Get Things Done for America AmeriCorps Orientation Slide 2 A few
terms before we get started What is AmeriCorps? What is a Term of
Service? Who is the Corporation for National and Community Service?
How does AmeriCorps fit with Bonner? Fast Fact: AmeriCorps members
have served more than 774 million hours Slide 3 What is AmeriCorps?
A National Service Program (Domestic Peace Corps) Federally funded,
locally implemented Members complete Terms of Service A Term of
Service is a commitment of hours to direct service and training
Terms of Service run from 1 to 2 years Participants receive an
Education Award at the completion of their Term of Service Fast
Fact: There has been more than 637,000 AmeriCorps members since
1994 Slide 4 AmeriCorps Rooted in Americas Tradition of Service
1933: Civilian Conservation Corps 1961: Peace Corps 1964: VISTA
1993: The Corporation for National and Community Service and
AmeriCorps 2009: Serve America Act Slide 5 Corporation for National
and Community Service & AmeriCorps The Corporation for National
and Community Service is the federal agency that improves lives,
strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through
service and volunteering. The Corporation administers three main
programs: Senior Corps: 450,000 Americans 55+ AmeriCorps: 85,000
members Learn and Serve America: 1.5 million students in
service-learning Slide 6 Slide 7 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, and economic opportunity Slide 8
What do AmeriCorps members do? Meet critical needs across America!
Getting Things Done Developing Participants Strengthening
Communities AmeriCorps aims to meet three different goals Slide 9
Youth, Seniors, and Others In Need benefit from the tutoring,
mentoring, health, housing, and other services members provide.
Communities benefit from having better schools, safer streets, more
affordable housing, a cleaner environment, and more engaged
citizens. Organizations gain from having more reach and impact: 92%
of sponsoring groups say members helped increase how many people
they served to a large or moderate extent. Members acquire
leadership and career skills, earn money for college, and learn how
to be active citizens. Who Benefits from AmeriCorps? We All Do Fast
Fact: AmeriCorps members have earned $1.77 Billion in Segal
AmeriCorps Education Award. Slide 10 AmeriCorps Today Three
Programs AmeriCorps State/National AmeriCorps VISTA AmeriCorps NCCC
Slide 11 Bonner AmeriCorps Administered by the Bonner Foundation in
partnership with the College of New Jersey Offered at more than 50
Bonner Campuses, including ours! Fast Fact: More than 2.4 million
volunteers were mobilized by AmeriCorps members in 2009 Slide 12
Eligibility Requirements Must be 17 years of age or older Must have
a High School Diploma or Equivalency, or must be working towards
the GED Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident of the U.S.
Government Documents Required: State-Issued Birth Certificate;
unexpired U.S. Passport; or Permanent Residency Card Slide 13 What
Do (Bonner) AmeriCorps Members Receive? Half-Time Members
Quarter-Time Members Minimum-Time Members 900 Hours of Service 450
Hours of Service 300 Hours of Service Education Award = $2,675
Education Award = $1,415 Education Award = $1,132.28 Two-year term
(minus one day) One-year term (minus one day) Slide 14 Now for the
nitty-gritty of AmeriCorps Slide 15 Rules of Conduct AmeriCorps
Members are limited to two full-time terms of service in a
lifetime. Breakdown of Service Hours: At least 80% of your hours
must be devoted to service No more than 20% of your hours can be
done in Training and Enrichment (T&E) activities No more than
10% of total hours can be devoted to fundraising Granting writing
or fundraising for operational expenses is prohibited; however, you
can be involved in grant writing for specific service projects,
solicit in-kind donations, and organize education events that also
serve as fundraisers (i.e. hunger banquets) Slide 16 What is
community service? Bonner defines service as service provided to
individuals or communities to meet social, educational, or
environmental needs. Slide 17 Prohibited Activities The following
activities will not count towards your term of service: Service
outside the country or with an agency that is internationally
focused Attempting to influence legislation or the outcomes of an
election to any public office Organizing or engaging in protests,
petitions, boycotts, or strikes and/or assisting, prompting, or
deterring union organizing Engaging in religious instruction or
proselytizing, and/or working for an agency that puts religious
education/proselytizing at the forefront of its mission Work for a
for-profit entity or provide services that directly benefit a
for-profit entity Coordinating or participating in Voter
Registration drives Providing abortion services or referrals for
such services Displacing current employees Direct service that is
paid through an hourly wage other than Federal Work-Study Slide 18
Prohibited Activities Cheat Sheet AmeriCorps Service Red Flags:
International For-Profit Political Religious Labor issues Slide 19
Suspension May be eligible for a leave of absence from AmeriCorps
for a Personal and Compelling circumstance: Personal or family
illness Military service Academic programs abroad Leave of absence
from school Essentially freezes your term of service Cannot
count/log any hours during the period of the suspension All hour
logs up until the suspension must be turned in The Foundation must
receive a suspension form no later than 25 days after the date of
requested suspension A Request for Reinstatement Form must be
submitted no later than 25 days after the reinstatement date A
suspension cannot last longer than two years from the date of
suspension Slide 20 Exiting for Personal and Compelling
Circumstances A participant who is released for Personal and
Compelling Circumstances AND who has completed 15 percent of his or
her required term of service is eligible for a pro-rated Education
Award. The situation must be absolutely beyond the members control
Members wishing to exit with a partial Award must: Update and
submit any missing hour logs Complete and submit an exit form Send
a letter explaining the Personal and Compelling Circumstances Slide
21 Release for Cause Release for cause encompasses any circumstance
other than Personal and Compelling Circumstances, this includes:
Personal decision to leave the program Termination from the program
due to inactivity Convicted of a felony Convicted of the sale or
distribution of a controlled substance during a term of service
Members released for cause will not receive any portion of the
education award and must disclose this fact in any subsequent
applications to participate in an AmeriCorps program. Slide 22
Exiting with Full-Award Once you have logged your 900-hours you
must Complete service accomplishments in BWBRS Turn in all hour
logs (with appropriate signatures) Complete an exit form to be
turned in with final hour log I will then Double-check all of the
hours you have served Set-up a time to do an end of service
evaluation and exit interview Send in your Exit Form to the
Foundation within 20 days of the last day of service The Bonner
Foundation Does a scrub of your entire file and submits it to the
Corporation for National and Community Service You can access your
Education Award! Slide 23 The Education Award The Education award
can be used to: Repay qualified existing or future student loans,
To pay all or part of the current cost of attending a qualified
institution of higher education Pay current expenses while
participating in an approved school- to-work program Important
things to remember: You have 7 years to use the award It is taxable
in the year that it is used It may be paid out in increments The
National Service Trust (which holds the award) has an online
payment system. ) Slide 24 Time to Enroll! Slide 25 Before we get
started You must use a pen If you make a mistake, neatly cross it
out and make the change both you and I must initial the cross- out
Your Enrollment/Start Date is today August 25, 2011 Your End Date
is August 24, 2013 if you are enrolling in a two-year, 900-hour
term Reminder this is an official and binding contract; read over
everything carefully At any point, please let me know if you have
any questions Slide 26 Member Application and Enrollment Form
Fill-out: The Cover Member Application (page 2) Member Enrollment
Form (pages 3-5) Slide 27 Member Contract Fill out: Member Contract
(pages 6-13) read carefully! Helpful Info for you: Start Date:
August 25, 2011 End Date: August 24, 2013 Campus administrator:
Melissa Medeiros Slide 28 Grievance Procedures (page 10) In the
event that informal efforts to resolve disputes are unsuccessful,
AmeriCorps members, labor unions, and other interested individuals
may seek resolution through the grievance procedures detailed on
page 10 of the Member Contract. These procedures are intended to
apply to service-related issues, such as assignments, evaluations,
suspensions, or release for cause, as well as issues related to
non-selection of members, and displacement of employees, or
duplication of activities by AmeriCorps Members Slide 29
Nondiscrimination Policy (page 12) Participation in AmeriCorps is
based on merit and equal opportunity for all, without regard to
factors such as race, color, national origins, sex, sexual
orientation, religion, age, disability, political affiliation,
marital or parental status, military service, or religious,
community, or social affiliations It is also unlawful to retaliate
against any person who, or organization that, files a complaint
about such discrimination. Each campus and/or service site that
receives the services of an AmeriCorps Member agrees to abide by
Federal laws and CNCS policies on Equal Opportunity Slide 30
Reasonable Accommodation (page 12) Programs and activities must be
accessible to persons with disabilities, and the Bonner AmeriCorps
Program at your campus must provide reasonable accommodation to the
known mental or physical disabilities of otherwise qualified
members, service recipients, applicants, and staff. All selections
and project assignments must be made without regard to the need to
provide reasonable accommodation Slide 31 Bonner AmeriCorps
Submission of Documents Procedures (page 14) Due to the high volume
and detail of documentation required to enroll members and provide
sufficient verification of completion of a Members term, Bonner
AmeriCorps Program Staff have outlined procedures for the proper
submission of documents. Adhering to these procedures will help
facilitate the successful completion of an AmeriCorps Members term.
Slide 32 Drug-Free Workplace (page 15) Consistent with the
Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, The Corella and Bertram F. Bonner
Foundation and The College of New Jersey are committee to providing
a workplace that is free from the unlawful manufacture,
distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of controlled
substances Program members must notify the Bonner Program in
writing within five (5) calendar days, if he or she is convicted of
a criminal drug violation in the workplace Violations of the
Drug-Free Workplace policy will result in personnel action again
the program member, up to and including dismissal pursuant to The
College of New Jersey procedure relating to program member
discipline Slide 33 Prohibited Activities, Suspension Procedures,
and Emergency Notification (pages 16-17) Please read through and
fill-out related information for : Prohibited Activities Suspension
Procedures Emergency Notification Slide 34 Informed Consent and
Waiver of Responsibility (page 18) Bonner Foundation Staff, your
Campus/Site Supervisor, and the Corporation for National and
Community Service with your consent may: Release your name,
interests, and any training you have received Write a
recommendation or give a verbal recommendation for employment, etc.
at the end of your term of service. Photograph you at your service
site for recruitment/promotional purposes NOTE: You may opt out by
checking the box on page 18 of the enrollment book. Slide 35
Eligibility Documentation Along with your completed Enrollment
Workbook, you must: Submit a legible copy of a government-issued
citizenship, naturalization or resident alien documentation (e.g.,
state- issued birth certificate, permanent resident card, etc.) AND
a legible copy of government-issued photo ID (drivers license,
state ID); OR, an unexpired US passport issued to you as a US
citizen Also, provide documentation of any legal name change I will
staple copies to the top of the page after I review your Enrollment
book Slide 36 Almost there Please read through and complete the
following sections: Bonner AmeriCorps Orientation Certification
(page 19) Background Check Authorization (page 20) National Sex
Offender Registry Check (page 21) And finally, look through the
book to make sure you have signed every line, checked every box,
and filled in all the information needed to enroll you in
AmeriCorps Slide 37 Any Questions?
