Campus Coordinator Campus Coordinator TrainingTrainingFall 2011Fall 2011

AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that

connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensive service to

meet our country’s critical needs.

1. AmeriCorps*State and National

2. AmeriCorps*VISTA

3. AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)

• ADVANCE is a fixed-amount national education awards program

• Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency.

Program Summary

ADVANCE =AmeriCorps Dedicated to Virginia and North Carolina Children Excelling

Engaging college students as mentors for K-12 at-risk youth.

Partners:•Communities in Schools of North Carolina

•Virginia Mentoring Partnership

•300 hours of service in one year 10 months is the

target!

Overview of Terms

• Campus Host Site (CHS) – the eligible institution of higher education that hosts the ADVANCE program

•AmeriCorps Member – a student (can be full or part-time, undergraduate or graduate) at the CHS who participates in the program

•Campus Coordinator – the staff or faculty Member at the CHS who facilitates the program locally

•Campus Cluster – the group of ADVANCE AmeriCorps Members from each campus

•Service Site – community school or organization that will host the AmeriCorps Members

•Site Supervisor – individual at the participating Service Sites who will supervise the AmeriCorps Members

1. Engage college students in direct mentoring activities with K-12 at-risk youth at service sites

2. Improve the school attendance rates of participating youth.

3. Build the capacity of Service Sites by providing support for one-time and ongoing activities that support youth and families.

4. Develop a peer network and provide support and training for AmeriCorps Members to increase their mentoring knowledge, skills and effectiveness.

Program Goals

5. Design and implement at least two community improvement projects (per Campus Cluster), one tied to a national day of service, and completed in cooperation with the Service Site.

6. Assist postsecondary institutions in becoming agents of civic engagement responding more effectively to local education needs.

7. Nurture the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors of mentors and mentees that lead to a lifelong commitment to active community and civic participation.

Program Goals continued…

Who is Eligible for Who is Eligible for ADVANCE? ADVANCE?

A Student must:

• Be 17 years of age or older

• Have a high school diploma or GED

• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States, and can provide documentation from the list on the next page. Member will show Campus Coordinator the original and the Coordinator will sign the Member Contract signature page to verify that they have seen the document.

Discrimination PolicyParticipation in the Corporation and its programs and projects will be

based on merit and equal opportunity for all, without regard to factors such as race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, political affiliation, marital or parental status, military service, or religious, community, or social affiliations.

Acceptable Eligibility Acceptable Eligibility DocumentsDocuments

•Birth Certificate from one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands•Valid U.S. Passport issued to the individual as a U.S. citizen•U.S. Dept. of State Form FS-240, Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States•U.S. Dept. of State Form FS-545, Certificate of Birth-Foreign Service•U.S. Dept. of State Form DS-1350, Certificate of Report of Birth•INS certificate of naturalization (INS Form N-550 or N-570)•INS certificate of citizenship (INS Form N-560 or N-561)•Permanent Resident Card (INS Form I-551)•Alien Registration Receipt Card (INS Form I-551)•A passport indicating that the INS has approved it as a temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence•A Departure Record (INS Form I-94) indicating that the INS has approved it as a temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence

There will only be ONE Campus Coordinator on each campus, although there may be other staff to support YOU in this role.*

* AmeriCorps members, including VISTAs cannot support this program.

Campus Coordinators are responsible for:

• Recruitment

• Orientation

• Reviewing Background Check results

• Disseminating and signing all official documents (enrollment and exit paperwork), mailing them to NC Campus Compact and maintaining records [CONFIDENTIALITY IS REQUIRED]

What does a Campus Coordinator Do?

Campus Coordinators are also responsible for:

• Arranging/providing transportation to statewide gatherings

• Tracking and approving online hours logs

• Communicating with the Site Supervisor, Program Director, and members regularly

• Reflection Sessions

• Mid-year and end-of-service evaluation

• Supporting Cluster in successfully completing the program!!!!!!

• Celebration and Acknowledgement of members

What does a Campus Coordinator Do? (continued)

Identifying where student service and service learning are already occurring on campus is a strong place to begin program planning and development.

Some places to check for students already engaged in service:

• Community Work Study (America Reads, Serve-Study, etc)

• Service Organizations

• Community Service/Service-Learning Offices

• Academic Program (Education, Social Work, Nursing, etc.)

• Service Scholarship Programs (Bonner)

• Residential Service Learning Communities

Recruitment

Students that are not already involved in structured programs will need to be recruited in a different manner. Some ways to recruit students will be:

• Outreach events: Career fairs, volunteer fairs, conferences and interest meetings are a great way to connect with students.

• Public Speaking: Speaking at events and meetings is a helpful way to draw attention to the program. Distribute information and be sure to follow-up with students who showed interest.

• Informational Session: A short presentation followed by a question and answer session is beneficial.

• Mailings: Send out ADVANCE to student mail boxes and through email is an efficient way to reach a large number of students

• Ads and articles: Contact campus newspapers, radio and television stations to advertise program information.

Recruitment (Continued)

Orientation – The Make it or Break It Moment

Before a member enrolls they are expected to complete two orientations:

1.In-person (to be documented on the Enrollment Checklist)

2.Online enrollment. After the brief online orientation, they will complete a survey and print the final page to include with their enrollment packet.

NC Campus Compact will provide an orientation PowerPoint for your use and modification.

We depend on your judgment/insight/intuition to screen effectively!

STEP ONE

Orientation (in-person & online)

The 4-Part Enrollment Process

STEP TWO

Background check verification form submitted to NC Campus Compact. Member shows proof of eligibility documentation to Coordinator.

STEP FOUR

Once background check clears member submits the Final Enrollment forms.

Final Enrollment Checklist

Member Contract

Online Orientation Verification Page

STEP THREE

NC Campus Compact initiates invitation e-mail to student with link to online enrollment form.

• Enrollment packets must be received by the NC Campus Compact state office within 10 days of starting service.

• Once NC Campus Compact receives the Final Enrollment Checklist and documents, we will officially enroll the member.

• The student will receive a “welcome e-mail.” We copy the Campus Coordinator.

• The Member must select a site and complete the Service Summary with their Site Supervisor.

• Submit Service Summary with 1st time log

Enrollment Continued…

Background Checks

A Criminal Background Check must be completed onevery applicant. Criminal background checks will be

completed through Asurint and includes a search of the State Criminal Registry as well as the National Sex Offender registry. 

•  All applicants must complete a Criminal Record Check Authorization Form with their initial enrollment materials.

• Automatic disqualification – Sex Offender & murder conviction Alert!

Alert!Alert!

#1 NC Campus Compact reviews – traffic violations waived#2 All other alerts sent to Campus Coordinator for review#3 Campus Coordinator makes final recommendation in writing

• Commit to program

• Attend orientation and complete online orientation

• Establish an online account through the My AmeriCorps Portal

• Complete enrollment paperwork

• Select site – complete Service Summary

• Serve hours weekly

• 5 hours minimum mentee contact• Support Service Site• Plan and implement two service projects with Campus Cluster

ADVANCE Member Responsibilities

• Participate in trainings at Service Site or program related

• Complete the online time Log, print it and have it signed by the Site Supervisor, and submit it to the Campus Coordinator every month. We will not accept any time logs more than two months after the hours are completed.

• Participate in a minimum of three Reflection Sessions

• Complete online Exit Survey

• Complete online Exit form

ADVANCE Member Responsibilities

• Member completes online.

• Prints and Site Supervisor approves.

• Campus Coordinator receives and approves.

• The time logs are formatted for daily input.

• At the end of the month, each member will receive an e-mail reminder to print the time log and have their Site Supervisor sign it.

• NC Campus Compact approves by the 15th of the following month.

• FOLLOW-UP TRAINING COMING SOON!

Time Log Policy

1. Member completes Exit Survey

2. Member completes Online Exit Form

3. Site Supervisor and Campus Coordinator complete evaluation

THEN NC Campus Compact will exit the member through the online system.

3 Part Exit Process

The Education The Education AwardAward

Upon completion of hours and exit requirements, members are eligible for an $1175 Educational Award. Must be accessed through the online account.

• Transferable for members 55 and older.

• Can be kept for up to 7 years.

Uses for the Educational Award include:

• Pay for qualified students loans

• Pay for CURRENT educational expenses/cost of attendance at a “qualified institution of higher education”

Legislation defines qualified student loan as a loan backed by the federal government under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (except PLUS Loans to parents of students), or under Titles VII or VIII of the Public Health Service Act.

Can be used to repay a student loan made by a state agency, including state institutions of higher education.

May not be used to repay any other type of loan, even if the loan was obtained for educational purposes. This includes PRIVATE loans.

The cost of attendance may include tuition, books and supplies, transportation, room and board, and other expenses. Each school's financial aid office determines a student's cost of attendance based upon standard U.S. Department of Education guidance.

The Education Award Pt. 2

• Three reflections facilitated by the Campus Coordinator

• Based on the Civic Reflection Model

• Curriculum provided

• Training in September

• Coordinator verifies completion on the Campus Coordinator Exit Evaluation.

Reflection

Member Development/Training Activities

20% of a members hours can be member development/training. This is approximately 60 hours.

Activities that are:

1. instructional and support a members’ ability to serve effectively in their placement or

2. improve the members skills, knowledge and self-awareness

Examples include:

• Orientations

• Trainings

• Reflection Sessions

• Cluster meetings and conferences

• Professional conferences and workshops relevant to direct services

What Counts as Direct Service?

Direct Service activities are those that directly impact the site or clients. Examples include:

• Assessing community assets and needs for services

• Mentoring kids K-12

• Recruiting, training, placing volunteers

• Planning and implementing service projects

• Working with parents and families on educational needs and family literacy programs.

*** Tip: All these guidelines are outlined in the Member Contract.

AmeriCorps Members, like private citizens, may participate in any of the prohibited activities on their own time, at their own expense, and at their own initiative. They may not count that time toward an AmeriCorps term of service and may not wear AmeriCorps service gear in such instances.

Prohibited Activities include:

• Political Activities:

• Religious Affairs

• Union Activities

• For-Profit Business

• Safety Factors

Prohibited Activities

Prohibited Political Activities:

• Participating in efforts to influence legislation or lobbying for your program

• Organizing a letter writing campaign to Congress

• Engaging in partisan political activities

• Voter registration drives

• Organizing or participating in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes

Prohibited Religious Affairs:

• Engaging in religious instruction

• Conducting worship services

• Engaging in any form of religious proselytizing

Prohibited Activities

Prohibited Union Activities include:

• Assisting, promoting or deterring union organizing

• Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements

Prohibited For-Profit Activities:

• Providing a direct benefit for a for-profit entity, labor union, a partisan political organization or an organization engaged in religious activities

Prohibited Safety Factors

• Participating in activities that pose a significant safety risk to participants

Prohibited Activities

In general, AmeriCorps Members cannot assist their organizations withmajor fundraising efforts. However, Corporation policy permits some limited activities related to fundraising by AmeriCorps Members to the extent that such activities:

• Are not funding the agency’s capital or operating costs;

• Provide immediate and direct support to a specific and direct service activity;

• Fall within the program’s approved direct service objectives;

• Are not the primary activity of the program;

• Do not involve significant amounts of time for any Member;

• Are less than 10% (30 hours) of the total 300 hours to be served

Fundraising

The Member has the primary responsibility for demonstrating that compelling personal circumstances prevent them from completing the term of service. Must submit to Campus Coordinator a written request If served more than 15% of the service hours, s/he may be eligible to

receive a partial education award.

Compelling personal circumstances include those that are beyond theMember’s control, such as, but not limited to: •  disability or serious illness• disability, serious illness, or death of a Member’s family• military service obligations; or • conditions attributable to the Program or otherwise unforeseeable and

beyond the Member’s control, such as relocation of a spouse, natural disaster, a strike, or the non-renewal or premature closing of the Service Site or program.

 

Release from Service – Compelling Personal Circumstances

Compelling personal circumstances do not include leaving ADVANCE:

to transfer schools (please note that if the new campus is also a

Campus Host Site for ADVANCE, every effort will be made to link the Member to a new Service Site);

because of change in class schedule or non-related work hours; to obtain employment; or because of dissatisfaction with the Program.  If the Member discontinues his/her term of service due to compelling personal circumstances, the Member will cease to receive benefits described in this contract.

  

Release from Service – Compelling Personal Circumstances

A release for cause encompasses circumstances other than personal andcompelling circumstances that warrant a Member’s release prior tocompleting the term of service including:   Member has dropped out of program without obtaining a release for

compelling personal circumstances from the Program Director; During the term of service the Member has been convicted of a violent

felony or the sale or distribution of a controlled substance; Member has committed a fourth offense in accordance with ADVANCE

Standards of Conduct; Any other serious breach that in the judgment of the Program Director

would undermine the effectiveness of the program, including failure to regularly log and submit hours as required. Any Member that fails to log hours for three consecutive months without prior approval will be subject to termination from ADVANCE.

  

Release from Service - Cause

Recognition

An expectation of AmeriCorps and the ADVANCE program is that members are recognized and celebrated for the work that they do during their term of service.

• Outstanding Service Award

nominated by Campus Coordinators

• Collect photos

• Publicity/media

• Awards/celebrations

The Movement

• AmeriCorps Week/Contests

• AmeriCorps lobbying/advocacy

• AmeriCorps Alums

North Carolina Campus Compact

2257 Campus BoxElon, NC 27244(336) 278-7278 Office(336) 278-7400 Fax

Leslie A. Garvin, Program Director

Questions?