|
AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service
(ASLIS):
Campus Supervisors
What is AmeriCorps?
In 1993, Congress enacted the National and Community Service Act, creating the Corporation for
National and Community Service. President Clinton signed the legislation soon after, and
AmeriCorps was launched the following year. Each year 75,000 members serve in all of the
AmeriCorps programs.
AmeriCorps is the national service movement that engages Americans of all ages and
backgrounds in service to address the most critical problems in our nation's communities
in the areas of education, public safety, the environment, and other human needs. In exchange
for a specified term of service, AmeriCorps members earn an education award to pay back student
loans or to finance college or graduate school.
[Back to Top]
What is an Education Award Only Program?
The Education Awards Program is a category of the AmeriCorps program that expands opportunities
for individuals to take part in community service and earn education awards as AmeriCorps members.
Participants who provide service in nonprofits, faith-based organizations, government departments
and educational institutions can receive credit for their activities that fall within the description
of appropriate AmeriCorps activities. This program was designed to increase the number of communities
across the country where AmeriCorps members help meet local needs, and to broaden the network of
national service programs. It preserves a high level of management flexibility for service programs
that are already established and successful in their communities. Members must complete a term of
service plus program requirements during a period of 12 months to participate as a member.
[Back to Top]
Acceptable Service
Our program is flexible and we encourage you to consider placements and programs that support your local community and campus goals. We highly encourage students who are serving in community service federal work-study positions to get involved with AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service. These students are uniquely positioned in the community and are committed to a full academic year of service.
A few examples of how AmeriCorps members might contribute to the coordination and delivery of public service and service-learning programs on campus are through service as:
-
Active participants in the institutionalization of service learning.
Members could work to further campus public service missions through:
- Education, outreach and recruitment efforts on and off campus related to service programs.
- Identifying and coordinating the variety of efforts related to service and civic engagement among offices on campus (leadership offices, career offices, alumni offices) etc. and of individual faculty members.
- Support for faculty members in developing service-learning and community based research projects including community needs assessments related to specific issue areas, building foundations for long term relationships with community-based organizations, developing infrastructure for on-going class projects, etc.
- Advocates for strong community-campus partnerships.
In addition to the above activities, members could:
- Assist faculty, community service and service-learning offices, and community partners in the development of campus-based programs that will meet needs identified by community-based organizations.
- Assume a leadership role in the initiation, development and coordination of campus service projects and programs to address local needs.
- Collect data and information that will inform state, city, and campus-wide cross-collaboration, resulting in more effective provision of services and understanding of the role of higher education in community problem solving.
- Providers of direct service to under-resourced communities.
Members could provide support for on-going campus service projects like America Reads, America Counts, and other community building initiatives including activities such as:
- Tutoring and mentoring
- Coordinating after-school programs
- Providing public health outreach and education
- Building homes
- Recruiting and coordinating additional campus and community volunteers
- What about?
Community-Based Work Study: Yes! Hours DO count.
Co-ops, Internships, or Student Teaching: Members involved in an unpaid student teaching position, internship, or co-op in which they are tutoring, mentoring, or addressing unmet human needs in a community can hours count toward the scholarship.
Note: All co-op/internship/student teaching placements must be approved by the ASLIS program coordinator prior to service. If you question whether service may count, ask the coordinator.
[Back to Top]
Supervisor Handbook
Download Supervisor Handbook (PDF)
[Back to Top]
|