In-Person Program Orientation

Students in Service Basics What are allowable service activities? 3 Phases of Service Member Agreement Enrollment Paperwork Questions? Please sign the SIS In-Person Orientation Sign-In Sheet provided by your SIS Campus Coordinator before completing this SIS In-Person Orientation.

Students in Service (SIS) is a part-time AmeriCorps program offering education awards to college students who serve their community in critical needs areas. Civic Engagement Challenge By joining SIS, you are recognizing yourself as a member of a larger social fabric, committed to working with others in the community to solve social problems, improve lives, and strengthen communities. While serving in SIS, we challenge you to think about what it means to be a civically engaged citizen of the USA and why it is important now and in the future?

1.Increase the number of college student volunteers and service learners 2.Help disadvantaged youth succeed and advance along the academic continuum 3.Develop members' and students' civic skills, attitudes, and habits 4.Improve members' and students' workforce skills 5.Engage Veterans (college students at participating colleges) in serving their local communities 6.Build organizational capacity at non-profit, government, and educational institutions

 Service can be co-curricular or academically-based, MUST be completed at a non-profit or government organization AND fall under one of the four Service Concentration Areas Service activities strengthen the organizational capacity of a non-profit to serve its community and achieve its mission Strengthening Community- Based Organizational Capacity Service activities involve mobilizing volunteers for community events and/or community organizations Mobilizing Volunteers Service activities improve the academic access and success for disadvantaged and/or at-risk youth Education/Improving Academic Access and Success Service activities that engage Veterans in serving their community or benefit Veterans in general Engaging Veterans

300 hours (.21 MSY) = $1,175 (1 Year Term) 450 hours (.26 MSY) = $1,468 (1 Year Term) 900 hours (.5 MSY) = $2,775 (2 Year Term) A person can be awarded up to 4 AmeriCorps awards in a lifetime but not to exceed the equivalent of 2 full year terms of service or 2.0 MSY (member service year)

 Choose a term of service you feel you have a reasonable chance to complete.  Once you sign up for a term of service you cannot change it.  It is important to SIS that members who commit to a term of service complete their term of service.

At least 80% Direct Service Up to 20% Member Development No more than 10% Fundraising

Is Hands On it can take the form of mentoring, counseling, coaching for Special Olympics, planting trees, building houses, feeding the homeless, and many more acts of service! Is Face to Face 51% of direct service must be face to face with the community. No more than 49% may be in the form of administrative service which is needed to coordinate or support the direct service. This can include marketing an event, staff meeting time, doing follow-up calls, writing reports, etc.

Any service that is purely administrative, like a research position, clerical work, student assistant positions on campus that do not work with the community. Any internship with a for-profit organization. Any position that involves activities on our list of prohibited activities. Any international volunteer work. Sleeping time on overnights or travel time. Lobbying, Political, Religious, or other Advocacy activities. List of prohibited activities provided in the member agreement, pages 4 & 5.

 learning a new language such as Spanish to better serve the Hispanic community,  to take a class in website design so as to help non-profits with their website,  to attend a diversity workshop or conference  to take a course in coaching that will benefit my service with Special Olympics Encourages members to strive for goals that would help them in developing their ability to better serve their community now and/or in the future.

 Allowable activities related to fundraising must: ◦ Provide immediate and direct support to a specific and direct service activity; ◦ Fall within the program's approved direct service objectivities; ◦ Are not the primary activity of the program; ◦ Involve in-kind donations rather than cash donations  See SIS website for more details on allowable fundraising activities Members can spend no more than 10% of their term of service fundraising; fundraising hours will count toward their no more than 20% member development hours

Enrollment Service Exit

Reviews SIS website and Pre-Service Online Overview Contact Campus SIS Coordinator to schedule an In- Person Orientations Attend in- Person Orientation. Complete enrollment paperwork ASAP Enrollment occurs after paperwork is approved by SIS Staff. Sign Up for “My AmeriCorps” online account.

Complete service hours at site(s) and complete monthly time logs. Write a “Great Story” and/or participate in an on-campus reflection session At 90% completion of service, begin exit paperwork. Pass in paperwork with final time log. Upon approval, Term is complete. Education Award can be accessed online immediately upon exit. If you have questions about the award, contact the National Service Trust

 900 Hour Members are required to have their site supervisor complete a mid-term site supervisor evaluation to be turned in to SIS Campus Coordinator with next time log. Applies to 900 hour Members ONLY

In order to enroll in the SIS program you must provide an acceptable form of identification. U.S. Birth Certificate U.S. Passport Permanent Resident Card Others described in the Member Agreement

 All members are required to have a Criminal Record Check on file and a name check completed on the National Sex Offender Public Registry.  Registered sex offenders or members showing a murder conviction on their criminal record check will not be allowed to participate in the SIS program.  Members serving Vulnerable Populations must have FBI Fingerprint Check conducted

 If you are a full-time student, all your loans may be in loan deferment and there would be no need to ask for a forbearance  Being issued a forbearance makes you eligible to have a portion of the loan interest (which is accruing while you serve) paid at the end of your term by the National Service Trust.  Forbearances may be requested using my.americorps.govmy.americorps.gov  Request forbearances for any loans that you are making payments and/or accruing interest on while you serve.  Loan holders may or may not choose to grant forbearances.  Interest accrual payments are made at the end of your term of service, no more than 90 days following, and are done via the my.americorps.gov page as well.my.americorps.gov  For a more detailed explanation of Loan Forbearance, contact your loan holder and/or financial aid officer

Cannot be counted as service hours. Full list is located on pages 4 & 5 of the Member Agreement Attempting to influence legislation; Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions or strikes; Engaging in partisan political activities; Engaging in religious instruction, constructing or operation facilities devoted to religious instruction, or proselytizing; Conducting a voter registration drive; Providing abortion services or referrals; Activities that pose a significant safety risk; Performing any services or duties, or engaging in any activities, prohibited under the nonduplication, nondisplacement, or nonsupplantation requirements relating to employees and volunteers.

 Member dropped out of program  Member convicted of felony or selling controlled substance  Discipline reasons Cause Compelling Personal Circumstance Program Direct Release  Member has not completed at least 15% of service hours within 4 months of the start of their term of service  AND has not been in contact with their SIS Coordinator  Member illness, illness in family, military service, others  Must provide letter or detailing circumstance  Not to be abused

 Members are responsible for completing and submitting required paperwork by the assigned deadlines.  Members are required to provide up-to-date contact information.  Failure to complete program requirements (including not fully completing exit paperwork or not completing all service hours before completion date) may result in the member being released from their term of service and exited without award.

 Member Agreement details the SIS AmeriCorps Grievance Policy  Most grievances are dealt with by informal means

 All three policies are detailed on the SIS Web Site and the Member Agreement.  SIS AmeriCorps members are required to review and fully understand the Member Agreement before enrollment in the SIS AmeriCorps program.  SIS values service by all individuals and will provide reasonable accomidations when needed.

 Enrollment forms  Time Log  Exit Checklist Pass out Enrollment Package

 Enrollment Checklist – Review for completion  AmeriCorps Enrollment Form (Part 1 and 2)  Member Agreement Authorization  Copy of Proper Identification must be included before you can be enrolled.  Acknowledgement of Prohibited Activities  FBI Fingerprint Check Verification Form  Site Agreement and Member Development Plan (pages 1 – 3)

 Check that you have completed all three parts of the AmeriCorps Enrollment Form  Including Educational History and Veteran Status  Check that you have written your Date of Birth and Social Security Number clearly and legibly  Don’t forget to sign and date the form

 Review and understand the terms of the Member Agreement before signing  Check that you have circled the proper Term of Service (300, 450, or 900hrs)  If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must also sign the Member Agreement.

 You cannot count any service hours that are considered Prohibited Activities  You and your Site Supervisor must certify that you have read and understood the List of Prohibited Activities and your service with the SIS AmeriCorps program will not include any Prohibited Activities.

 All members must complete the Criminal Record Check Authorization form.  This gives your SIS Campus Coordinator permission to conduct a criminal background check, which could entail one or all of the following: ◦ National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR) ◦ State Criminal History Repository ◦ FBI Fingerprint Check (if needed)

Three pages and three parts Part 1: Completed by you Tell us about your service, duties, and the positive impacts of your service Part 2: Completed by your Site Supervisor Provide certification and contact information Part 3: Completed by your SIS Campus Coordinator Review and certify completeness of paperwork

Check appropriate boxes for the following: Q1. SIS Program Concentration Areas See SIS website or talk to your SIS Campus Coordinator for explanation of Concentration Areas Q2. Who are the beneficiaries of your service? This is the target community population your site serves. Q3. What critical community need does your service address This is also the reason your service site exits, to serve a critical community need.

Tell us about: Q4. Specific duties and responsibilities at your service site. Describe clearly and in a thorough manner. Review examples on SIS AmeriCorps Website for more information. Q5. Two ways in which your service will positively impact your community. Use the boxes checked for Q2 and Q3 to frame your responses. Ex 1. improve the education outcomes for 15 at risk youth providing them with more confidence in their academic abilities Ex 2. Provide a positive role model for at- risk youth

What is meant by value added service? Q6. What additional value will your service bring to your site as an AmeriCorps member? Check one of the boxes that best describes the Value Added Service you’re providing at your site. Value Added Service is the additional benefit a community receives by having an SIS AmeriCorps member. Ex: Service wouldn’t get done otherwise without the SIS AmeriCorps member Ex: Increased ability to recruit volunteers for National Days of Service and other community based projects.

Activities that help members develop their ability to better help their community. Ex: learning a new language such as Spanish to better serve the Hispanic/Latino community Ex: Taking a First Aid/CPR class Ex: Time spent in workshops at a Service Learning conference Ex: any trainings, readings, reflections, an elective class, symposiums, workshops, in-service presentations, etc. that will help you in better serving your community

 Make sure your Site Supervisor checks “Yes” or “No” to answer the first two questions at the top of the page  Make sure your Site Supervisor reviews, certifies and dates the form before you turn the form in with your SIS AmeriCorps Enrollment Package  Having a backup Site Supervisor is optional, however is helpful if your Site Supervisor is unavailable.

 All enrollment paperwork is expected to be handed in as soon as possible after In-Person Orientation  All enrollment paperwork must be Completely Filled Out and Signed in Pen and handed in, preferably, In-Person. ENROLLMENT BEGINS… Official enrollment date begins no earlier than the day you pass in a complete enrollment package, the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR) has been completed, and a State Repository and/or FBI Fingerprint check has at least been ordered at the time of enrollment. All enrollment paperwork must be signed by the member, site supervisor, and SIS Campus Coordinator on or before the official enrollment date.

 Always keep a copy for yourself  One time log per service site  One time log per month  Check your math, round to the nearest half hour  All time logs should be free from cross/white outs  Do not make changes to your time log  Provide descriptions of all service activities  The Site Supervisor who signed your site agreement must also sign your time logs  Must be signed by member and Site Supervisor within 30 days of last hours served  Always provide original signatures

 Submit Great Stories demonstrating how your service benefits the community members you serve or yourself.  Your submission of Great Stories educates our funders and the community on your service activities, and ensures future funding so more college students can participate in SIS.  Please submit a Great Story online at any time!  Tell us about a part of your service of which you are especially proud or a “light bulb moment” when you learned/realized something important.

 Review Exit Checklist  Begin your exit paperwork when you are 95% complete with your service hours so you can turn in exit paperwork along with your final time log.  If you have multiple sites, only one site supervisor is required to complete the End-of Term Site Supervisor Evaluation. You must turn in a complete evaluation to be eligible for the education award.  Once exited by your SIS campus coordinator your award will immediately appear in your “My AmeriCorps” online account.  For Ed Award questions, contact the Trust at or visit

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