What is AmeriCorps NCCC and what will you be doing?
For this answer, I'll be getting some help from americorps.gov!
AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18–24. Members are assigned to one of five campuses, located in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Perry Point, Maryland; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Vinton, Iowa. (My campus is the Denver, Colorado one! Because of this, I'll mostly be serving in the Southwestern United States. I could serve anywhere in the U.S. or its territories though, it just depends on what projects I'm assigned. More on that later!)
The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based, local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribes and schools members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned.
Each year, AmeriCorps NCCC engages teams of members in meaningful projects in communities across the United States. Service projects, which typically last from six to eight weeks, address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs.
Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs.
Where will you go?
I don't know which projects I'll be assigned or where they will take me yet. All I know for now is that I will spend a month in Denver going through Corps Training Institute (CTI). I'll learn about first aid, CPR, disaster response, service learning, and the life of a corps member. After that, I'll be assigned a team and we'll be assigned worthy projects! I should do about 4 different projects in different places during my 10 month term of service, but Denver will be my home base. I'll go there between projects.
The light green states are the states included in the Southwest Region. These are the ones I'm most likely to serve, but like I said, I could be assigned a project anywhere in the U.S. or territories if there was a pressing need.
Are you still going to college?
Yes! I plan to attend Michigan State when I get back. My term of service is from October 9, 2012 - July 26, 2013, so I'll be back right in time for fall semester. I'm also coming home for two weeks for Christmas, and hopefully a long weekend for spring break!
Why did you decide to do this?
My decision to do AmeriCorps involved a lot of different factors. So, these reasons are in no particular order!
I loved high school and I am excited for college, but I think taking a year off in between will be really beneficial to me. It will be great to have a break from learning from books and instead get to learn from life experiences! I know I will come back refreshed and ready to continue my education. It will also be nice to have time to think about what I want to study. It's a huge decision, and I'm just not sure yet!
I've always been an idealist and wanted to "change the world", and I want to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't remain just a lofty idea. I think this year of service will give me a lot of opportunities to help others and teach me how to make positive change wherever I am.
Since my dream college is so close to where I grew up, I think it's important that I go travel for awhile and see new things. One of my favorite quotes is "The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine. I think having an adventure like this will really help me to grow.
It really seemed meant to be. I prayed about my decision a lot, and I felt very lead toward the choice I made. Everything seemed to fall into place, and that helped me feel like God was in control. My application was accepted very quickly even though this is a selective program with a limited number of spaces. That gave me a lot of time to plan and get prepared mentally and emotionally. The community organizations that generously gave me scholarships were all willing to accomodate my request to use the scholarship money next fall instead of this year. That was such a blessing! Chris felt lead to study abroad in India during the same year; it will help to both be having adventures at the same time! All in all, it just seemed planned by Someone who is better at planning than I am. That's a really good feeling.
I think I've covered all of the questions that I've heard the most. But if you can think of any I missed and you want me to answer, please let me know! A lot more information about what I'm doing can be found here: http://issuu.com/americorpsselectionplacement/docs/denver19_corpsmember?mode=window&viewMode=singlePage This is the welcome packet I received that taught me a lot about what to expect in the coming year. It is very long, but might be fun for you to flip through (especially if you are considering AmeriCorps). There is a wealth of information, including the AmeriCorps pledge, info on service learning, examples of projects done by past teams and more!
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