Clearinghouse for Volunteers

04/09/09 - Did you know that more than 75,000 Americans participate in a national service every year? Did you know that more than 100 URI students are engaged in that same national service movement each year? This national service movement is AmeriCorps, and it is growing stronger each year. According to its Web site, "AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage Americans in intensive service to meet the nation's critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment."

President Barack Obama will soon sign into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. He recently released the following statement regarding the passing of the act: "I'm so pleased that the Senate overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act - legislation that will usher in a new era of service. I want to applaud all those who have worked so hard to see this bill through, and I am eager to sign it into law."

This legislation will help create new opportunities for millions of Americans at all stages of their lives. It will improve service learning in schools and create an army of 250,000 volunteers a year dedicated to addressing our nation's toughest problems. It will connect working Americans to a variety of part-time service opportunities to better utilizing the skills and experience of our retirees and baby boomers.

This legislation will help tap the genius of our faith-based and community organizations, and it will find the most innovative ideas for addressing our common challenges and helping those ideas grow.

"It is fitting that this legislation is named after Ted Kennedy, a person who has never stopped asking what he could do for his country," Obama said. "This legislation is not just a tribute to the service to which he has dedicated his life, it is a call to action for the rest of us. Our work is not finished when I sign this bill into law - it has just begun.

"While our government can provide every opportunity imaginable for us to serve our communities, it is up to each of us to seize those opportunities. To do our part to lift up our fellow Americans. To realize our own true potential. I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country."

At URI you can participate both part-time or full time with AmeriCorps. Some of those positions include Scholarships for Service (part-time) and AmeriCorps*VISTA (full-time).

Scholarships for Service is a part-time AmeriCorps program run through Rhode Island Campus Compact where students can gain hands-on experience through volunteering in their community. By volunteering at a nonprofit organization, students have a year to complete 300 hours of service in exchange students are rewarded with a $1,000 education award that could be used towards tuition, loans, books, etc. Graduating students can also earn a $5,000 education award.

Past Scholarships for Service AmeriCorps members have served with Saint Patrick's Meal Kitchen, North Kingstown High School, Rosemary's Way, Women's Center of RI, Miriam Hospital, Center for Vector Borne Disease, URI Agronomy Farm, Legal Aid, Jumpstart URI, RI Food Bank, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Campus Police, Schwartz Center for Children, Applied Sustainable Aquaculture and New London High School.

As you can see, there are many different options to choose from when volunteering for Scholarships for Service. The experience could be tailored to your passions, major, or both, and it also acts as a great resume builder. Enhance your learning, earn an education award and have fun while helping out the community.

Fall positions start in September. We will be holding a brief information session on April 28 at 2 p.m. in the lounge on the first floor in Roosevelt Hall.

You could also consider participating in Jumpstart URI, a part-time AmeriCorps program that partners a college student with a pre-school child to help increase literacy and social skills, while helping prepare children to enter school ready to succeed. Contact Lynne Finnegan (jstart@etal.uri.edu) or Sarah McDermott (jstartpv@etal.uri.edu) for more information.

Are you graduating? Consider a full-time AmeriCorps program like AmeriCorps*VISTA, Teach for America, City Year or NCCC. Go to www.americorps.gov to learn more about each program and find a program that best fits your interests, values and skills. Interested in staying here in Rhode Island or right here on campus? Consider applying for the AmeriCorps*VISTA position through the Feinstein Center for Service Learning! The position starts the end of July and is a full year, full-time commitment.

For more information about these and other AmeriCorps e-mail Sarah Miller at sgmiller@mail.uri.edu or visit her office in Roosevelt Room 127. For other volunteer opportunities, you can contact Corrine Hawes (Corrine.hawes@gmail.com) or visit the Clearinghouse for Volunteers in Roosevelt 125. We have a limited number of slots available, so don't wait to contact us about opportunities to get engaged. We look forward to seeing you soon!