Thursday, February 23, 2012

Support AmeriCorps!


 
 
As you may have heard by now, The President released his budget last week for fiscal year 2013. It includes a 1% increase for the Corporation for National and Community Service to $1.1 billion and maintains member levels for AmeriCorps at around 82,500.
 
This is not the growth in AmeriCorps numbers we had hoped for emerging from the Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 but, given how tight the overall federal budget is, it gives us a strong stake in the ground on which to build.
 
We anticipate politics will continue to get in the way of ‘getting things done’ for our country this year, and expect to have to remind Congress again that those of us who had the chance to serve our country are willing to fight for AmeriCorps’ future and the generation coming after us. Young Americans – over 1.1 million – are applying for limited AmeriCorps slots at unprecedented rates and the best thing the country can do is say "yes, we need you on the frontlines to address the needs of communities, close the achievement gap, protect our lands and waterways and assist victims of disaster.” That’s why AmeriCorps Alums is committed to fighting for the future of AmeriCorps.
 
So get ready – in 2012 your voice will be needed to remind Congress that Americans want AmeriCorps.
 
This is a great time to update your profile and include your current zip code. Sharing your zip code will help us immeasurably as we increase our advocacy and outreach efforts supporting the continuation and expansion of AmeriCorps. Click here to update your profile today---http://www.americorpsalums.org/login.aspx  ---
 
In Service,
 
Ben Duda
Executive Director
AmeriCorps Alums

Friday, February 17, 2012

AmeriCorps Alumni Career Newsletter


February 2012: Issue No. 3
Exclusively Sponsored by TNTP
»TNTP: Your Lifetime of Service Begins Here. Teach!Teacher Certification and Training Programs across the Country
Everyone understands that great teachers are essential to improving student achievement. Great teachers help students master new skills, make progress, and overcome challenges that might otherwise derail them from succeeding in school.
Unfortunately, the students who need great teachers most are least likely to get them, and the results are predictable: By the end of high school, African-American and Hispanic students write and do math at the level of the typical White eighth grader.
As a Teaching Fellow, you can help ensure that all students get an excellent education. TNTP’s highly selective Teaching Fellows programs streamline the path to teaching for accomplished career changers and recent graduates, building a pool of outstanding educators specifically for high-need schools and subjects.
Since 2000, TNTP has recruited and trained more than 29,000 talented teachers nationwide. President Obama called TNTP "a pioneer in expanding teacher recruitment,” and Education Week called the Teaching Fellows "one of the best alternative teacher-preparation routes out there today.”
TNTP's rigorous training prepares people without formal education backgrounds to be immediately effective in challenging schools. At every step, TNTP ensures that only teachers capable of raising student achievement enter and remain in the classroom.
For information about applying to a specific program – including deadlines, eligibility requirements, and application instructions – please visit that program's website, listed below. You may apply to multiple sites, and will be considered independently for each.
East Coast
Midwest
Southeast
West



Study Abroad
Alumni can use their Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to participate in "study abroad" programs offerred through their current U.S. university (as long the institution you are currently attending is a Title IV school).  To determine if your school is a Title IV school, conduct a quick search by clicking here.  Many alumni are not aware of the study abroad possibility, but this is a great way to become immersed in another culture, travel to another country, or become fluent in another language, while financing the experience through your Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.
If your institution does not offer a study abroad/exchange program, there is also a current list of 453 foreign institutions where the use of your Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is allowed.  A list of currently participating schools can be accessed by clicking here and choosing "foreign country” in thestate field.  For a list of Foreign School FAQ's, please click here.
For more information about overseas options, please view here.

Think Strategically: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) ProgramInstead of using your Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to take a bite out of your student loan debt, consider the PSLF Program, in which the federal government forgives the balance of your student loans if 1) you have worked full-time for a qualified non-profit for 120 months and 2) have made consistent payments toward your student loan debt.
If you are on an income-based repayment plan, you could potentially save tens of thousands of dollars.  Calculate the amount you would be expected to save through the PSLF program and income-based repayment by using the income-based repayment calculator.

Northeastern University's School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs is offering up to five scholarships for AmeriCorps alumni who enroll full-time in our Master of Urban and Regional Policy program.http://www.northeastern.edu/murp.  The program is ideally-suited for those who would like to integrate their direct service experience with training in how to integrate their change efforts with policy.  Northeastern University's signature distinction is its commitment to urban engagement and experiential education. At the undergraduate level 98% of our students complete three full-time, six month co-ops with businesses, non-profits/NGOs, and government agencies. Our graduate programs also have strong integration with experiential education and applied work for community organizations and government agencies.
Additionally, The Clinton School offers a gnerous scholarship to AmeriCorps alumnni, which includes a limited number of matching-scholarships for AmeriCorps Education Awards. The Clinton School application has no application fee, and all interested public servants are invited to apply! While the 2012 admission deadline passed a few days ago, the Clinton School is very willing to work with serious AmeriCorps applicants for a few weeks beyond the deadline...so you will need to act quickly! If you feel that a very affordable Masters degree focused on tangible service is a perfect next step for you, please contact Clinton School Director of Enrollment, Alex Thomas, as soon as possible (aethomas@clintonschool.uasys.edu) for additional information. To apply today, click here.


Led by Public Allies' Paul Schmitz, AmeriCorps Alums' next professional development webinar, Everyone Leads, is set for Wednesday, February 22nd, 2:00PM to 3:00PM Eastern.  You can register here.

How will the webinar focus on AmeriCorps alumni?
The webinar will provide useful insights on leadership from Everyone Leads, by Paul Schmitz.   One of the foremost leaders in today's nonprofit sector, he will share inspiring stories and practical examples, of what it means to lead today. He will also survey America's democratic and civil rights history, current trends, and leadership theory to demonstrate how collaboration among citizens has always been core to social change.
The Everyone Leads webinar offers a hopeful path for citizens, policymakers, and nonprofit organizations wanting to build and engage the diverse leadership our communities and our democracy badly need. 

About Paul Schmitz: Paul Schmitz is the CEO of Public Allies, which advances leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits, and civic participation across the country. He is recognized as one of America's most influential nonprofit leaders; writes and speaks frequently on social innovation, civic participation, diversity, and community building; and has served on President Obama's transition team and the White House Council on Community Solutions.



Source:  AmeriCorps Alums|600 Means Street, NW Ste 210|Atlanta, GA 30318