AMERICORPS

AmeriCorps is an opportunity to make a big difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.

Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. Whether your service makes a community safer, gives a child a second chance, or helps protect the environment, you’ll be getting things done through AmeriCorps!

AmeriCorps members address critical needs in communities all across America. As an AmeriCorps member, you can:

• Tutor and mentor disadvantaged youth
• Fight illiteracy
• Improve health services
• Build affordable housing
• Teach computer skills
• Clean parks and streams
• Manage or operate after-school programs
• Help communities respond to disasters
• Build organizational capacity

Benefits of Service

As an AmeriCorps member, you’ll gain new skills and experiences—and you’ll also find the tremendous satisfaction that comes from helping others. In addition, full-time members who complete their service earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans; members who serve part-time receive a partial Award. Some AmeriCorps members may also receive a modest living allowance during their term of service.

AmeriCorps is made up of three main programs:

AmeriCorps State and National: AmeriCorps State and National supports a broad range of local service programs that engage thousands of Americans in intensive service to meet critical community needs.

AmeriCorps VISTA: AmeriCorps VISTA provides full-time members to community organizations and public agencies to create and expand programs that build capacity and ultimately bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty.

AmeriCorps NCCC: The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full-time residential program for men and women, ages 18-24 that strengthens communities while developing leaders through direct, team-based national and community service.

Learn more about AmeriCorps at www.americorps.gov

CROSS CULTURAL SOLUTIONS

Cross-Cultural Solutions is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 with the goal of engaging individuals and groups in international volunteer service. CCS has been operating international volunteer programs for over 10 years, with over 4,000 volunteers participating each year. CCS has a worldwide staff of over 250 people in 12 countries, with administrative offices also located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Through CCS programs, you’ll volunteer side-by-side with local people and experience another culture like never before. The CCS experience also includes cultural and learning activities to teach volunteers about the local culture, language and more. Programs range from 1 – 12 weeks with special programs for teens, families and college students.

Learn more about Cross Cultural Solutions at www.crossculturalsolutions.org.

Break Away

Break Away®: the Alternative Break Connection, Inc. is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the development of quality alternative break programs by providing training and information primarily to colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations interested in creating lifelong active citizens through these intensive service-learning programs.

Break Away currently has a network of over 100 chapter schools, more than 400 nonprofit partners, and hundreds of individual members worldwide, through which constituents have access to the newest ideas and a broad range of support in the national alternative break movement.

Through a tremendous alumni network of individuals who have been deeply affected by quality alternative break experiences, Break Away is able to staff its national office and programs with passionate volunteers from all over the country who dedicate countless hours towards our goal of creating a world of active citizens. Our volunteers range from high school students to professionals with advanced degrees and contribute anywhere from a few hours a month to hundreds of hours per year.

With its membership opportunities, Break Away provides a national network for alternative break programs to exchange ideas. Break Away also offers interactive consulting and training to those involved with alternative break programs. The highly regarded Alternative Break Citizenship schools, originally called "Boot Camps" when they debuted in 1993, are Break Away's signature alternative break leadership training sessions that combine interactive workshops and activities with an intensive 6-day alternative break experience during the summer.

Break Away also conducts two-day trainings tailored to the specific needs of a particular college or university through its Site Leader Retreats. Break Away works directly with a host school to develop an agenda and training session that will give campus leaders the tools they need to be effective team leaders and facilitators of lifelong active citizenship. Learn more or become a Break Away member at www.alternativebreaks.org.