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>> I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ONCE THEY'VE COME TO AMERICORPS
THAT IT'S A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE.
>> I DEFINITELY FIND IT REWARDING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO COMING TO WORK EVERY DAY.
>> IT'S A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
IT'S DIFFERENT FROM A TYPICAL JOB.
YOU BUILD GREAT CAMARADERIE WITH PEERS.
>> WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT, IT'S VERY HANDS-ON.
>> I WOULD SAY IT'S AN AMAZING FOOT IN THE DOOR.
YOU GET REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE.
>> WORKING HERE HAS BEEN LIKE...
TALK ABOUT GRATIFYING.
>> BEING A PERSON THAT REALLY LIKES TO HELP PEOPLE OUT
I THOUGHT AMERICORPS WAS SOMETHING I'D LOVE TO DO.
I APPLIED AND LUCKILY I GOT ACCEPTED.
>> SO THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICES
WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1993.
IN 2009 THE KENNEDY SERVE AMERICA ACT WAS PASSED
AND THAT EXPANDED WHAT AMERICORPS
AND WHAT NATIONAL SERVICE LOOKED LIKE,
WHICH IS WHAT NEVADA VOLUNTEERS WORKS WITH.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE STATE FUNDING
THAT COMES DOWN TO NEVADA FOR AMERICORPS POSITIONS.
>> IN THE CURRENT YEAR
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 295 AMERICORPS MEMBERS
SERVING AT MORE THAN 60 HOST SITE LOCATIONS.
SO THOSE HOST SITE LOCATIONS ARE EVERYTHING FROM SCHOOL DISTRICT,
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL NON-PROFITS, FOOD BANKS,
A VARIETY OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN SERVICES, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE RED CROSS LOCALLY.
WE ALSO HAVE AMERICORPS MEMBERS
THAT SERVE THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN INSTITUTE
WHICH IS THE NEVADA CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM
AND THAT IS ONE OF NEVADA'S COMPETITIVE AMERICORPS GRANTS
AND THEY ACTUALLY SERVE STATEWIDE.
SO WE ALSO HAVE THE NEVADA OUTDOOR SCHOOL
WHICH SERVES WINNEMUCCA, ELKO, WELLS, NEVADA,
REALLY HITS THAT RURAL NEVADA COMPONENT.
UNITED WAY OF SOUTHERN NEVADA HAS 89 MEMBERS THIS YEAR
SERVING IN SOUTHERN NEVADA ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO PAHRUMP.
YOU HAVE A PROGRAM
UP AT THE PARASOL TAHOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
AND THEY HAVE FULL TIME MEMBERS THAT SERVE
AT A VARIETY OF NON-PROFITS UP IN INCLINE VILLAGE.
>> WE WANT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES
AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TRULY AMERICORPS IS OPEN TO ANYONE.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR ALL AGES, ALL ABILITIES.
THE MAIN THING THOUGH THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
IS NATIONAL SERVICE, NOT UNLIKE JOINING THE PEACE CORPS,
GOING INTO THE MILITARY, THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS
FOR EACH POSITION THAT YOU SEEK.
>> I LIKED THE IDEA OF THE POSITION WHEN I WAS OFFERED.
I THOUGHT, "YEAH, THAT FITS ME REALLY PERFECT."
>> I FELT LIKE IT WAS A GOOD DECISION FOR ME.
IT WAS FLEXIBLE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A REALLY AWESOME EXPERIENCE BECAUSE
IT WAS ALSO GOING TO GIVE ME EXPERIENCE IN THE WORK FIELD
I WANTED TO DO, WHICH IS SOCIAL WORK.
>> AFTER I GRADUATED I BECAME A TEACHER IN MISSOURI
AND I TAUGHT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IN A MONTESSORI SCHOOL
AND REALLY SAW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR TEACHERS
TO NOT JUST BE TEACHING SUBJECT MATTER,
BUT HELPING STUDENTS WITH LEARNING HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE,
LEARNING HOW TO MAKE POSITIVE CHOICES.
AMERICORPS PROVIDES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
>> WHEN I JUST GRADUATED COLLEGE,
I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN,
I GOT OUT WITH A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE.
I WORKED FOR A YEAR AND THEN YOU KNOW,
I FELT LIKE IT JUST WASN'T KIND OF WHAT I EXPECTED.
I ORIGINALLY JOINED A PROGRAM IN ST. LOUIS
THAT WAS BASED ON CONSERVATION WORK, DISASTER RESPONSE,
AND THEN WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF WILDS AND FIREFIGHTING.
I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO COME OUT WEST SO I LOOKED UP
OTHER PROGRAMS AND I FOUND NEVADA CONSERVATION CORPS.
>> I'M ORIGINALLY FROM IDAHO.
I CAME HERE TO NEVADA TO GET A MASTERS DEGREE IN ECONOMICS
AND I FOUND THIS JOB ON THE INTERNET AND I LOVE IT.
>> I'VE BEEN IN AMERICORPS FOR TWO DAYS NOW.
I CAME ACROSS THE OPPORTUNITY ON A WILDLIFE JOB BOARD.
THAT'S MY BACKGROUND.
I WENT TO SCHOOL AT PERDUE UNIVERSITY AND JUST GRADUATED
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO LEARN ABOUT
MORE THAN JUST CORN, I GUESS.
>> THERE ARE 60 OR MORE NON-PROFITS EVERY YEAR
THAT ARE UTILIZING AN AMERICORPS MEMBER TO MEET UNMET NEEDS
IN NEVADA.
>> WELL, WITHOUT AMERICORPS WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
THE SCIENCE-BASED OUTDOOR EDUCATION.
SO WE HAVE A YOUTH EDUCATION COORDINATOR THROUGH AMERICORPS
WHO HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB THIS PAST YEAR IN GETTING YOUTH
CONNECTED TO THEIR OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT.
>> THE AMERICORPS PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUCH A POSITIVE ASSET
TO THE CHILDREN'S CABINET AND TO THE COMMUNITY
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE FABULOUS ENTHUSIASTIC PEOPLE
OUT DOING VERY DIFFICULT WORK,
DOING WORK THAT IN FACT OTHER FOLKS MIGHT
GET PAID SERIOUS DOLLARS FOR.
>> THIS JOB IS BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THE COMMUNITY
AND SO THAT'S WHY I WAKE UP WITH A SMILE
KNOWING THAT I'M GOING TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR MY COMMUNITY.
>> SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT AMERICORPS ISN'T JUST ABOUT
THE AMERICORPS MEMBER PROVIDING A SERVICE FOR THESE NON-PROFITS
AND THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AMERICORPS NATIONAL SERVICE AS A WHOLE IS ACTUALLY SET UP
TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY PATHWAY FOR THAT MEMBER.
THAT MEMBER IS SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION DURING THEIR SERVICE HERE.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS WHO ARE BEHIND
WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
WE'RE CREATING INTERVENTIONS BY FACILITATING VOLUNTEERS
INTO THE SCHOOLS.
I HAVE TWO YEARS IN EDUCATION AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
AND I'M LOOKING TO STUDY EDUCATION IN THE FUTURE
SO THIS IS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
>> I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE
IN MY RESUME AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY
THAT I'VE ALREADY WORKED WITH CLIENTS.
I KNOW HOW TO DO NOTES.
THAT'S GOING TO REALLY LOOK GOOD WHEN I APPLY FOR
THE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM AT UNI.
>> ACTUALLY THIS WILL BE MY THIRD AMERICORPS TIME.
BETWEEN THOSE THREE JOBS THAT I HAVE HAD
I'VE LEARNED A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION.
BASICALLY MY CAREER PATH HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY DOING AMERICORPS.
>> I THINK THAT SENSE OF GIVING AND CONTRIBUTING AND LEARNING
IS A HUGE PIECE OF NATIONAL SERVICE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, MEMBERS DO GET A LIVING STIPEND.
IT'S VERY SMALL, USUALLY IN THE RANGE OF $800-$900 A MONTH
FOR FULL TIME SERVICE.
WHEN A PERSON HAS COMPLETED A FULL YEAR OF SERVICE
THEY GET AN EDUCATION AWARD.
THE EDUCATION AWARD IS OVER $5,000 AND THAT MONEY
CAN BE USED EITHER TO PAY FOR COLLEGE OR SCHOOLING OF ANY KIND
OR IT CAN BE USED TO PAY BACK COLLEGE LOANS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT,
FOR AN OLDER PERSON WHO WANTS TO BE AN AMERICORPS MEMBER,
THAT EDUCATION AWARD CAN BE GRANTED TO A GRANDCHILD
OR A FOSTER CHILD, WHICH IS AN AMAZING BENEFIT.
>> IN NEVADA WE HAVE SO MANY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
AND I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE A PART OF SHOWCASING
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES EVERY DAY ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
>> SO YOU KNOW, GO TO THE AMERICORPS WEBSITE.
THERE'S TONS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
SO JUST TAKE SOME TIME, FIND SOMETHING.
I GUARANTEE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU.
>> WHEN YOU JOIN NATIONAL SERVICE IT'S A BIG COMMITMENT
SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO THINK CAREFULLY
ABOUT MAKING THAT COMMITMENT.
>> WE REALLY WANT FOLKS TO COMMIT TO THE FULL 1700 HOURS,
THE FULL YEAR, AND BE WILLING
TO RIDE OUT THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS DURING THAT YEAR.
A LOT OF THE SATISFACTION IS IN GETTING THROUGH
THOSE DIFFICULT TIMES.
>> IT IS A COMMITMENT.
IT'S HARD WORK, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE DECIDING FACTOR
IF YOU JOIN AMERICORPS BECAUSE YOU CAN FIND HELP.
AMERICORPS REALLY SAYS IT ON THERE IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY
THERE'S ACCOMMODATIONS THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH.
>> WHILE IT IS A COMMITMENT, IT GOES FAST
AND YOU CERTAINLY ENJOY YOUR TIME HERE.
>> I WOULD DEFINITELY DO AMERICORPS ALL OVER AGAIN.
I LOVED IT.
I, YOU KNOW, TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES
THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
>> IT'S PRETTY HUMBLING WHEN YOU'RE DOING WORK
THAT KIND OF BIGGER THAN YOURSELF.
YOU'RE HAVING A GREATER IMPACT AND YOU REALIZE
JUST HOW SMALL WE ARE BUT HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT
WE CAN HAVE IN OUR NATURAL WORLD.
>> I THINK AMERICORPS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING
THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD DO IF IT WAS POSSIBLE.
>> IT TAUGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT MYSELF.
JUST DO IT.
JUST LET GO.
JUST DO IT!
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