this summer!
You’re going to have one amazing
journey and I wish you all the best during
your year of service. Additional
invitations for Class 19 are coming
soon!
Thanks to Blue 3, Silver 5, Gold 4 and
Green 3 for your Class 18 reflections.
Special thanks to Sandra Hajt and Kelly
Crowe for facilitating that process.
If you have any suggestions on other
topics that you would like to see covered
in this newsletter, let us know by
emailing us at NCCC.
Yours in Service,
Kevin
What does my NCCC status mean?
You’ve heard about the amazing things that AmeriCorps NCCC members do
and now you’re ready to be a part of this great program. You apply but then
you ask, “What does Under Review mean”? Well, we’re going to break
down those statuses right here.