Summertime… BBQs, pool parties—and service! While a lot of service happens during the school year, summer is also a great time to get involved in your community. You know the issues you care about… make time this summer to make an impact! The Corporation for National and Community Service funds a lot of programs that engage young people in service during the summer. Click on the links below to find out what we’re doing, or go to your favorite organization and ask them how you can get involved. Come fall, in addition to telling stories about your summer job or family vacation when you get the “what did you do this summer?” question, you’ll be able to talk about how you helped a child learn to read, “greened” your community, made a local park a safer place for kids to play, or provided food to families in need. The difference you can make is only limited by your imagination, so think big and make this a summer of service! AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Summer of Service Like the year-round AmeriCorps NCCC experience, which is geared to young adults ages 18 to 24, the NCCC Summer of Service combines the best practices of structured team-based activities and service-learning programming. This residential NCCC Summer of Service program is available to 300 youth ages 14 to 17 living in or around Denver, New Orleans, and Sacramento. Youth from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. AmeriCorps NCCC members will also engage 1,000 children and youth in a non-residential community service experience on various service projects in Los Angeles; Memphis; Camden, NJ; Baltimore; Washington, DC; and Houston. In both models, program participants will serve alongside and under the supervision of year-round AmeriCorps NCCC members. AmeriCorps VISTA Summer of Service The VISTA Summer Associates program offers individuals the opportunity to become engaged in a community through an existing VISTA project for 8 to 10 weeks during the summer. VISTA encourages existing sponsors and partners who work with disadvantaged youth to consider using the Summer Associates program to enhance their existing programs as appropriate by providing opportunities to engage disadvantaged youth in productive service activities in the summer. AmeriCorps State and National Summer of Service AmeriCorpsStateand National have numerous programs that engage youth in constructive summer activities. Through various partnerships these programs provide tutoring, recreation, art enrichment, service learning and many more opportunities for positive youth development. Learn and Serve America Summer of Service Learn and Serve America programs are "filling the gap" for positive summer activity for young people, by increasing the number of youth involved in service-learning, especially those from disadvantaged situations.
Resources for Parents and Families The summer time can be a great opportunity for families to engage in service projects together! Here you will find great ideas and suggestions on ways to continue to instill the ideas of caring and service with your family. Resources for Organizations and Individuals Curriculum Guides and Tool Kits help teachers, youth leaders, and young people plan quality service projects, recruit volunteers, identify costs, raise funds, generate media attention, and incorporate service-learning practices into their community service projects. Marketing Resources The Summer of Service is a great time to let people know what your program is all about. Media coverage about your service project—newspapers or magazine articles, TV and radio stories, etc.—will help boost awareness of this Initiative and will also help you: - Recruit new members or volunteers
- Reach potential funding sources
- Educate the public about your role in the community and
- Recognize hard-working members and volunteers
Reaching the news media starts with some homework and planning a strategy. When making decisions about media outreach, remember that you've got a lot of competition. Many organizations try to get their stories and events covered at the same time. With some early planning and materials from this section, you will have a good start in gaining the media attention you are looking for. |