While the issue of pronouns is important and is worth a conversation, this thread is about AmeriCorps, etc. Please stay on topic. Thank you all for your understanding
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My son who is graduating from college in May has accepted a Teach for America position in Chicago. He worked for two summers for Americorps as well. He will be busy this summer - has to study and pass some kind of written test, and participate in training. Then is expected to start work in his masters degree in teaching at night in the fall, mostly paid for by TFA. Hope he gets a good placement!
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Thatās terrific! Please update us on how it all goes. Very exciting time for sure.
I remember the anticipation my DD had while waiting for her Peace Corps assignment. She had a course she needed to complete in the summer, so didnāt get her assignment until Augustā¦and left late September! But she was ready!!
AmeriCorps is also a national government program. Teach For America is 29% funded from government sources, according to How is TFA funded? | Teach For America .
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Personally, I would rather my kid be in Atlanta and hear Americorps funding is over than be in rural Ghana and hear peacecorps funding is over.
As it is, PCV projects are typically funded by USAID, PEPfar small grants and those doors are now closed.
This isnt a politics forum, so I wonāt go into the details of what Americans working govt jobs abroad have gone through since January. Me, personally, I wouldnāt allow my kid consider the PCV right now.
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One of my kids did TFA. The school district paid her salary and benefits and she was on the teacherās contract.
Americorp provided the funding for the masters.
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I think it is hard to know where all the funding comes from. When I did the Americorps, it was thru a state program called Colorado Youth for a Change and thatās who issued the W2. The Segal grant came through the feds (of course). We were issued backpacks an supples and they said Americorps/Teach for America on them, and had a few other programs, and there were sent to us from some organization in MN that developed the materials. The reading programās material/backpacks came from somewhere else.
Iām pretty sure the Colorado program got a lot of its funding from federal sources, and the schools paid a small amount for our program if they COULD but if they couldnāt the programs got the the money from somewhere else. (many title 1 schools couldnāt afford to pay).
What was nice about not having the schools pay us directly was that we didnāt have to join the state pension plan and were social security wage employees.
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Sadly, the news about one of these groups hit today. It will be a miracle if any of these exist in a few months.
Please donāt provide more infoā¦I donāt want this to get political.
But itās very sad.
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Which group?
Peace Corps was entered by Doge today. I donāt think itās political to simply state the fact. It could be pertinent information for anyone thinking of applying.
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Facts. When I first posted that nobody should be encouraging their child to look at the PC right now and look at domestic options and some of the responses were focused on the federal funding aspect and made me wonder whether people truly understand what is going on.
Are in we denial or just unaware of the scope of seismic shift we are caught up in. I see people still asking about foreign service jobs, studying international relations or working in international development and as someone in the sector, the naivety is make me feel gaslit.
For the foreseeable future, peeps need to forget the peace corps, forget the foreign service, forget a career in international development (especially as Americans), forget international relations as major, if your kid is in it, tell them to pivot immediately. This is our current reality.
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The PC budget is about $400 million a year. Americorps is about $900 million a year and also encompasses TFA.
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When my daughter did TFA she received an Americorp grant. Given she was in a state that required a masters, this grant covered almost the entire cost of the degree at the affiliated TFA school. She/we paid $3000 for a masters in science education grades 7-12. She isnāt using it now, but if she has to she can.
She was considered an employee by the district she worked for. They paid her salary, they gave her additional money for extra biology credits, and they gave her an additional $14,000 because she gave up her prep to teach. She also received emails from the district about tutoring opportunities.
Nowā¦of course the entire program can get cut, unfortunately. That includes the grant.
Given that these jobs are in underserved communities and serve challenging students, it is possible that non education majors can still work there if they pass the certification exam (which was always required). I know districts who currently do this given the teacher shortages (note: you will not be in wealthy communities). If the state requires the masters, that will be on the teacher.
It is a shame that this program could be cut, as it is so beneficial for both students and corp members.
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I will addā¦if I had a kid in any of these programs, I would be advising them to come up with a Plan B in case these programs end.
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TFA is funded by districts so Iād be less concerned.
Now, with the DOE going away and will that hurt states schools overall - then we have a bigger issue, including regular teachers.
Itās sad - itās already started with Fulbright Scholars.
I donāt understand the benefit of taking down the hopes of people, the help to people, and the benefits of these things.
Itās sad.
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TFA comes under the umbrella of Americorps.
Districts hiring TFA corps members are usually under resourced and likeāy canāt pick up the portion the federal government provides.
Just buyer beware in these uncertain times.
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I donāt understand this eitherā¦but itās happening.
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I agree - people need a plan B. For any job really - as weāve seen in the past where even full time jobs were punted.
Kids are in a tough spot.
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I think it really depends on the district and state. The district my daughter worked for when she did TFA invited her back, but sheās not going.
Stillā¦.these cuts are horrible and really hurt people. Many of the TFA districts really need teachers.
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