Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Students needed for Americorps program education awards

Photos and story by James Hill

Good news!This year, for the first time, PCC is participating in a special Americorps program. Twenty PCC students will have the opportunity to earn a $1000 education award.What’s required?300 hours of community service at a qualifying organization, completed in one calendar year.What qualifies?Volunteer work in the fields of education, human needs and services, environmental initiatives, public safety and homeland security.Work study placements in these fields. The only allowable pay is a work study placement.How can students enroll?1. First, visit this website: studentsinservice.org. This is a required first step. Students will get a brief overview of the program, which can help them decide if this program is right for them.On this site students will find a brief questionnaire which they must bring to the orientation. The questionnaire is simple: answer three questions, including “Why do you want to serve?” Bring the questionnaire to the orientation session.2. Attend an in-person orientation. We will offer orientations on all campuses. Contact your campus representative for dates and times. Students can attend an orientation at any campus. Students who attend orientation will receive a copy of the enrollment form. 3. Tuesday, October 26: all enrollment forms must be turned in to the campus representatives. A committee of campus representatives will meet and select the twenty students who will receive the awards. 4. The twenty students must attend a final orientation. This will be scheduled in the first week of November. They will receive a Member booklet, and a booklet for their site supervisor. They may begin counting their hours at this orientation.5. Students select their own sites. The campus contacts will assist students to find sites if requested. 6. Service Learning or Cooperative Education sites may be used.We want to get the word out to the maximum number of students. If more than twenty students complete enrollment forms, the committee will make selections based on a fair distribution among the campuses, student GPA, financial need and a distribution of placements among a variety of sites. (For example, not all on-campus volunteer sites.)Campus contacts:Cascade Molly Oliver moliver@pcc.edu 503-978-5242Rock Creek Tamara Williams twilliams@pcc.edu 503-614-7243Sylvania Elizabeth Worley eworley@pcc.edu 503-977-4419 Lynn Geis lgeis@pcc.edu 503-977-4559SE Center Glenna Barrick-Harwood gbarrick@pcc.edu 503-977-4661 ORIENTATION SESSIONSSylvania Friday, Oct. 1 3:30 -4:30 CC Bldg Pine Room Lynn GeisSylvania Tuesday, Oct. 5 6:00-7:00 CC Bldg Pine Room Lynn Geismore sessions will be added to this schedule