By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – Gov. Inslee announced last week that Serve Washington, the state’s commission on community service, has been awarded $21.3 million in federal AmeriCorps funding that will help place 1,500 AmeriCorps members statewide.
Of that, $313,000 and will support 16 AmeriCorps Members working in Port Angeles schools as mentors and tutors.
Michell Gentry runs the AmeriCorps program in the district, grades K-12. She says, besides the satisfaction members get out of helping young people in their community, AmeriCorps mentors receive a monthly living stipend of about $1,500. When they complete the school year’s 1,700-hour commitment, there’s a $6,400 reward at the end, too.
“The really cool thing is that, if you’re above age 55, you can gift your education award. So, we have had a grandfather work one year as an Americorps, and then gift his award to one grandchild. And then he did a second year and gifted it to a second grandchild. Just kind of a neat way of doing that. And plus, the school then benefits because then they get a grandpa to hang around at school and read to the kids, and be with them on the playground, and do all those fun things.”
Of the 16 positions they’d like to fill this school year, only two are currently taken, far less than most years by this time. Gentry says it’s a nationwide trend this year, partly because there are so many jobs available. They’re looking for candidates, but they need to be people who are doing it for the right reasons.
“It really needs to be a person who has a heart for service and is doing it for practical experience working in schools. A lot of our members are trying to make a decision about what their next steps are. Do I want to work in schools? Do I want to work with kids at all? Do I want to go a different track? They use it as a year to make a decision. And then of course, the education award helps to either pay off student loans or go on to further schooling.”
Gentry says the full commitment works out to be about 36 hours per week, but they also have lesser commitments for people who want to put in less time.
If you’re interested, you can contact Michell directly at mgentry@portangelesschools.org, and to learn more about AmeriCorps, their website is americorps.gov.