October 2014 Newsletter

In This Issue 1. Building a Movement to Better Our Country 2. Who's Been Talking About AmeriCorps Alums? 3. Does National Service Influence Your Vote? 4. ALUMS Spotlight: Meet Alums in International Careers 5. Alums News, Tools & Resources   This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of AmeriCorps NCCC Corps member Sheldon Allmon (18, of Auburn, CA) whopassed away over the weekend. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and the AmeriCorps NCCC community. In honor of Sheldon’s memory and legacy, we encourage the Alums community to join the #DayofGray and wear your “Grays” this Thursday, October 16. For more information and to share a picture of you in your greys today and throughout the week, please visit our Facebook page or share with #DayofGray and @AmeriCorpsAlums on Instagram or Twitter. Building a Movement to Better Our Country Dear Alum, On the anniversary of AmeriCorps last month, President Obama said, “People who love their country can change it,” and he was talking about YOU! The anniversary was incredible (see our recap here), and we’re not slowing down. We are working harder than ever to connect you to the people, ideas, and resources you need to succeed in your life after AmeriCorps.   Just last week—we hosted Eric Schwarz, the Co-Founder of Citizen Schools for a conversation in Atlanta on The Opportunity Equation in education. Ben swore in over 70 new AmeriCorps members starting their service with the Community Emergency Preparedness Corps and Veteran Leader Corps. Then, we were in D.C. for the BoardSource Leadership Conference and NCoC’s Annual Conference on Citizenship where Mary, with alums Jeffery Richardson from the DC Service Commission and Kelly Tsai, a performance artist, engaged the 300+ audience of civic engagement thought leaders on the pipeline from service to leadership and the formative role that AmeriCorps plays. Our organization remains steadfastly committed to growing our resources and professional supports for the community, such as our 5 Top Resources for Your Career or Virtual Grad School Fairs that connect you directly to interested grad school recruiters and scholarships. We also know there are lots of things we need your help in achieving together – and only by strengthening this network and community can we be successful. So will you help us double our network and double our impact? Invite your fellow alums to say, “I’m a proud AmeriCorps alum living the pledge” and join us today. In Service, Ben Duda and Mary Bruce AmeriCorps Alums Co-Executive Directors P.S. We need you! Forward this email to two Ameri-friends, and ask them to click here to join the Alum network today!  Who's Been Talking About AmeriCorps Alums? The 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps was an exciting celebration of service and leadership – because of you! Not only did our stories and pictures trend on Twitter(!), but AmeriCorps members in Maine flaunted their best socks with President George H.W. Bush, Conservation Corps members carved an A into a tree, and once again we raised our hands to get things done for America, our year of service and beyond. Check out our 20 favorite moments from the twentieth and our media roundup - “Who’s Been Talking about AmeriCorps Alums?” Interested in even more photos? Check out our photo album on Facebook! Does National Service Influence Your Vote? Do you know where your elected officials and candidates stand on education? The environment? Healthcare? Social Security? How about national service? All too often, our elected leaders are silent on national service because they don't view it as an issue that matters to their voters. We believe this has to change, which is why we partnered with ServiceNation in launching a new effort calledNational Service Voter. In order to elevate national service as a critical issue for our country, we need to stand up and identify ourselves as National Service Voters. Will you join us and ask your candidate where they stand on national service? Click here to learn more and become a National Service Voter. ALUMS Spotlight: Meet Alums in International Careers AmeriCorps Alums highlighted two AmeriCorps alums working in international roles as part of our International Careers Series that profiles leading alumni of AmeriCorps working in international and intercultural careers. Read how alum Leah Hoffman began sharing traditional Ghanaian meals as a way to connect with her students inside and outside the classroom, and learn her tips for finding an international teaching position. If you’re interested in international development positions that tackle challenging global issues, read “Faced with a Wicked Social Problem? Speed up your Learning Cycle” from Michael Gale, Senior Program Manager at GlobalGiving. Keep up with what’s happening next in our International Careers Series and network with peers advancing in international careers here!