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Campus Review
July 7, 2014
AmeriCorps Recognized by Governor Deal
by Samantha Watson
AmeriCorps Program Recognized
In National Publication for Innovation
The 2014 edition of Transforming
Communities through Service: A
Collection of the Most Innovative
AmeriCorps State and Volunteer
Generation Fund Programs in the United
States features AmeriCorps State and
Volunteer Generation Fund programs in
21 states.
Clayton State University’s AmeriCorps
Program is featured in Transforming
Communities as one of 28 programs
nationwide to be recognized as an innova-
tive program in the focus area of educa-
tion. Clayton State AmeriCorps members
annually tutor more than 200 high school
students at risk for academic failure
and/or dropping out, providing an impor-
tant resource to support the local school
district. According to Clayton State
AmeriCorps Program Coordinator Jen
Welch, 78 percent of the students tutored
showed an increase in their overall grade
average and of those students, 72 percent
of student’s grades improved by five
points or more.
In addition to tutoring, Clayton State
AmeriCorps members conduct a Spring
Break College and Career camp for high
school students. Members participate in
local community service projects, recruit
community volunteers, and serve as one
of the most popular groups on the Clayton
State campus. This past year, Clayton
State members recruited 160 volunteers
who collectively served more than 1,000
hours at various community service proj-
ects including the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day of Service, Make a Difference Day,
and a 5K Race benefiting Georgia's
Wounded Heroes.
Welch notes that the AmeriCorps program
is successful because Clayton State is a
service institution that focuses on being a
supportive community, both for its own
students, and for the surrounding commu-
nities. Clayton State, institutionally and
individually, invests much time in service
learning and sees AmeriCorps as one of
its most effective programs in reaching
the surrounding community.
Another reason for the program’s success
is the high demand for AmeriCorps pro-
grams in Clayton County. Welch says that
the community understands AmeriCorps’
contributions and sees the direct impact of
the programs. Further, the involvement of
Clayton State staff, including but not lim-
ited to Welch, and students have made this
program one of the most popular pro-
grams on campus.
Clayton State student Breanna Simpson,
who was tutored as a high school student,
noted the program’s secrets to success
when she shared her story with the
Georgia Commission for Service and
Volunteerism Board. She spoke about the
pride she feels serving as an AmeriCorps
member because prior to her having an
encouraging AmeriCorps mentor, she had
no plans to even to go college. This rela-
tionship not only encouraged her to go to
college, but to return in service as an
AmeriCorps member to mentor younger
high school students to continue the cycle.
The 2014 edition of Transforming
Communities commemorates the 20th
anniversary of AmeriCorps and state serv-
ice commissions, the statewide governor-
appointed agencies leading the nation’s
service movement and AmeriCorps State
programming.
Clayton State University’s AmeriCorps
program received a letter of recognition
from Governor Nathan Deal for their
service with the Georgia Emergency
Management Agency (GEMA) on Feb.
22. The AmeriCorps team members gra-
ciously gave up their weekend to help
with the disaster response to the snow and
ice storms in Augusta, Ga.
Deal expresses his “deepest gratitude for
the commendable service you rendered
our fellow citizens during the most recent
snow storms. Your work… was indispen-
sable in aiding Georgians…”
Twenty-two Clayton State students
answered the GEMA call for volunteers
and served on that Saturday. During the
service project, AmeriCorps members
cleaned up debris and hauled away trees
and tree limbs from community member’s
lawns. The combined work of the Clayton
State team resulted in the complete clear-
ing and cleaning of five homes located in
Augusta and North Augusta.
Deal praises the students and states that
their commitment and selflessness are,
“the greatest characteristics of a Georgian,
and your actions during these touch win-
ter episodes reflect such admirable quali-
ties.”
That day AmeriCorps members removed
approximately two tons of tree/tree limbs
and provided a total of 209 hours of
response service. During their service the
team even recruited an additional four
volunteers who provided a total of 38
hours of service.
The Clayton State University AmeriCorps
Program is dedicated to the community,
requiring its members to complete more
than 900 hours of service within Clayton
County and abroad.
AmeriCorps, cont’d., p. 25