AmeriCorps is a national service initiative signed into law by President Bill Clinton back in 1993. The AmeriCorps National Service Network consists of over 500 different programs across the nation. In the first few years of operation, the initiative involved over 60,000 members who provided service work in their communities and have earned educational awards in return for their service. The centerpiece of the AmeriCorps ethic is "getting things done." Improving communities by meeting their education, public safety, human and environmental needs is the primary focus of the organization. Other key aspects include: strengthening community, expanding opportunity and encouraging responsibility. AmeriCorps brings together individuals from different backgrounds and institutions with varied experiences in the common effort to improve our communities.

How is the MSU Office for Community Involvement involved with AmeriCorps?

• The Office for Community Involvement coordinates the efforts of Montana Campus Corps Members on the MSU-Bozeman campus in partnership with community organizations. Montana Campus Corps is a statewide AmeriCorps program operating on campuses throughout Montana and is overseen by the Montana Campus Compact organization based in Missoula, Montana. Utilizing this program, the Office for Community Involvement has the opportunity to offer outstanding service leadership positions to current students to engage in meaningful service to our community over the course of one or two academic years. These students become part-time AmeriCorps Members who serve 450 or 900 hours over the one to two academic years building bridges between campus and community to better meet needs identified by a partnering community organization.
  
  
• The Office for Community Involvement can offer full-time AmeriCorps positions to recent graduates or students taking a year off from their academic pursuits to serve in the Bozeman area community. These fulltime positions vary from those that require a 12 month - 40 hour per week commitment (VISTA or Volunteers in Service to America positions) to those that require a minimum of 10 months commitment serving at least 1700 hours over that term (Campus Corps Team Leader positions). Regardless of the specifics, full-time AmeriCorps Members all work to engage university resources to better meet needs in our community. VISTA projects typically have a strong anti-poverty focus as well.

How can I get involved in AmeriCorps at MSU-Bozeman?

Annually, the Office for Community Involvement recruits:

• One full-time (1700 hour) Campus Corps Team Leader to serve from late August through at least June of the following year. This individual supports the other part time Montana Campus Corps Members in their service work to better connect campus and community through service to others. The Team Leader acts as a friend, guide, advisor and role model to the student Members. If you enjoy real diversity in your work day and appreciate the opportunity to interact with a wide array of constituents, the Team Leader position could be for you. Recruitment for the following academic year begins in February so contact us as soon as possible if interested!
  
  
• Multiple part-time (450 or 900 hour) Campus Corps Members to serve beginning in late AUgust and ending in May each school year to engage in meaningful service work in partnership with local community based groups. The number of students sought is driven by the number of projects our office identifies and the number of positions we are able to secure each year from the Montana Campus Compact. All part-time Members have responsibility, individually or in a partnership with other Members, to coordinate a single, large project, meeting a need in our community. One goal of each project is always to increase the number of MSU students meeting the volunteer needs of that partner organization.

Summary of typical MSU AmeriCorps opportunties:

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