Pros & Cons of Americorps NCCC

[@saucyjackson6808]

I love how honest you are to future Americorps members!!! This is my first year in Americorps and ive experienced all of this!!😂😂

[@12ThManOffGridAK]

You're awesome and thank you so much for your service! Serve Alaska Commission member,
~Jeremy
~

[@benhartwick4745]

Thanks so much for making this video on NCCC because there aren't many out there. Your channel has been really helpful in helping me decide to apply to the program.

[@theworkingexpat]

Thanks, I’m glad that it has been helpful!
Good luck with your application and, if you decide to join, I hope you have an amazing year!

[@dominikamimari427]

Just got my acceptance letter from americorps and I start in Sacramento ( just what i wanted!) in this October, and man i am so hyped for it! And I'm very nervous at the same time, one thing you mentioned that I'm looking forward to is a schoolorship and I am still planning on going to art School in the future so I'll definitely let that come in handy if it does hehe can't wait for a better life

[@theworkingexpat]

Thats great! I hope you have a fantastic year and that you love art school!!

[@dominikamimari427]

@@theworkingexpat thank you so much 😄

[@J91Y]

i’m going back into FEMA CORP this march! sadly my nccc fractional ended when covid happened and we finished service from home

[@theworkingexpat]

That’s awesome! I’m excited to know how your FEMA year will compare with your NCCC one. Im sorry it ended due to covid. At least you are getting back out there for another service year!

[@J91Y]

@@theworkingexpat u should check out my last video on my channel i just did a trailer :) in service before i went home from nccc
ua-cam.com/video/x_TYdaFElMc/v-deo.html

[@TamaraQuinlan]

Hey Sabrina! I love your videos. They are tremendously helpful! Would you be able to explain more of the travel component of Americorps NCCC? Thank you!

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! I'm glad I can help!
Of course! When it comes to the travel portion of the program, each team is assigned a 15 passenger van that they use to drive from campus to their project (this could be a few ours drive, or a couple of days as you will most likely be driving across multiple states). You use the same van for the entire program and it gets you to and from the worksite, your accommodation, around town of free days, ect...
Since you will be serving in different communities around the USA you will get to travel to different cities/towns/states around your region and see a lot of things!

[@saucyjackson6808]

WHAT REGIONS WERE U IN!!! I'm in the north central region and u r soo on point!!!!

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! My first year I was in the Pacific Region and my second year I was in the North Central region! I hope your year is going well, it is a wild ride but a really awesome one!

[@alexr6705]

Hey, I’m in high school and I was wondering if I should go into NCCC after my senior year. It’s a fascinating program that’s absolutely captivated me and I’ve watched some of your other videos on it and I think I’m fairly sold, but I still have a few questions involving PT and funds. What are the physical requirements and PT like? I’m not the most fit guy, but I’m not exactly totally out of shape either. In addition, on top of the college credits, will I be able to use the Segal Education Award or any of the other education money on loans I haven’t made yet, and will I have any money left from stipends after I get done with my service? I was just wondering if I’d be able to put any of my stipends and such towards college, or whether everything just goes towards surviving. Once again, thank you so much for making these videos, I’ve really been considering joining to help other people and see America, and you’ve massively swayed me to do so!

[@theworkingexpat]

Hey!
I'm glad I could help!
When it comes to PT, it is not as daunting as you may originally think. It will be 3 times per week, and be around 10mins for warm up, 45mins for the actually exercise, and 10-15mins for a cool down (give or take a few mins on each of those). During your first month of training, you will be shown a variety of different PTs you and your team can participate in during your rounds. This can be anything from yoga, circuits, a team hike, a tailored workout, funny 80s dance video, ect...It just depends on what your team is into. It will be much easier than you may think, and you are welcome to go at your own pace. People of all fitness levels join NCCC and find it is not as bad as they thought.
When it comes to the education award, you can use it toward current student loans, current college payments, and a few other odds and ends (such as specific wilderness/education courses).
Regarding saving money during your year- I believe corps members are given a stipend of about $200 every 2 weeks (before taxes). You will need this to buy things like toiletries, and you may end up spending it on fun things to do in the area you are in, or going out to eat (on your own, outside of the food budget your team has).. so you may find you may not save as much as you would like, even if you are very stingy with your spending- but that is up to you.
Hopefully that helps! If you do join the program I hope it is a great experience and you have a wonderful time!

[@GabriellaJones00]

Hi, I’m an incoming senior in high school and have been considering going into the Americorps after high school for a while now. I just have a few questions. What does the teams/housing look like (same gender or mixed genders)? What do the uniforms normally look like? Is it possible that you will be placed near your home town? Is there like a graduation at the end? What does the training look like? How long does it take to get excepted after applying? Thanks!

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! Some of the answers to your questions are require a lot more detail, but I will answer them as directly as possible :)
1. Teams - they try to keep the teams as diverse as possible when it comes to age, background, gender, ect.. The average number of members on a team range between 8-12.
2. Housing- housing completely varies. It will change per project. One round you may be living in apartments, the next round you may be living in tents. They try and keep housing separated by gender but there may be times where you will all be living in one giant room as a team.
3. Uniforms consist of black lace up boots, kaki cargo pants, and an americorps shirt (grey for corps members and green for team leaders). Shirts must be tucked in and you have an issued belt you need to wear with them.
4. The possibility of being placed near your home town can happen but is extremely low. I have seen it happen, but there are many location options. This will only happen if you are serving in the same region your hometown/state is located.
5. Training is about 1 month for Corps members. It is much different than what the actual year is like and is a lot of lecture-style trainings with a lot of sitting and listening.
6. Depending on when you apply and what campus you are applying to, hearing back can vary greatly.
Hopefully these answers help. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask! :)

[@GabriellaJones00]

@@theworkingexpat thank you so much!!!

[@Pcr810]

Can you please describe the training that is provided at the start of service. My daughter will likely join next summer.

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! Of course!
For Team Leaders the training is a little less than 2 months. They train with each other for the first month before the corps members come.
For Corps Members the training is about a month.
The training can be quite intensive. There is a lot of information given to you and the majority of it is given lecture style. This can be hard for a lot of people because they spend a lot of time sitting. My advice is to really listen to what is being told to you and push through it because she will be out in the field doing physical work before she knows it.
During the training time Corps Members will learn how the program works, types of service work and different organizations they will be working with, a typical day or week in the field, the rules and regulations of the program, and more.
There is some hands on tool training, but a lot of the physical work they will learn on site when they start their projects.
Team Leader training is a lot like corps member training, but they also learn all the paperwork they need to do, a bit more diversity training and working with people, how to lead a team and so on.
During their training time they live on campus (which is provided for them) and their main meals are also provided for them.
Hope this helps.

[@Pcr810]

@@theworkingexpat Very helpful! Thank You.

[@alienajackson8621]

Are there any opportunities to go home and visit family during your year of service? I’m considering applying, but am not sure I can go 10 months without being home. I know the holidays would hit hard. Thanks!

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! There is a break during the program when you to visit home. This break depends on when you start your program/the dates of your service year. If you are in the program during Christmas, then you will get a couple of weeks to go home for the holidays- but you will be in the program during Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you are in the program during the full summer there is a summer/spring break type break that also lasts a couple of weeks.
As a member you also have a total of 6 days- if I remember correctly- that you can take off during the program.

[@ajf5823]

My son hated Americorps but loves being in the Navy. 🤷‍♀️

[@theworkingexpat]

The program is most definitely not for everyone. I am glad he found a place he loves!

[@lukebaldwin3335]

Also one other thing I wanted to ask was isn't here age limit that you can join nccc like can a 30 year old join

[@theworkingexpat]

Yes there is an age limit. For a Corps Member it is currently 18-26. But there is not age limit to be a Team Leader. I have worked with several Team Leaders that were over the age of 30.

[@evandempsey7613]

Hi Sabrina,
I've got a question about free time/establishing routines while in NCCC. I'm a writer, and I have a project that I want to begin working seriously on, which would require that I spend about an hour every day on it. Usually, this means I need a quiet space where I can work without interruptions for that hour. I also write on my laptop, and while I don't need an internet connection, I probably would need to charge it every day or two.
Is establishing this kind of routine feasible while participating in NCCC?
Thanks,
Evan

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi Evan!
When it comes to free time and establishing a routines in NCCC, the hard part is that you do not know where your assignment or what your service work will be until a few weeks before you leave. Then, after a few weeks or months in that location, you will pick up and head somewhere new that you -again- wont know till a few weeks prior.
You may get assigned to a location where your team is housed in apartments, so you always have an outlet available and you are able to keep your electronics charged. Or, maybe your team is living in a big house with many rooms, and there is a location where you or your teammates can go to be alone. If so, that is wonderful!
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. You may be assigned to a project where you are living 4-8 weeks in tents, and camping- thus, you dont always have a place to keep things charged. Or you may all be living in a large room together and there are very few spaces to be alone.
Thus, it is not guaranteed that you will always have the time, space, or means of charging your electronics and finding the perfect location.
Of course, there are ways around this: My team spent A LOT of time in libraries and coffee shops during the weekend to get work done. However, if you do not need internet that helps A LOT!
You could always get a backup battery to keep your computer charged if you have no other means. Or, you could always use a notebook and then transfer your work to your laptop when you are able to keep it fully charged. (Unless your laptop can hold a charge for a while, then you may be good to go.)
One thing I did a lot while on projects, especially when there were no quiet places to get away from my team- since our housing was so small - would be to go sit in the team van and make phone calls. Or, if you are in the country/woods, find a quiet spot where you can hang a hammock and get done work done.
When it comes to free time, depending on your project, you may not have a TON of time after work that day, and if you do you also need to consider that you will have team meetings and some extra work with other various NCCC assignments. You also may be very tired after a long day- especially depending on your projects. And, you dont want to miss out on team hangout time or fun.
This is not to say you wont have any free time- just that you will have to make sure you are using your free time the way that works best for you each day.
I wish I could give a more straight forward answer- but with a program that changes so much, you never know.
My best piece of advice would be....Once you get your project, do lots of research and pre-plan the locations and time frame in which you can complete your work. If you are are super determined, if may work just fine!
Hopefully this helps and if you do join the program I hope all works well and you have a great service year!

[@evandempsey7613]

@@theworkingexpat Thanks for the response! I've still got some thinking to do, but I'm leaning towards accepting the invitation.

[@evandempsey7613]

@@theworkingexpat Now that I'm thinking about it, I have another question: how many personal belongings are people usually able to bring? Would I have the ability to leave things at the program campus while I'm away on a project, or do I have to take everything with me?

[@theworkingexpat]

@@evandempsey7613 You do have the opportunity to leave things behind! Actually, you will have to leave things behind.
When you accept an invite to the program, they will mail you what they call a "green bag"- this is like an old army bag where you will pack up all your things and bring with you to campus.
Before you leave for a project, you will be given a different bag called a "red bag", which is a bit smaller. You use your red bag to take what you need with you to your project/round. Anything else you will pack in your green bag and leave in storage at campus.
Between each round you will have access to your green bag to change out what you need depending on your next project.

[@evandempsey7613]

@@theworkingexpat Awesome, that helps a lot.

[@corpmemberncccace2402]

Do You Think Ill Be Able to Lose Weight in AmeriCorp NCCC? My Goal is to Lose 80lbs With the 10 Months I’m in Service
Is the Volunteer Work Really Hard Labor So I Can Burn Lots of Calories in NCCC?

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! I wish I had a straight answer for you, but it really depends. Yes, the majority of projects will be hard work and labor intensive, such as: trail building, invasive species removal, construction projects... ect... So you will be burning calories... However, because you are burning a lot, you will also need to make sure you are intaking enough to keep up your energy and ensure your body has the right amount of protein, nutrients, calories , ect... to keep you going throughout the day.
One thing that can also be hard is because you shop for food and cook as a team, you do not always get to choose what is for dinner or what snack there are available - this is something you and your team will discuss and compromise on. Of course it is good to think about what food you can all agree on that will keep your body and mind happy, but it also needs to be in the budget.
Of course, like in all things, it depends on your mind set and achievable goals. I will say I know people who lost weight in the program because of how active it is. I also know people who gained weight in the program, myself included, because of how their eating habits had to change, or because of stress the program may bring.
I wish I had a more direct answer, but I hope that knowing these things will provide a bit more insight.
Good luck in the program if you decide to join and I hope you have an amazing experience!

[@camkirby2913]

If i work a job already and want to do this part time can I?

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! Unfortunately it is a full time commitment and you are unable to have a part time job while in the program. You travel around and live in many places without wifi, and there is a lot of hours outside the normal 9-5 of the work day.

[@camkirby2913]

@@theworkingexpat okay thanks for the quick feedback.

[@malenaqueteimporta5729]

My son is a film editing student and would like an opportunity to use this skill at Americorp. Is that possible?

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi.
There is a small possibly that he could with NCCC. However, it would not be a main focus.
If he really wants to do NCCC, I would recommend applying for a Support Team Leader (STL) who specializes in the Media section. This role may have a small part to do with editing and filming depending on what campus he is at and what they would need his role to do at the time.
With the STL position, just note that they do remain on campus for the majority of the time and they may be pulled into the field at any time to be a Team Leader (TL). As a TL he would not have any film editing opportunities due to how busy he would be.
If he wanted to be a Corps Member (CM), some campuses have specialty roles where he could do some media- however this would be more along the lines of making a website/blogging for his team specifically or doing personal vlogs for his team.
What I would recommend- if he wants to do Americorps, but is not set on NCCC - is to look into Americorps VISTA or State/National programs. There may be opportunities where he could specialize in media/outreach for nonprofits who need someone to put together videos or websites to showcase their nonprofit.
I hope this helps and good luck!

[@malenaqueteimporta5729]

@@theworkingexpat he does editing now for UA-cam channels and social media content. I will pass on this information to him. Thanks again for your help!

[@joshmoore5800]

How do I find out which programs have a campus for the volunteers? Are there any that you know of ?

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! Do you mean with Americorps NCCC? Or with other Americorps programs?

[@joshmoore5800]

@@theworkingexpat Just AmeriCorps as a whole

[@theworkingexpat]

@@joshmoore5800 Go it! So NCCC and FEMA all have campuses and provide housing.
With VISTA and State/National, many of them you find your own housing and receive a stipend to help pay for it. You can search for different program options for the later two on my.americorps.gov - they will say if they provide housing, but most are stipend only.
For other branch-off Americorps Programs, such as Teach for America, there are none that I know of.

[@joshmoore5800]

@@theworkingexpat Much help, thanks for the info

[@semimba]

My daughter is looking to joining. With the low stipend, how do you find a place to live? Do they house you or house you with other members or are you on your own? She has a car -- will she actually need it?

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi!
The low stipend is provided so that members can by things that are not provided such as toiletries.
The program provides housing and houses the teams as a group.
She can bring her car to campus, but will really only be able to use it a for a month or two because cars must stay on the main campus where training it done. When members go off to projects they must ride in the team van and are not able to bring personal vehicles.

[@semimba]

@@theworkingexpat Is this the same with the VISTA program?

[@theworkingexpat]

@@semimba With VISTA it can depend on which program you are in- but the majority of them you must find your own housing.

[@garrettmcphearson5398]

I get my invitation next week anything I need to know ?

[@theworkingexpat]

Hi! Other than what I put in my videos, I dont think so. I hope you have a wonderful experience!

[@J91Y]

how old are u?!!

[@theworkingexpat]

I just turned 27. (But was 23 and 25 for my americorps years). How old are you?

[@J91Y]

@@theworkingexpat i just turned 24 and i was worried i’d be too old for fema but they extended the age gap

[@theworkingexpat]

@@J91Y yes they are up to 26 now- and you could always be a tl, no age limit on that. I wonder if they will keep the new age range or drop back down after covid