Why Be a Host Site?
AmeriCorps is a core program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency founded in 1993 on a mission to “Improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering,” as expressed on their website. CTEP is a local AmeriCorps program sponsored by SPNN which has been harnessing the AmeriCorps mission to strengthen digital literacy and job placement in the Twin Cities since 2004. We achieve this by recruiting AmeriCorps members and placing them at local partner organizations, or host sites. Host site partners are crucial to our program because the host site ultimately provides the environment and structure in which the CTEP member will do service. The host site, of course, benefits a great deal from the opportunity to work with an AmeriCorps member; someone who gets things done. Last year, the CTEP program was directly responsible for over 700 local job placements and more than 1500 digital literacy certifications.
A CTEP member can be expected to bring a host site:
- A dedicated, goal-oriented service commitment of 1700 hours over one year
- Direct service, capacity building, and volunteer recruitment contributions
- A fresh perspective and a passion for serving clients
- The combined wisdom and experience of the CTEP cohort
In addition, a host site can expect to gain:
- Valuable networking opportunities with similar organizations in the Twin Cities
- Feedback on programming intended to lessen the digital divide
An AmeriCorps member will work directly under a site supervisor, a designated employee of the host site who oversees the AmeriCorps position. The ideal supervisor is someone in a management position at the organization who has a passion for digital divide issues and welcomes a mentoring role. Professional development for members is an additional goal of the CTEP program, and supervisors will have the opportunity to be a positive influence on a member’s career trajectory. A CTEP placement could possibly be a member’s first introduction to nonprofit work, and for some members it will be the discovery of a lifelong calling.
Applications for becoming a host site, starting in September, are typically available in the December of the previous year. For more information about the application process, please visit the Host Site Application page.