Can you share any impressions of gap year options involving public health type activities? I see that AmeriCorps has many positions around the U.S. Experiences with AmeriCorps would be especially appreciated.
Where do the volunteers live, if not at home or with a relative?
My son is an AmeriCorps alum and it was a very good experience for him & a great resume builder. Over the years I’ve only heard good things about AmeriCorps – certainly, as with anything else, there must be people who have had a disappointing experience, but I’ve never met one. The only real negative I’ve heard is that it’s hard to make ends meet on an Americorps stipend – so that could be something to consider if a young person has no other financial resources (such as money in savings or parents able to supplement). It’s not impossible – just not easy.
Head down to your local volunteer fire dept. and find out about being a volunteer EMT with the ambulance corp. This was our S’s main activity senior year of high school. Would have made for a fine Gap Year had he wanted to do that.
I used to work at an intimate partner violence shelter and we had an AmeriCorps volunteer placed with us. She was wonderful and she loved her experience.
She wasn’t native to the area but it was in a university town so she shared an apartment with a student.
I nosed around the AmeriCorps site last year and was surprised to learn that they fill the positions early. If you are interested you need to apply. There is a Q&A section on their site. I believe they give you a modest living allowance and they give you more if you are assigned to an expensive area.
The housing seems like a real challenge if you don’t have family or friends in town.
My ds1 applied for and was accepted at several AmeriCorps positions. He chose one in our hometown and lived with us. He was the only one from here. Everyone else shared housing. His employer was very good about facilitating that kind of thing. His agency was largely staffed by AmeriCorps kids so there were dozens of them. They had a private FB group that made it easy. We charged him rent, but everyone else shared apts. I’m not sure what kinds of help the others had. I do know that lots of AC workers qualify for food stamps so that helps make ends meet. DS Didn’t as he had too much in savings.
Ds worked at an educational nonprofit and learned a lot. He wouldn’t have his current job if not for the skills he learned with AC.
S is doing a year with AmeriCorps now. He works in a HS and there is a large group of volunteers in the program he is with. He rents a small house with a couple of other volunteers. They all get food stamps in addition to the stipend. If you complete a full year, you also get a grant to help pay for college. Overall, he seems to be doing fine with the finances.
^^^ I forgot about that. Ds has paid off all his student loans thanks to that education grant. And has done left over to use for grad school if he so chooses.
My son also used his Americorps benefit to pay off his student loans.
I’d be very interested in hearing more details about the shared housing experiences. Were these apartments or group houses occupied exclusively by 18-19 year olds working for AmeriCorps and/or undergraduates from nearby colleges?
Not all Americorps volunteers are 18-19 year olds I think my son was about age 23. I’ve known some Americorps volunteers who were quite a bit older. While it is an attractive option for a gap year between high school and college, there are many other times when people volunteer.
S is a college graduate, doing a year before grad school (hope, hope). He is 22 as is one of his housemates. The other one is 18. They actually “acquired” the house they are renting from one of last year’s AC groups.
In ds’s friends’ case, they just found housing on their own. There wasn’t AmeriCorps housing, though I think the FB group helped provide leads to places popular with AC kids. Some had apartments; some had houses. A few of the kids were on their second and final year with the program. All were at least college grads, so at least 22.
My D was offered a position as an Americorps volunteer with a community health program. http://www.communityhealthcorps.org/
She wound up not taking it. But they were going to rent an apartment for her and another volunteer and their stipend would have covered the rent.
She did just do a gig with Student Conservation Association that provided housing, paid a small stipend and because it is Americorps eligible, she will receive an Americorps scholarship. Almost all SCA positions provide housing. Hers was a rustic bunk house in the middle of a national forest. The positions that don’t provide housing generally only accept local volunteers.
As someone mentioned, these positions are competitive and go quickly, earlier than the published deadlines so act quickly.
I always thought you had to be a college grad to do AmeriCorps! I am in my 60’s and am going to look it up again.