Madisen Medina, a 2020 graduate of Bainbridge High School, is serving with the National Civilian Community Corps, a 10-month, full-time AmeriCorps program.
Founded in 1994, AmeriCorps NCCC strengthens communities and develops its young adult members into leaders.
AmeriCorps NCCC operates out of four campuses, which serve as regional administrative hubs and training facilities. These campuses, located in Sacramento, Calif., Aurora, Colo., Vinton, Iowa, and Vicksburg, Miss., train and deploy new classes of members several times each year.
Medina began her term of service last fall in Aurora and will graduate July 15.
As a corps member, Medina is completing a series of six- to 12-week-long service projects in different places across her assigned region as part of a five- to 12-person team.
Projects support disaster relief, the environment, infrastructure improvement, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. “Taking a gap year was always my plan before college; deciding to do AmeriCorps came easy when I realized I could give back to my country’s communities while taking a year to mature before college,” Medina said.
AmeriCorps NCCC members complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the program. Corps members are 18 to 26 years old; there is no upper age limit for team leaders.
Participants receive $6,345 to help pay for college. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, team building skills, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, they can indeed make a difference.
About 270,000 Americans engage in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs annually. Despite the challenges in 2020, dedicated citizens continue to help communities, serving those impacted by COVID-19, ensuring students stay on track to graduate, combating hunger and homelessness, responding to natural disasters, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping seniors live independently, supporting veterans and military families, and much more.
AmeriCorps NCCC is one of hundreds of programs administered by the larger AmeriCorps agency. For details go to www.americorps.gov/nccc.
