250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

AmeriCorps NCCC Presentation for Students

Speaking Notes

Slide 1 

AmeriCorps NCCC (pronounced “‘N’ triple ‘C’”) stands for National Civilian Community Corps 

and is a team-based, residential service program for 18–26-year-olds. Today we will talk 

about the basic requirements, program options, benefits, and application process. Let’s get 

started!

Slide 2

Here are some basic elements of the NCCC programs:

• 18-26 years old: First, there is an age requirement to serve with NCCC. You must be 

18-26 years old to serve. If you are interested in a supervisory role, the Team Leader 

position does not have an upper age limit. You must also be 18 years old to serve as a 

Team Leader. 

• Length of service: You must be available to leave your hometown and serve full-time 

for 10-12 months for our Traditional Corps, FEMA Corps, and Forest Corps programs. 

If you’re looking for a shorter commitment, our Summer of Service program might be 

the right option for you as your service term would 2-3 months full-time. We’ll talk 

more about the differences between these two programs in a moment.

• Team-based: The team-based component is very important. You will be living, 

working, and traveling with a team of your peers for the entirety of your service term. 

Teams are typically composed of 8-12 members with one Team Leader assigned to 

each, but teams could also be larger or smaller depending on when you start. 

• 4 campuses: A campus is a regional hub where Corps Members receive training and 

which they return to in between each of their 3-6 projects. Our regions are Pacific 

(campus located in Sacramento, CA); Southwest (campus located in Aurora, CO); 

North Central (campus located in Vinton, IA); and Southern (campus located in 

Vicksburg, MS). While you will call this area “home base” during your service term, you 

will spend most of your time out in the field completing projects. Corps Members 

typically spend approximately 1-2 months total at their campus, over the course of 

their 10–11-month service term.

Slide 3

Within NCCC, there are currently four different programs options 
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250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

• Traditional Corps teams work with project partners in the field such as nonprofits; 

local, state or federal government agencies; NGOs; faith-based organizations; tribal 

groups; and more. Types of projects include, working in national parks, building 

homes with Habitat for Humanity, responding to disasters and more. The possibilities 

are endless, so flexibility and open-mindedness are key! 

o Traditional Corps classes have fall, winter, and summer start dates. 

• FEMA Corps teams work directly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

on disaster-related projects. The work is more administrative and could include 

helping connect disaster survivors with their benefits, managing warehouses of 

supplies, preparing disaster response plans, and more. FEMA Corps is also a possible 

pathway to employment in the field of emergency management and with FEMA itself, 

as FEMA hires many of FEMA Corps alumni. 

o FEMA Corps classes have fall and winter start dates.

• Summer of Service is a simplified version of NCCC’s other programs on a shortened 

time frame. Members will serve on one project during their 2–3-month service term 

and could focus on environmental stewardship and/or climate change mitigation, 

affordable housing, or serving where the need is the greatest. Members will be able 

to indicate a preference for the project type they’re most interested in, but we cannot 

guarantee you’ll be placed on that project type. 

o Summer of Service classes only have summer start dates.

• Forest Corps is NCCC’s newest service option and is great for those interested in 

protecting our public lands and looking to pursue a career with the U.S. Forest Service 

or other environmental conservation careers. This service is field based and rigorous; 

you must be prepared to handle hiking long distances while carrying a heavy pack, 

uneven terrain, carrying tools, and more. Projects could include wildfire risk 

mitigation, reforestation, conservation, and resource management. 

o Forest Corps classes only have summer start dates. 

• The difference between the two positions is that Corps Members are members of the 

team and must be within the 18–26-year-old age range, while Team Leaders have the 

ultimate supervisory experience and are responsible for coaching, mentoring, 

modeling, teaching members during service term. Team Leaders also manage the 

team budget and submit data and paperwork for the team. 

Slide 4

• Build your resume: You will receive training and experience in a variety of different 

areas, giving you the opportunity to build soft and hard skills throughout your service. 

The experience of serving with AmeriCorps looks very strong on your resume. In fact, 

there are over 700 employers nationwide—including local, state, and federal 

government agencies; non-profit organizations; and for-profit companies—who have 

committed to hiring alumni of national service programs such as NCCC. This means 

you will receive a competitive advantage when applying to future jobs.
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250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

• Travel: NCCC provides the opportunity to visit new places you may not otherwise see. 

Members serve in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and U.S. island territories.

• Make a difference: If you have the urge to help others, and to see the impact you 

make, NCCC is a great place for you. The experience requires you to put the 

communities you serve ahead of your own personal comforts, but if you do, it can be 

incredibly rewarding.

• Education Award: Upon successful completion of service, you will receive an 

Education Award of over $7,000. This money can be used for current student loans, 

future tuition, or other educational expenses. If you have student loans when you 

enter NCCC, they may be eligible for forbearance during service. Check with your 

lender to see if you qualify. Additionally, some schools will match the Education 

Award or provide additional scholarship opportunities to alumni of AmeriCorps 

programs. You can explore these opportunities at americorps.gov.

• Living allowance: While you are serving with NCCC, you will receive a modest 

stipend of approximately $360 per month, after taxes, for your personal needs. Team 

Leaders receive a slightly higher living stipend, as they have additional 

responsibilities.

• Most expenses covered: NCCC will cover your basic needs while you are serving. 

This includes communal housing; family style meals with your team; initial travel to 

your campus and continued transportation to and from projects; and medical 

benefits. NCCC works to ensure your basic needs are met so you can focus on the 

important work of strengthening communities.

• While service with NCCC is definitely a challenge, there are many benefits that come 

with it, including the ones depicted on this slide and others such as lasting 

relationships, excellent experience, exposure to many different career options, and a 

sense of direction for your future career or educational endeavors.

Slide 5

Learn more about the impact of service with AmeriCorps NCCC, from Ari, a currently

serving member.

Slide 6 
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250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

Here is a quick overview of the NCCC application process. The application itself as well as 

the follow up steps for eligibility are rigorous, so your patience and responsiveness are 

much appreciated.

1.) Search Opportunities: The AmeriCorps application portal can be found at 

My.AmeriCorps.gov. There you can search for opportunities. We recommend you check 

“NCCC” in the advanced search section, review each NationalService.gov open listing 

carefully, and bookmark the one that fits you best in your browser. You will need to return 

to the listing later.

2.) Apply: Next, you will need to complete your profile. This requires basic information 

including an active email address, your permanent mailing address, social security 

number (to be used for legal clearance purpose only after you have been selected to 

serve), and other contact info. Then, create an application by telling us more about 

yourself. The most heavily weighted sections are the Motivational Statement and the 

Professional References, so please be sure to put some thought into these areas in 

particular! Finally, you will be ready to submit your application. Go back to the listing you 

bookmarked earlier, click the “Apply Now” button, and select the application you just 

created to complete the submission process.

3.) Application Assessment: Once your application is complete, you will receive next 

steps from NCCC. If you are applying to a Corps Member position, you will need to 

complete an eligibility questionnaire. The eligibility questionnaire is a short series of 

questions used to ensure you understand the program specifics, and it can be completed 

via phone, email, or snail mail. From there, the team at NCCC Headquarters will assess 

your application to determine if you would be a good fit for NCCC. If you are applying to 

a Team Leader position, you will answer a few additional questions on the application, but 

you will not complete an eligibility questionnaire. Instead, your application will be 

assessed by regional staff and you will receive next steps directly from a campus.

4.) Invitation to Serve: Once your application has been assessed, you will either receive 

your invitation to serve and campus assignment, or you will be placed on the waitlist. If 

invited to serve, you will need to complete medical and legal clearances to ensure you 

are eligible to serve. Being waitlisted means you will be called to serve depending on 

space, and you are encouraged to complete the clearance process while you wait.

Slide 7 

Connect with NCCC on social media, by phone, or email. Staff are standing by to answer 

all questions about the program or application specifics. We look forward to connecting 

with you soon!