The start of a new academic year is always full of promise and potential. In my office, the beginning of each year is marked by the kickoff of our AmeriCorps program. We are part of CalServes AmeriCorps VIP, and this year we have 20 new members who will be serving at various agencies in the county for the next 10 months.
Over the past two days, I have been entrenched in orientation activities for our new members. They are an impressive group and bring a diverse set of experiences, backgrounds, and skills. Many members have recently graduated from college, others have not completed their undergraduate degree, and some have either started or finished a graduate program.
For recent graduates, AmeriCorps makes the perfect capstone experience. A capstone experience is a culminating experience in which students are expected to integrate, extend, critique and apply knowledge gained in the major (Wagenaair, 1993). Examples of capstone experiences are senior projects, internships, and research fellowships.
Capstone experiences can:
Although Americorps members won’t get rich (at least not from their living allowance), they can look forward to tremendous benefits. Members gain confidence, transferable skills, knowledge about their personal work styles, clarification of their career goals, friendships, and professional connections. Americorps is an excellent opportunity for individuals who are in transition – from recent college graduates looking for more work experience to babyboomers preparing for retirement.
What types of capstone experiences does your institution provide? How are they beneficial to students?
[...] programs, both as a direct and a sub-grantee. AmeriCorps programs allow us to provide valuable capstone experiences to students. We have graduated over 200 AmeriCorps members from our various [...]