When considering taking a gap year, spending that time volunteering can be one of the most rewarding experiences for any young adult. In that spirit, ServiceNation has launched a three-year campaign this spring to make devoting a year of service to the country a way of life for US college-aged students.
A coalition of the best and biggest nonprofits in the United States, ServiceNation hopes a media blitz — such as this excerpt on ABC’s hit show The Middle — will encourage up to one million young adults to consider volunteering for AmeriCorps each year. An Aspen Institute study shows that 76% of American voters approve of increasing public funding to support volunteer service efforts.
ServiceNation Executive Director Zach Maurin recently blogged in the Huffington Post: “A year of national service in an AmeriCorps program can change everything for young people who are looking for a first job: early experience, a way to gain skills, a professional network and a launching pad for their careers. And, at the same time, they can do a ton to tackle challenges in education, poverty, the environment, health and more while serving community and country.”
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An AmeriCorps FEMA team works at a natural disaster staging area.
Such service allows a young adult to put his or her idealism into action, and it also provides real-world education and work experience that can translate into more focused academic work in college or in a career.
AmeriCorps alum Kristin Vann said in her guest blog post for the organization, “I could speak volumes on how AmeriCorps has had an impact on my professional life. This intense ten-month experience not only gave me valuable experiences in community engagement and school enrichment, it also taught me to work hard and work smart. There is absolutely no doubt that my service gave me a deeply seeded sense of satisfaction, as well as many professional skills.”
Founded in 1994, AmeriCorps currently places more than 75,000 young adults ages 18–24 in volunteer service positions each year — a number that ServiceNation hopes to increase. Corps members serve in nonprofit organizations, schools, public agencies, community groups, and faith-based organizations.
Volunteers apply to one of three separate types of AmeriCorps programs: AmeriCorps state and national programs, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC-FEMA. State and national program members serve a broad network for critical needs. VISTA corps members work full-time to help bring low-income people and communities out of poverty, and FEMA corps members serve in a team-based, residential environment for community service.
All AmeriCorps members serve 10 months to a year, depending on the nature of their program. Besides the intangibles, volunteers earn benefits that will help them succeed once their year of service is over, including a modest living allowance, possible limited health benefits, and student loan deferment. However, the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is perhaps the most important benefit for those considering a gap year. Equal to the maximum US Department of Education Pell Grant, the Segal Award can be used to pay for tuition and expenses at eligible post-secondary educational institutions and can also be used to repay student loans.
ServiceNation hopes the question of “How did you spend your year of service?” becomes the norm for most US college students. If you’re interested in answering that question as a way to spend your gap year, check out the AmeriCorps recruiting video below:
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