Michigan Service Scholars

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Michigan Service Scholars
AmeriCorps Program Training
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Agenda For Training

• I. MSS Program
• Background (What is AmeriCorps, MCC, MSS?)
• What are the details of the MSS program?
• Rules and Regulations
• Enrollment Process
• Exit Process
• Timesheets
• BREAK
• II. Supplemental Training
• MCC Training
• Citizenship Training
• III. Enrollment

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www.micampuscompact.org

• Mission
• Michigan Campus Compact promotes the education
  and commitment of Michigan college students to be
  civically engaged citizens, through creating and
  expanding academic, co-curricular and campus-wide
  opportunities for community service,
  service-learning and civic engagement.

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The Broad View

• MCC is the only organization bringing together
  public and private higher education institutions
  in Michigan.
• MCC is part of the Michigan Nonprofit Association
  and Campus Compact.
• MCC has 42 current member institutions.

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Michigan Service Scholars
AmeriCorps Program

• MSS program will provide 300,000 state-wide to
  students attending any of the 42 member campuses.
• Grant to distribute Education Award from the
  Michigan Community Service Commission and the
  Corporation for National Community Service.
• 300 students willing to complete 300 hrs of
  community service during one calendar year will
  be awarded a 1000 scholarship (Education Award).

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Eligible Hours of Service

• Where can I serve?
• 501(c)3 Nonprofit Agencies
• K-12 Schools and Districts
• Higher Education Institutions doing
  community-based work
• CHOOSE ONE DESIGNATION BELOW
• Volunteer Recruitment
• Recruiting additional volunteers to participate
  in a service project, event, program, etc
• Examples You are serving for Habitat for
  Humanity or your campus community
  service/service-learning office to recruit
  student organizations to participate in service.
• Community Service
• Helping a non-profit organization fulfill its
  mission through community service and
  volunteerism
• Examples Cleaning the local river or lakeshore,
  volunteering at a hospital or tutoring a child.

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Areas of Member Service may include

• Community Based Research
• Community Service
• Federal Work Study
• Special Projects
• Student Positions on Campus
• Student Organization Work

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• DOES MY SERVICE QUALIFY FOR THE MSS EDUCATION
  AWARD PROGRAM?

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Specific Countable Hours

• Training Hours (20 60 hrs. Total) Any
  pertinent training related to the service you are
  doing. This could be done by the nonprofit you
  are working with, going to a speaker on campus or
  enrolling in CPR training at Red Cross.
• Fundraising Hours (10 30 hrs. Total) Any
  programmatic fundraising for student
  programs/organizations or nonprofits. Cannot be
  fundraising for MCC/Your Campus/Your schools
  general fund.
• Your start date for this program is the 1st of
  next month. You can count hours beginning on
  that date.

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Education Award

• Education award is not a check made out to the
  student personally.
• Uses for the education award include pay for
  qualified student loans (Stafford, Perkins,
  Federal Direct and Indirect, etc.), current
  education expenses (must be an enrolled student),
  and up to 7 years for classes or other degrees at
  any accredited institution of higher education
  nationally.
• Ed Award is taxable income in the year it is
  used, NOT the year it
  is awarded.

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Education Award and Financial Aid

• Financial aid packages may be affected in the
  year the voucher is used.
• Please speak with the financial aid counselor at
  your institution about the specifics of your
  package.
• If you wish to avoid any effect you may consider
  waiting until your last semester to use the
  voucher or you may use it exclusively to pay back
  student loans after graduation.

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Resources on theweb

• On our website, you will find
• Member Handbook
• Link to OnCorps for Timekeeping
• Resources
• Exit Forms, Links, etc.
• Education Award Information

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AmeriCorps Rules
and Regulations

• Prohibited Activities (Member Contract)
• Politics
• -Influencing legislation, organizing/engaging in
  protests, organizing voter registration drives,
  etc
• Religion
• -Teaching religious classes, proselytizing, etc
  
• Fundraising
• -You may help fundraise for your organization or
  agency but you may not fundraise for yourself.
• Unions
• -Participating in union organizing.
• Drug Free Policy
• Prohibits possession, distribution, manufacturing
  of any controlled substance in the workplace.
  Controlled substance refers to all illegal drugs
  without a physicians order.
• Criminal Background/Sexual Offender Registry
  Check
• Will be performed prior to start of service. MSS
  has the right to deny acceptance based on results.

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www.americorpsmi.org
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End of Service

• Before your end of service
• 150 hour e-mail to update your progress
• 300 hour e-mail to signify completion
• What do I do when I finish my 300 hours of
  service?
• REQUIRED! Complete Corporation for National and
  Community Service Exit Form (on website) Sign
  and return
• REQUIRED! Complete AmeriCorps Online Exit Survey
  (link on website)
• REQUIRED! Have one representative of where you
  served complete online Community Partner Survey.

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AmeriCorps Online System
www.my.americorps.gov
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WAYS TO CONNECT!

• Michigan Campus Compact uses many technologies to
  connect with you!
• Instant Messenger You can reach our office by
  instant messenger most weekdays between 8 and 4
  using mssamericorps as the screenname. This will
  work with all major IM programs including AIM,
  GoogleTalk, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger
• Voicemail/Autodialing Service Michigan Campus
  Compact uses an autodialer service to remind you
  of important deadlines or messages about your
  status in Michigan Service Scholars. You may get
  a phone call from us using this system. PLEASE
  DO NOT HANG UP! Its important you hear the
  message. While you are all very important to us,
  its very hard to make 100 phone calls in a
  timely and efficient manner.

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2nd Year of Service

• Students may choose to participate in MSS for a
  second year.
• Second year members are required to come to a
  training and provide the same materials as the
  first year.
• You may only draw on the federal trust twice in
  your life. This means if you intend to do a full
  year of AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC, City Year, Teach
  for America, etc. you will not be able to receive
  the education award. You may be eligible for a
  stipend through these programs instead, but it is
  usually thousands of dollars less than the
  education award.
• If you have questions about any of this, please
  contact us.

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Break! Please be back on Time!
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MCC Resources

• www.micampuscompact.org

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Citizenship Training
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Member Enrollment Process

• Please complete all paperwork and bring to the
  MCC staff. Do not forget the following
• Drivers license or state ID card
• Proof of citizenship (i.e. birth
  certificate/passport)
• Member Application
• Enrollment Survey
• Completed Enrollment Workbook
• Citizenship Certification

FAQ Part Time Prgm Spell out MSS First Date of
Service 11/1