AmeriCorps Alums wants to thank you for your continued involvement with us and be sure that you’re the first to know…
THE GEAR IS HERE!
You asked and we answered. Through our amazing partner, Social Imprints, you now have access to sweet AmeriCorps Alums merch! From hoodies to goodies, we have a fab selection of good looking gear at great prices. It’s super easy to show your service pride and get your holiday shopping done all at once – just visit www.americorpsalumsstore.com.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
~ The AmeriCorps Alums Team
UPDATE: Congress today (Monday, 12/14) gave final approval to the Fiscal 2010 budget for the Corporation for National and Community Service, making a historic investment in the agency and its programs at a time of mounting social needs and renewed interest in citizen service.
The appropriations measure passed by the Senate today provides $1.149 billion for the Corporation, fully funding President Obama’s request. This funding level, the largest in the agency’s history, will support millions of Americans in addressing national priorities through service, from preventing high school dropouts and increasing energy efficiency to improving health care and supporting veterans.
“This budget is a strong vote of confidence in the value of national service as a critical tool for solving our nation’s toughest challenges,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “By fully funding the President’s request, this budget will enable us to strengthen and expand existing programs and invest in key initiatives authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.”
The national service budget was part of the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which now goes to the President for his signature. It contains a $260 million increase over last year, and is the first budget enacted after passage of the landmark Serve America Act, which passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed by President Obama last April.
Included in this figure is an increase in the number of AmeriCorps members to 85,000 (an increase of 10,000), $2 million for a new Summer of Service program under Learn and Serve, $50 million for the Social Innovation Fund (as well as funding for Senior Corps programs ($220.9 million), VISTA ($99.1 million) and NCCC ($29 million).
Further details, including bill text, manager’s statement, and an updated chart are on the CNCS budget page.
The bill now is on to the President for his signature.
Iris L. Dooling, a former AmeriCorps member whose service included terms with Teach for America and the Indiana Reading Corps, has been named the Eli Segal Fellow at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the national service agency that oversees AmeriCorps.
“Iris’s commitment to national service is admirable and the value of her work to empower America’s young people is immeasurable,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “The expertise she gained as an AmeriCorps member will be a tremendous asset for the Corporation as she continues to develop the leadership skills that Eli Segal valued so highly.”
Dooling will work in the Office of the CEO at the Corporation on projects to advance the mission of national service and the strategic goals of the agency. She was selected in a highly competitive process that produced applicants from all branches of AmeriCorps: State and National, VISTA and NCCC.
The Eli Segal Fellowship, named in honor of the first CEO of the Corporation, brings a stellar former AmeriCorps member to work in a different side of the service world. The Corporation’s Board of Directors established the fellowship after Segal’s death in February 2006.The competition was open to AmeriCorps alums who served full-time in the past three years. Candidates were sought who had strong leadership abilities, dedication to the ideals of national service, a social entrepreneurial spirit, and effective communication and analytical skills.
A native of Hobart, Indiana, Dooling, 26, started her AmeriCorps service with the Indiana Reading Corps-AmeriCorps at DePauw University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in English literature and French in 2006. While at DePauw, she founded the Putnam County Pride Project, an elementary student writing project designed to develop community pride and encourage improved community-college relations. Her Teach for America AmeriCorps service was at Crestworth Middle School in Baton Rouge, La., in 2006-07, where she led 92 low-performing students to master an average of 70% of the English curriculum and 80% of the grade-level writing skills. She also spent the summer of 2007 as a National Leadership Fellow with Breakthrough/Summerbridge New Orleans, where she trained and supported 30 student teachers to instruct and mentor at-risk, low-income middle school students. From 2007 until 2009, Dooling ran the Louisiana State AmeriCorps program for Habitat for Humanity.
“I’m honored to have been chosen for this fellowship,” Dooling said. “Serving in AmeriCorps set me on the path to a career in service. My goal as the Eli Segal Fellow is to continue the service I started with AmeriCorps and to make a difference in the lives of AmeriCorps members—and those they serve.”
Congratulations Iris!
AmeriCorps Alums is proud to announce the grantees for our 2010 MLK Day of Service Grants! Each chapter below will be receiving funding to assist in carrying out their service projects on MLK Day, January 18th 2010. Click on each city/region to view their chapter page on americorpsalums.org and for more information about their MLK Day 2010 projects!
AmeriCorps Alum, Eli Segal Award Winner and all around ‘Woman of Worth’ Rhonda Ulmer is vying to win L’Oreal’s Women of Worth 1st place award. Please tell your family and friends and vote HERE!
“Parents are the foundation of the family. As president of the PTA for my children’s school, I saw that parents were so bogged down, they often couldn’t help their children. We gave them hope. If we can help parents provide for basic family needs, then they can help their children succeed in school.”
When Van Bokkelen Elementary School was placed on the Maryland Department of Education’s takeover list due to its low test scores, Rhonda Ulmer set out to improve student achievement and help families as a whole. Even as she promoted parental involvement through her leadership with the PTA, she felt something was missing. Through a survey, Rhonda discovered that many parents had problems paying bills and feeding their families. Some were facing eviction and others had not graduated from high school.
An AmeriCorps alum and single mother of three, Rhonda understood that when the basic needs of the family are taken care of, parents could concentrate on the academic needs of their children. She received parent leadership training and a grant from the Maryland Parent Leadership Institute to fund the Van Bokkelen Family Network Project. The project enabled parents with children in the elementary school to receive local community resources, obtain their GED, housing, food and health assistance.
By addressing the parents’ needs first, Rhonda fostered a real sense of partnership between the school and the parents. Under her guidance, many other collaborations were developed to help students and families succeed, including those with local Boys and Girls Clubs, the YWCA, Maryland Food Bank, Community Action Partnership and others.
The huge success of the project inspired Rhonda to start the University for Parents, a community organization that provides parents throughout Maryland with the skills and resources to help their family succeed. Interactive and engaging family development classes are conducted in partnership with school communities by parent educators, thereby increasing parental involvement and student academic success.
Five years later, with the support of teachers and the community, Van Bokkelen Elementary families have healthier lifestyles, students have strengthened their math, science, history and other academic skills, and the school has become the hub of the community. PTA membership has grown from 25 inactive members when Rhonda took over as president to over 140 active members, and the school has made adequate yearly progress for five years in a row. That’s why Rhonda is a 2009 Woman of Worth.
The ServiceNation coalition, of which AmeriCorps Alums is a proud member, has been selected to be one of six organizations participating in the company’s popular Give & Get discount program. With your support, ServiceNation can help AmeriCorps Alums increase its impact in the communities we serve. What’s even better is that this support will help reach 250 national and community service groups across the country. That’s right—your philanthropic 
dollars will reach local service groups like ours across every state!
Beginning Thursday, November 12, customers can visit all Gap Inc. stores—including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athletica and PiperLime—for a long weekend filled with shopping, saving and giving back. The Give & Get program runs through Sunday, November 15, and offers customers 30% off coupons for the latest fashions. To participate in the opportunity to raise funds for service groups across the country, ServiceNation supporters should visit http://servicenation.org/gap to print the coupon.
Gap Inc. will donate up to 5% of the customer’s purchase to ServiceNation to support our coalition, which reaches an estimated 100 million citizens nationwide. Since its inception, Give & Get has raised almost $7 million for non-profit organizations nationwide.
Sometimes, a little retail therapy is good for the soul. If you’ve been looking for a way to save on the latest fashion trends, this is a great opportunity to get something for yourself with the added bonus of giving back.
Our New Look & You
We know that AmeriCorps alumni are important to the health of our country, as leaders in the public and private sectors. Our future leadership programming will help support you in these key positions. Tell us what you’re up to or shout out an Ameri-friend HERE!
Click here to watch 
Executive Director, Amity Tripp’s video message to YOU!
MLK Day Chapter Grants
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a key National Day of Service for AmeriCorps Alums, as the nation shines a spotlight on service and the important work alums are committed to 365 days a year. Projects conducted on MLK Jr. Day of Service provide an excellent opportunity to mobilize Volunteer Leaders and help them learn new skills to impact the community.Through the generous support of the Points of Light Institute we are pleased to announce Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service mini- grants to our network of AmeriCorps Alums Chapters and Partners for the annual MLK Day of Service on Monday, January 18, 2010.
At $250-$500 each, AmeriCorps Alums will fund and support chapters who identify the issues in their local community that are most urgent… Read more and get the application here.
DEADLINE: Friday, November 13, 2009 at 5pm EST.
AmeriCorps Alums Signature Service Event and Advanced Marketing Leadership Teams#
Throughout the past month, AmeriCorps Alums has started transitioning its branding and strategic direction to more closely align with the interest areas of our alumni and alumni chapters.
Thankfully we have found many talented and passionate alumni interested in helping us grow and improve! The opportunities offered to our amazing volunteer team members have been a great way for us to tap into your interests. A huge thank you goes out to everyone below for making a huge difference and showcasing your love of service by volunteering with us! (If you’re interested in getting more involved, be sure to contact your local chapter for unlimited possibilities!)
SSE Team: Ian Hadley, Savasiah Gardner, Angie Mescall, Samantha Brody, Nancy Mueller, Desiree Digiovacchino, Amy Throndsen, Eboney Williams, Nate Hayward, Monica Ernst, Chad Driscoll, Mary Parker, Shannon McNamee
AML Team: Bill Knarr, Howard Liebers, Anthony Roberts, Jr., Neal Gorman
Welcome NCCC!
The national headquarters of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) has contracted with AmeriCorps Alums to manage their alumni services. We are thrilled since NCCC alumni continually showcase extreme pride and commitment to service! Hands on New Orleans was founded and is run 100% by alumni, for example.
Highlights in 2010: 1) National AmeriCorps Week grants to alumni chapters and NCCC campuses to do projects and celebration events together May 8-15, 2010. 2) New NCCC national blog and expanded social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. A new temporary NCCC staff position to be hired at AmeriCorps Alums soon.
For Sale!
AmeriCorps Alums is opening a snazzy new merchandise line courtesy of Social Imprints, Inc out of San Fran, CA. From vintage tees to sleek American Apparel hoodies to baby onsies for our “Ameri-Couples” out there, the new line would make a perfect holiday gift.
Estimated sale launch December 1st on www.americorpsalums.org
Click here to watch Executive Director, Amity Tripp’s video message to YOU!
MLK Day Chapter Grants
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a key National Day of Service for AmeriCorps Alums, as the nation shines a spotlight on service and the important work alums are committed to 365 days a year. Projects conducted on MLK Jr. Day of Service provide an excellent opportunity to mobilize Volunteer Leaders and help them learn new skills to impact the community.Through the generous support of the Points of Light Institute we are pleased to announce Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service mini- grants to our network of AmeriCorps Alums Chapters and Partners for the annual MLK Day of Service on Monday, January 18, 2010.
At $250-$500 each, AmeriCorps Alums will fund and support chapters who identify the issues in their local community that are most urgent… Read more and get the application here.
DEADLINE: Friday, November 13, 2009 at 5pm EST.
AmeriCorps Alums Signature Service Event and Advanced Marketing Leadership Teams#
Throughout the past month, AmeriCorps Alums has started transitioning its branding and strategic direction to more closely align with the interest areas of our alumni and alumni chapters.
Thankfully we have found many talented and passionate alumni interested in helping us grow and improve! The opportunities offered to our amazing volunteer team members have been a great way for us to tap into your interests. A huge thank you goes out to everyone below for making a huge difference and showcasing your love of service by volunteering with us! (If you’re interested in getting more involved, be sure to contact your local chapter for unlimited possibilities!)
SSE Team: Ian Hadley, Savasiah Gardner, Angie Mescall, Samantha Brody, Nancy Mueller, Desiree Digiovacchino, Amy Throndsen, Eboney Williams, Nate Hayward, Monica Ernst, Chad Driscoll, Mary Parker, Shannon McNamee
AML Team: Bill Knarr, Howard Liebers, Anthony Roberts, Jr., Neal Gorman
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Welcome NCCC!
The national headquarters of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) has contracted with AmeriCorps Alums to manage their alumni services. We are thrilled since NCCC alumni continually showcase extreme pride and commitment to service! Hands on New Orleans was founded and is run 100% by alumni, for example.
Highlights in 2010: 1) National AmeriCorps Week grants to alumni chapters and NCCC campuses to do projects and celebration events together May 8-15, 2010. 2) New NCCC national blog and expanded social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. A new temporary NCCC staff position to be hired at AmeriCorps Alums soon. |
For Sale! Estimated sale launch December 1st on www.americorpsalums.org
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a key Day of Service for AmeriCorps Alums, as the nation shines a spotlight on service and the important work alums are committed to 365 days a year. Projects conducted on Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service provide an excellent opportunity to mobilize Volunteer Leaders and help them learn new skills to impact the community.
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Through the generous support of the Points of Light Institute we are pleased to announce Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service mini- grants to our network of AmeriCorps Alums Chapters and Partners for the annual MLK Day of Service on January 18, 2010. AmeriCorps Alums will fund and support chapters who identify the issues in their local community that are most urgent. You can read more about this exciting opportunity and get the application here.
What would happen if the passion of music fans around the country was connected to the needs of their communities? Is that even possible?
In a recent Huffington Post article, Chad Stokes, a musician formerly with Dispatch and now with State Radio, and Matt Wilhelm, AmeriCorps alum & C0-Director of Calling All Crows, State Radio’s human rights organization, argue for a strategy to do just this.
Stokes and Wilhelm write:
Just as President Kennedy so convincingly captured the imagination of a generation and inspired our nation’s young people to join the Peace Corps in the 1960s, we need to appeal to more spokespeople across music genres and draw up a blueprint for how to best reach Americans. With an increase in AmeriCorps positions and a new Social Innovation Fund, we have the opportunity to leverage federal dollars to support music industry nonprofits to achieve their goals by empowering fans to serve.
This combination makes total sense and could be a serious force. Music fans are as passionate as it gets. They wait in line for hours to get tickets, camp out for music festivals, and do a variety of pretty wild things for the love of music. If musicians start encouraging their fans — and lead by example — the millions who love music could also be turned on to deeper community activism and service.
Chad and State Radio have taken the lead on this and have rolled up their sleeves. They don’t just throw it up on their website or promote service from behind a microphone. They are in the communities with fans and organizations as they tour the country:
Nearly every other day while State Radio is on tour, Calling All Crows, the band’s human rights organization, coordinates pre-show service projects with local nonprofits and social service agencies. Members of the band, our crew, and area fans unite to address critical needs in each city. For instance, last week in Lawrence, Kansas, we cleaned out a storage space with the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and next week we’ll kickoff the second leg of our fall tour with a beach cleanup at Long Wharf Nature Preserve with Save the Sound in New Haven, Connecticut.
We’re building sustainable, local networks of volunteers that can be mobilized through service to address communities’ most pressing challenges like hunger, homelessness, and an ever-neglected environment. Calling All Crows’ Action Leaders (super fan volunteers in each city) help to identify projects in their area, coordinate with local nonprofit partners, promote the event, recruit other volunteers, and then tell their stories of service through photos, video and blogs. The impact is tangible and the experience contagious for all involved.
State Radio is serious about this — which is what makes their efforts so powerful and such a tremendous example of combining music and service. Matt, as a co-founder of ServeNext.org and an AmeriCorps alumnus, understands what needs to take place to make this a worthwhile experience for fans and for communities. Chad and the rest of the band are really committed to this — they see their job as more than to entertain, but also to inspire action from those who enjoy their entertainment.
In fact, when I served with them a few months ago, it was their commitment to the community that I found most inspiring. Now I’m a fan of their music, too.
Note: This article was first published here.
Announcing the first EVER – AmeriCorps Alums Heller School National Service Scholarship Program.
An amazing $1 M scholarship program has been created by Brandeis University just for AmeriCorps alums and staff in recognition of your contributions to civic engagement and the greater good through the service you provide to your country and communities! This one-of-a-kind National Service Scholarship Program is designed to honor national and community service by recognizing those who have served in AmeriCorps.
All qualified AmeriCorps alumni applicants will be considered for one or more full tuition scholarships based on a supplemental essay describing the value of and plans for continued citizen service.
In addition, $10,000 in tuition remission will be available to every AmeriCorps alumnae who attend! The Heller School (for Social Policy and Management) also provides financial assistance through the Segal Education Award matching program, thereby raising the total Heller contribution to $15,000 for one year of AmeriCorps service and $20,000 for two years of AmeriCorps service. If you are attending the Heller School at Brandeis in one of the Masters programs you will be named “Heller School AmeriCorps Alums National Service Scholars” and be identified as having received this prestigious award in school materials, ceremonies and announcements.
All awardees will become lifelong members of the National Service Scholars Network. Membership in this network will provide professional development benefits including an annual conference hosted by Brandeis for the scholars.
The partial tuition scholarships combined with the full tuition scholarships will provide over $1M in tuition scholarships every five years the program is in existence.
The Heller School and AmeriCorps Alums Boston will have a formal announcement event on Thursday, November 5th. Alums are encouraged to attend for more information as well as numerous opportunities to network and connect with other national service folks. You’ll also hear from some great AmeriCorps Alums and current and former Heller School students. Enjoy FREE FOOD and DRINKS and consider the possibilities of your next steps. RSVP here.
For more information on the program, contact HellerAdmissions@brandeis.edu or go to http://heller.brandeis.edu. If you would like to host a regional kick off of the scholarship program in your area and have a Heller School representative attend, please contact us here or leave a comment below.
