Americorps - Is it strongly preferred you are full time? (Financial concerns)

[RespectTheChemistry]

I want to do Americorps in my gap year. I think I have found a position. They asked if I preferred part-time or full-time. I really want to do full-time Americorps, but I need the time to work a regular job to make ends meet. So, I think what would work best for me financially would be 0.25 Americorps and 0.75 other job. I could swing half 'n' half if needed but it's tight. This was also a place I used to volunteer, so I would do those same things I did as a volunteer plus some additional responsibilities.

Is it the type of thing where Americorps loses some of its effect on an application if you aren't full-time?

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[Mr.Smile12]

I want to do Americorps in my gap year. I think I have found a position. They asked if I preferred part-time or full-time. I really want to do full-time Americorps, but I need the time to work a regular job to make ends meet. So, I think what would work best for me financially would be 0.25 Americorps and 0.75 other job. I could swing half 'n' half if needed but it's tight. This was also a place I used to volunteer, so I would do those same things I did as a volunteer plus some additional responsibilities.

Is it the type of thing where Americorps loses some of its effect on an application if you aren't full-time?

It depends on what you're doing IMO. It depends how much non-clinical service-orientated experience you have before this. Aside from that, I don't recall many faculty having issues if you do Americorps full-time or part-time if it is allowed.

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

It depends on what you're doing IMO. It depends how much non-clinical service-orientated experience you have before this. Aside from that, I don't recall many faculty having issues if you do Americorps full-time or part-time if it is allowed.

Thank you!

This is actually the organization where I got quite a bit of my non-clinical experience, which was tutoring adolescent boys incarcerated at a juvenille detention facility in reading and math. They also sponsor an Americorps position. I would still tutor but have increased responsibility (e.g. volunteer recruitment). They also said Americorps members can get involved in curriculum development, but I am not sure how much of a FTE you would have to be for that.

I have a lot of other miscellanous non-clinical experience, but the above is where I was with the same organization for a lot of hours (300 hours over 2 academic years). My other non-clinical experience is as follows. It's a little disjointed. I have about 500 total hours.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you!

This is actually the organization where I got quite a bit of my non-clinical experience, which was tutoring adolescent boys incarcerated at a juvenille detention facility in reading and math. They also sponsor an Americorps position. I would still tutor but have increased responsibility (e.g. volunteer recruitment). They also said Americorps members can get involved in curriculum development, but I am not sure how much of a FTE you would have to be for that.

I have a lot of other miscellanous non-clinical experience, but the above is where I was with the same organization for a lot of hours (300 hours over 2 academic years). My other non-clinical experience is as follows. It's a little disjointed. I have about 500 total hours.

- 6 months as a co-facilitator of a support group for people with a family member in prison, usually an adult child (low hour)

- 1 year as a teacher's assistant for the baby sign language class with Gigi's Playhouse for speech delayed toddlers 18-36 months with Down Syndrome (low hour)

- 2 years childcare volunteering for a domestic violence shelter (low hour). I am also going to apply to their crisis line this summer. They got rid of the childcare volunteers unfortunately. This was sad because I really wanted to go back!

- 1 year miscellaneous through Catholic Charities (food bank, diaper bank, Meals on Wheels). Minimal direct interaction with clients

Ok. It's your discretion. You should be fine with service orientation either way.