LEWIS-CLARK SERVICE CORPS
CONTACT PERSON
Director: Charlette Kremer (Interim)
Office: LIB 161
Phone: 792-2084
Fax: 792-2058
Web:
http://www.lcsc.edu/americorps
OVERVIEW
The Lewis-Clark Service Corps Office promotes volunteering
and service in the community.
AMERICORPS
The AmeriCorps Program at LCSC places AmeriCorps members as
tutors and mentors in targeted schools and other institutions
throughout Idaho, helping students successfully deal with the
challenges of staying in, or returning to, school and planning
for their future.
Funding: This program is made possible by a federal grant
through the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Eighty percent of this budget is local non-federal cash match
provided by the community host-sites where AmeriCorps members
are placed.
AMERICORPS ENROLLMENT
LCSC students may join AmeriCorps and serve one to two years
while attending college or after graduation. The Lewis-Clark
Service Corps AmeriCorps office on campus places students as
tutors and mentors, either on campus or in local schools and
agencies. AmeriCorps members may serve full-time (1720 hours) or
part-time (920 hours) and receive a small living allowance and,
upon successful completion of service, earn an Education Award
which can be used for educational expenses such as fees, tuition
and books, or to repay qualified student loans. In addition, “Ed
Award Only” positions are available to members serving a minimum
of 300 hours. AmeriCorps is a national service program,
sometimes referred to as a domestic Peace Corps. AmeriCorps
members also organize service projects in the community and
participate in statewide training events. To serve, a student
must be a US citizen or legal resident and be at least 17 years
old. There is no maximum age limit. Recruitment for members
begins in April with the service year beginning September 1 each
year.
AMERICORPS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
After AmeriCorps members complete their service, many continue
to have the desire to serve the community. The AmeriCorps Alumni
Association provides an opportunity to stay in touch with other
national service veterans to plan service projects, mentor new
AmeriCorps members, recruit new members for the program and
advocate for public policy changes to support national service.
Funding: The AmeriCorps Alumni Association is funded through the
fundraising efforts of local chapters as well as an agreement
with the Corporation for National and Community Service to
provide a full-time AmeriCorps *VISTA for 2-3 years to act as a
coordinator of this project.
COMMUNITY WARRIORS VOLUNTEER CENTER
The Community Warriors Volunteer Center provides volunteer
opportunities for students, faculty and staff of LCSC. The
center acts as a liaison for individuals seeking to serve the
community and organizations looking for volunteers. Students who
volunteer gain important experience and often continue a
life-long commitment to serve the community. Funding: The
Community Warriors Volunteer Center is funded through
appropriated dollars which provides a full-time AmeriCorps
member to act as coordinator of this project.
SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM
Service-learning combines service objectives and learning
objectives with the intent that the activity changes both the
recipient and provider of the service. This is accomplished by
combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link
the task to self-reflection, self-discovery and the acquisition
and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content.
Funding: The Service-Learning Program is funded through a grant
provided by Learn and Serve America and Washington Campus
Compact.
FIRST BOOK-LCSC
This non-profit organization has a simple mission: to ensure
that low-income children in Nez Perce, Lewis, Clearwater, Idaho
and Asotin counties have the opportunities to read and own their
first new books. Since the LCSC chapter was organized in 2005,
more than 30,000 new books have been distributed to children in
need. In 2008, First Book-LCSC was recognized by the Governor of
Idaho with a Brightest Star Award for its efforts to promote
literacy. Funding: First Book-LCSC is supported through
fundraising efforts and a grant from Borders Books and the Idaho
Community Foundation through the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson
Foundation Education Fund.
