There are many amazing individuals that make Communities In Schools of North Texas the incredible organization it is, and we want to shine a spotlight on our awesome AmeriCorps members – and talk about how you can get involved in the 2020-2021 school year!
Through the AmeriCorps program, CISNT offers community members an opportunity to provide meaningful service aligning with our mission to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
CISNT AmeriCorps member, Abigail, is just one of many CISNT AmeriCorps members, who work to create safe spaces for students to learn and grow, and provide services that foster positive and productive student engagement in school. At Calhoun Middle School, Abigail was conducting an after-school girls’ group. It can be difficult for students to engage one another in a group of new people, and as expected, there was quite a bit of silence for the first few meetings. Abigail decided to break the silence by having the students play a game in which each student would say something kind about themselves, and then something kind about others. What started out as an icebreaker turned into a recurring activity to build group cohesion and self-esteem!
Abigail writes:
“In the beginning, some of the students struggled to answer, but the other students were quick to jump in and tell them what they thought was great about other students. After the first round, the students kept wanting to go another time, which was great to see. It turned out to be very successful – not only because the students enjoyed the activity so much, but also seeing their friends say nice things about each other.”
Abigail’s activity gave her students a chance to both uplift themselves and give back to their peers through positive affirmations. By engaging her students in a thoughtful and enriching game that encouraged interaction and confidence-building, Abigail was able to foster a community of support in her after-school group!
Abigail’s story is just one example of ways that CISNT AmeriCorps members work to create a safe space for students to learn and grow.
Apart from these invaluable moments of witnessing growth and confidence building in your students, being an AmeriCorps member at CISNT has many other great benefits:
- Non-competitive eligibility for government jobs for up to one year after completion of service
- Educational Award of approximately $1,300 following completion of service, which can be used for educational expenses at eligible post-secondary institutions, including many technical schools and G.I. Bill approved programs, or to repay qualified students loans
- Professional development in the social service/non-profit sector for individuals wanting to build their resume or change careers
CISNT AmeriCorps members serve alongside a CISNT Site Coordinator at a CISNT partner school in North Texas. Members provide services to students who are at-risk of dropping out of school and work to keep them positively engaged in school. Members provide 300 hours of service and can choose to serve for just one semester (fall or spring), or throughout one school year.
To qualify, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident 18 years of age or older, and must be able to pass a federal background check – no high school or college degree required!
If you or someone you know meets these qualifications and is interested in serving as an AmeriCorps member with CISNT, click here to access our interest form. For questions, please contact amco@cisnt.org. Visit our website here to learn more. If you would like to share this opportunity with others, please share this flyer.
We hope that you join us in our mission to empower students with a Community of Support!
