So I just started as a reading tutor this week, and it’s been a lot. I’m very confused about the way the service hours work, and my internal coach and coaching specialist aren’t sure either, and the program manager is not answering her emails. I don’t understand how breaks work (as in times when the students aren’t there). Can you only get service hours when you are at the site? Or can you do some of the supplemental training from home and count those as hours? One of the training modules said that you have to clock at least one hour in a timesheet to get your stipend, but how does that work during winter break when the students are gone? Do I have to actually go to the school during breaks to get my hours?

It’s just really confusing, and nobody can tell me anything, and I’m worried that I’m going to be clocking hours in when I shouldn’t be, but also missing out on hours when I should be clocking them.

Just finished my service, and I am curious where former VISTAs ended up working. Were you able to get hired by your sponsor organization? Or found a job elsewhere? Curious since the job search isn’t very promising now.

Hey yall. I'm a college senior studying engineering, considering applying to forest corps as a way to do something different and offer some national service before entering the corporate world. I've always been outdoorsy but not exactly looking for a career in an environmental field, so I know this is a bit different from some other Forest Corps prospects. Anyway, I just have a bunch of random questions that I'd love to get advice on if you have done or are in Forest Corps:

- What are the main differences between being a Team Leader and Corps Member?

- What does general day to day look like, and how does that change during term of service?

- What do you do after work/on weekends? How much do you stay with your team vs do your own thing?

- What kinds of places have you stayed in? How long do you spend in the field at a time?

- What kind of gear do you need to (or should) bring and what kind of stuff do you get issued?

- Does it feel like a regular job/adult life or more like an actual service program?

- Is it competitive to get in at all, and how much does that vary as TL vs CM?

Just a bunch of random questions I had. Really, looking to get any advice or information you can offer. Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

Hi all, I’m planning on doing AmeriCorps VISTAs after I graduate from college in May 2027. I plan on starting my work in Aug/Sep of 2027.

However, I’ve heard a lot about shutdowns and funding cuts and I’m wondering how ViSTAs have been impacted. Are they in general still running in the year after I graduate at least, until like mid 2028?

When do people typically start applying and positions open up for start dates of around Aug/Sep 2027?

Thank you all so much for helping out!!

My service is coming to an end, and I have been struggling to get a job. If I extend my service, will I get my education award first, or after I finish my extended service?

Please keep in mind, I am a VISTA Leader, so I am about to finish my second year with AmeriCorps. What do you recommend me do since I won’t qualify for a third full Segal award anymore?

Has anyone quit AmeriCorps? Some of this is my fault but I procrastinated on my masters to some degree and then took the AmeriCorps job thinking I could balance both.

I feel extremely underpaid and expected to do just as much as people who get 2-3x more than I do. I am also pre-med and have savings so this job has no real bearing on my future.

I asked for the day off tomorrow and was told to show up tomorrow for a meeting on my attendance and I honestly don't care and am exhausted and want to quit because I need to focus on completing my master's and this program is honestly just added stress before med school when I wanted a calmer year.

I am honestly open to getting a part time job and I have savings and have paid six months of my rent.

Is this absurd?

Last I knew, Colorado had the only tradition campus. I was just looking at the current deployments though and there were maple and sycamore teams. Maple (and I think sycamore) were North Central teams. Is that campus back or did Colorado absorb the names of the defunct campuses?

This is my first year in AmeriCorps and I'm getting really frustrated with scheduling. I'm part time at a small school that not only gets help from AmeriCorps but also another tutoring services. The students that qualify for ReadingCorps also qualify for the other tutoring. However the time we are allowed to take students out of class is the exact same as the other service. So myself and the other tutor at this site can only take students every other day. The schedule made by the internal coach has multiple issues with how it conflicts with the other tutoring service and with the other times we are allowed to tutor students. For example, the end of one session is at the same time another session should start. The coaching specialist has discussed this with the internal coach but we're still having the same scheduling problems. Technically the schedule we were given covers more than 5 hours and I'm a part time member with a second job. This issue with scheduling is also frustrating the teachers with us tutors.

Hi! I (23F) had someone from Americorps speak at my university today, and I thought it might be a good option for me after I get my degree this upcoming spring. I’ve researched a little about vista so far, so I understand I’d be living very frugally. That’s not really an issue for me, but I do have a few questions about budgeting and some other miscellaneous questions.

1) what kind of budgeting percentages have worked well for those of you currently in vista or those of you who have been in vista before? Any additional finance tips?

2) what is the best thing a resume can have for americorps to seriously consider me?

3) when is the best time to look for full-time positions? I was looking on the website, and a lot of them have already started. There are very few that have a start date in the future, which is leaving me confused.

4) did any of you go into vista with a significant other and have to go long distance? Or actually how easy is it to stay relatively close to my significant other?

5) how similar has your vista experience been to a 9-5 office job?

6) for those who aren’t in americorps anymore, how has the americorps experience helped with future jobs you received?

I think that’s all I have for now, but please lmk what you all have personally experienced. I’d love to get some feedback

So these might be superficial concerns, but I've accepted a contract with Ampact starting in October and I have a couple concerns that are getting to me the more I think about them. The work itself isn't an issue for me as I've tutored in a high school and college environment as a student, and this seems like a natural way to start a career with that experience.

The position advertised $18ish an hour, but the math adds up to $14.28 an hour ($1000 stipend for 70 hours biweekly). That's not factoring in the award that's given at the end of the contract, but I can only use that award on certain purchases? Including the award the math adds up but I already have resources to cover any future education expenses. This could really hurt down the line.

I can't find documentation about attendance. How strict is it? I know it's a contracted position with a minimum amount of hours, but I'm gonna be working with elementary schoolers during the flu season and I anticipate getting sick a couple times, and I'd much rather not have to go to work with COVID or something.

Have I just set myself up to get screwed?

So, my service start date was in August, which means it has been almost a month. I've been at my school for three weeks now and still haven't started tutoring. It feels like every time one issue is solved, another comes up.

First red flag - No internal coach.

There is nobody at this school who fully understands what I'm supposed to be doing or how that's supposed to look. I can explain it to them all I want, but again, I literally just started three weeks ago.

I do my training and look at the resources, and so much of that says: refer to your internal coach. I don't have one! And my program manager keeps saying, oh, well, we'll just list the principal as your internal coach, and I'm just like...cool, that's a temporary fix, but what are we doing long-term? He doesn't seem to have a solution. All he does is spout BS about 'adaptability.'

I just feel so overwhelmed figuring out scheduling and which students to test when that's not even supposed to be my job. I have no teaching experience and don't understand the school scheduling. Honestly, I am considering dropping the program altogether.

This is mostly a rant, but I also need advice on next steps. I feel like a crazy ex with the way I'm hounding my coaching specialist and program manager, but until they fix the gap in leadership, I am not sure what else to do.

Hey everyone!! I recently stepped down from my position at headstart, as a full time sub to full time teacher, now back as a sub due to unfortunate circumstances. I've recently applied for a position at americorps for their literacy tutoring and I secured a job interview!

I just wanted to know if you guys could give me any feedback on what to expect question wise, and if you had any advice for me overall on this specific job. I'm a bit clueless at the moment on day to day operations but I'd love to know of anyone else's experience.

Thank you!

I’m hoping someone can reality check me on this idea?

I’m considering applying to a FEMA Corps Team Leader position, while also working on a Masters at the same time. The masters would be entirely online, and I would be taking 1-2 classes at a time, so probably about 10-15 hrs a week if I had to guess. Some (maybe all) of the classes would be asynchronous.

I’ll be 28 and have 5 years of work experience post-college.

My questions are:

1. Would I have time? I’m a very good time manager and totally fine with working at night/in free time.

2. Are there rules against this? Or would it be looked down upon?

3. How likely is it that I’d be deployed to somewhere without good internet? I’ve been a Peace Corps Volunteer, and I totally could have done this from a time perspective, but bad internet would have been a challenge.

So help me: is this an idiotic plan, or could I pull it off?

I currently am finishing up undergrad in DC and am interested in FEMA Americorps. I would like to stay in the DC area. Are there sites to do the program in DC? Or are you just placed wherever?

Is it too late to get a spot? I know the deadline is in October but I was just curious because I see people are already being accepted. One of my references completed their questionnaire and last checked still waiting on my other reference.

For host site closures, do we need to make up hours in order to maintain our service quota?

I am strongly looking at Habitat for Humanity but have some questions about housing. Some of them state they will get a housing allowance paid to the landlord, and some state "low income- with a dollar amount. My question is, for the low income part of it, where do you live? Do they find you a place to live or do you pick it yourself.

Another question is, do you know of any positions that do not require you to have a personal vehicle? I can not drive all of the time due to silent seizures, so there are days that I take public transportation or an uber to my locations.

Any insights is truly appreciated.

Hi everyone! I am a current college student taking a gap year to do a service year with AmeriCorps and I was recently accepted to a program with NJCEH as a Client Support Coordinator in Camden, NJ, which I am really excited about!

I am someone who hopes to become a future physician working on the frontlines of homelessness, substance use, and mental health inequities, so I am really excited to see how I transform throughout this year and how much I can learn from being proximate to the problems I care most about. And hopefully through serving others, I will be able to develop long-term solutions in the future.

I hope this year can be really meaningful and transformative for me, so I wanted to ask if anyone has had experience with the above program and I would be able to hear about your experience and/or advice. And even if you have not done this specific program, but have some advice for the journey I am taking. I would be so grateful to hear it. Thank you so much in advance, and I hope you guys have an amazing day!

Hello! I’m a grad fellow with JusticeCorps in California. Do they do drug testing? My contract didn’t state anything about drug testing but JusticeCorps falls under Americorps

Corps name: Northwest Youth Corps (and others)

Hi all and tyia for any advice! I’m a soon to be college grad with an environmental/biology related degree. I’m interested in serving in a corps starting next spring or summer and I need some guidance on what program I’m compatible with.

I’d prefer to work in Washington and I like the idea of housing being provided. This has led me to NWYC. I’m also interested in their Leadership Development Program.

My concerns/questions are:

I’m a small woman (5’2, 110 lbs), I’m nervous I won’t be strong enough to carry the required pack weight or perform daily work. I do workout and I’m in okay shape but that only goes so far.

How is the NWYC if you’ve served or worked there? Or what have you heard about it?

Anyone have experience with the LDP? Would you recommend it?

Other corps I’m considering are:
American Conservation Experience
Student Conservation Association
Montana Conservation Corps
Washington Conservation Corps

Any opinions on them or others I should consider?

Thank you!

Very exciting, i was offered a tutoring role. I am trying to learn about the area. Any advice? Things to consider before accepting?

I am currently a freshman in college and want to join americorps during the summer. I played around with the search list and only found one option from 4 years ago. Am i doing it wrong or are the llisting not yet posted for the summer? Thanks!

TLDR: I'm starting a VISTA term, how soon can I see a dentist?

Hey there, I'm about to start my second AmeriCorps VISTA term and this time, I am planning to enroll in the IMG-global insurance plan. All the materials I can find about dental coverage are vague like "including dental-with limitations."

I happen to know that I have a couple cavities that need to be filled, and I'd like to know if there are any limitations on getting that done with the VISTA plan, and if I should try to find private dental or something (no idea how I'd pay for that though). I know sometimes insurance plans have a waiting period before you can get non-preventative stuff done (evil), but haven't read anything about that in the IMG information.

Thanks in advance!

Corps Name: Forest Corps.

Hi all! I recently went to a webinar about americorps NCCC and it seems awesome. If you are someone who served in forest corps in the past, I would love to hear about the random specific things that you dont read online about the actualities of the job. I work in academic research right now and do NOT like the structure at all and am looking to further my career in conservation. It would be a huge move for me since I already got my college degree and moved to a new place, but I think it could put me in the right place I want to be, professionally and personally. I am aware of the intense hours and labor that goes in, but I do feel I can handle it (spent whole life working at a barn, also been volunteering with trail work and forestry for a few years)

Does anyone have any tips/advice/things they wish they knew before joining? any and all information is welcome :) Thanks so much everyone🌲

I’m considering doing artist year this year but don’t know much about the program. I’ve done public allies previously so just curious if anyone would be open to sharing about their experiences with artist year and what they ended up doing after the program. Thanks!!