Frequently Asked Questions

AmeriCorps NCCC's Summer of Service

What are the dates of the Summer of Service program?

Nov 1, 2022 – Feb 28, 2023: Team Leader application period

Nov 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023: Corps Member application period

Feb 1, 2023 – April 26, 2023: Member Selection Notification

Invites should start in February and will go out bi-weekly until the end

of April.

May 24, 2023: Team Leaders Arrive

May 25, 2023 – June 9, 2023: Team Leader Training in Aurora, Colorado

or Vinton, Iowa

June 12, 2023: Corps Members Arrive

June 13, 2023 – June 23, 2023: Corps Training Institute in Aurora,

Colorado or Vinton, Iowa

June 26, 2023 – August 4, 2023: Service Project (could be anywhere

nationwide)

August 7 – 8, 2023: Closure in Aurora, Colorado or Vinton, Iowa

August 9, 2023: Graduation and Corps Members Depart

August 10, 2023: Team Leaders Depart

GENERAL QUESTIONS

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What are the general eligibility requirements for Summer of

Service?

To serve as a Corps Member, you must be between 18-26 years old. To

serve as a Team Leader, you must be 18 or older (no upper age limit). You

may apply to Summer of Service at age 17 if you will turn 18 before

arriving on campus.

Must be a U.S. Citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S.

Must pass an initial drug screening test upon arrival to the program. A

positive test on a drug screen for any substance (including marijuana) at

any time during service could result in dismissal from the program.

Team Leaders must have a valid driver’s license, as they will be expected

to drive the team vehicle.

Must be available for the duration of the Summer of Service commitment,

willing to participate in full-time service consisting of extensive travel.

Is Summer of Service set up like the other NCCC programs?

For the most part, yes.

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

a shortened timeframe. Summer of Service participants will pursue the

same NCCC mission of “strengthening communities and developing

leaders through service.” As with all other NCCC programs, Members will

participate in pre-service training, albeit a shorter version, and serve on

teams. NCCC teams will have project sponsors, site supervisors, and

address a community-identified priority.

Members will be subject to the policies of the NCCC Member

Handbook, including the Code of Conduct and content outlined in

“AmeriCorps NCCC Policies”. There will be circumstances when a policy

provision in the Handbook is specifically designed for our 1700-hour

service programs and cannot be applied to Summer of Service. Members

will be made aware of such situations during the Corps Training Institute.

Despite the overall similarities, there are differences (see below). Other

differences may arise as the program is further developed.

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Are the benefits to Members the same as other NCCC

programs?

For the most part yes, but there will be significant differences.

The benefits made available in NCCC’s other programs and highlighted

on our webpage are largely the same as those provided to Summer of

Service participants. Food, lodging, a modest living allowance, uniforms,

and program-related travel expenses (including from your home of record

to the training site, from there to your project, and home again after

graduation) are all covered by NCCC.

All you need to provide is a positive attitude, teamwork, flexibility, and

enthusiasm to serve!

Differences from our full-term benefit packages for the Summer of

Service program, include but are not limited to the following.

Given the short nature of the program and focus on service,

participants will not be able to pursue undergraduate college credits

while serving.

Given the short nature of the program, participants will not qualify for

the President’s Volunteer Service Award or the Congressional Award

solely through their NCCC service. However, their service hours in

Summer of Service might count toward the award requirements.

Personal leave dates will be different from what is provided in a full,

1700-hour program (see below).

As the program is further developed, NCCC reserves the right to curtail

or change any program benefit intended for the 10-12 month service term

for those members serving a Summer of Service term. Members will be

made aware of changes during the Corps Member Training Institute.

What are the major differences between Summer of Service

and the NCCC Traditional Corps and/or FEMA Corps

programs?

The major differences are program length, program focus, the “Serve

with a Friend” option, the Independent Service Project (ISP) requirement,

the post-service financial benefit, the ability to pursue college credit, the

loan forbearance process, and leave days.

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Program Length: The entirety of the Summer of Service program is

less than 3 months, instead of 10 to 12 months. Summer of Service will

run from 5/24/23 to 8/10/23. Team Leaders will start on 5/24 and

depart on 8/10. Corps Members will start on 6/12 and depart on 8/9.

Program Focus: Summer of Service projects will focus on (i)

environmental stewardship and/or climate change mitigation; (ii)

affordable housing; and/or (iii) other types of community-focused

service activities.

Serve with a Friend: For Summer of Service applicants, NCCC will

offer the opportunity to identify a friend you wish to serve alongside.

More detailed information on this opportunity is included in the Serve

with a Friend FAQs below.

Independent Service Projects (ISPs): NCCC’s ISP component will be

optional for Summer of Service participants. Completed ISPs can be

counted towards the minimum service hour commitment for Summer

of Service participants.

Post Service Financial Benefit: Summer of Service graduates will

receive a prorated Segal Education Award of $1,459.26 for completing

a term of Summer of Service with NCCC.

Undergraduate College Credits: Given the short nature of the Summer

of Service commitment, participants will not be able to pursue an

undergraduate college credit while serving.

Loan Forbearance: Participants in Summer of Service are able to place

their eligible loans into forbearance through the AmeriCorps Portal.

Personal Leave Days: Summer of Service participants will not receive

personal leave days. Two federal holidays take place during the

Summer of Service program and participants will receive time off on

Monday, June 19 for Juneteenth and Tuesday, July 4 for

Independence Day.

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Other differences may arise as the program is further developed and

will be communicated during the Corps Member Training Institute.

What is the minimum number of successfully completed

service hours required to graduate?

300 hours and successful completion of all program activities will be

required for graduation.

As stated above, NCCC’s Independent Service Project (ISP) component

will be optional for Summer of Service participants. Completed ISPs can

be counted towards the minimum service hour commitment for Summer

of Service participants.

What will training be like?

On arrival day, NCCC staff will meet incoming members at the airport

and help them get settled on campus. During in-processing, members will

receive their room assignment, a campus tour, and their uniform. Training

sessions, conducted by NCCC staff, will prepare members to serve

safely, effectively, and collaboratively with their teammates.

Do we get to choose our project, and how will we get there?

Projects are solicited, developed, and selected by NCCC staff, and will

be assigned to teams in a way that most effectively meets the needs of

the sponsoring organizations. After training is complete, all teams will

deploy to their projects in 15-passenger vans. Teams are typically 8-12

members but can vary in size. The length of your team’s road trip will

vary depending upon the location of your assigned project. If your drive

will take more than one day, modest hotel accommodations will be

planned and provided by NCCC. Come ready with playlists, travel

games, and get-to-know-you questions for your teammates!

Where will we live when we get to our project?

Upon arrival at your project site, your team will move into the lodging

provided by the organization hosting your team.

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Accommodations can vary significantly, from a shared house or cabin, to

a church basement, to camping. Your team will work together to shop for

groceries using your team’s food budget and will share cooking and

cleaning duties. Any necessary tools or supplies will be provided by

NCCC or your project sponsor. Come to NCCC ready for adventure, and

an amazing experience will be waiting for you!

What type of service projects might Summer of Service

members do within this environmental and climate change

focus?

Examples of Summer of Service projects would be those which:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through projects that focus on:

Energy efficient construction and renovation actions

Agriculture and food systems actions

Adapt to changing climate through projects that focus on:

Natural disaster preparedness and resilience actions

Natural disaster mitigation actions

Natural disaster response and recovery actions

Conserve lands and waters through projects that focus on:

Conservation actions

Access to outdoor recreation actions

Natural and cultural resource preservation actions

What type of service projects might Summer of Service

members do within this affordable housing focus?

Examples of Summer of Service projects in the affordable housing focus

area will address the unique housing challenges facing economically

vulnerable communities and communities impacted by disasters.

Members will serve by renovating and/or constructing homes, renovating

existing structures, repurposing buildings to suit new needs, etc. Tasks

may include drywall installation, painting, flooring installation, roofing,

and ramp building.

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If I am willing to serve and contribute to any service project,

what other types of service projects might Summer of

Service members do?

Examples of typical summer projects include cabin maintenance,

education projects such as tutoring, mucking and gutting homes affected

by disasters, trail maintenance, and construction, supporting food banks

to alleviate hunger, and other community identified priorities.

What if I’ve never done anything like this before?

Summer of Service project sponsors will be ready to train your team how

to do critical work tasks, as well as why those tasks are important to their

organization and community. No prior training is necessary! Be prepared

to try new things, learn from your sponsors and teammates, and wrap up

your summer with new skills and experiences under your belt.

Will I get any days off?

Your project schedule will be determined by the sponsoring organization.

Many projects will operate on a typical full-time, Monday-Friday

schedule, but there are often exceptions, and you won’t know your

specific schedule until you are assigned to your project. Serving in a hot

climate? Your project may start early in the day and end early or build in

a break during the heat of the day, to maximize your team’s safety and

wellbeing. Serving with an organization that needs support on the

weekend? You may work a Tuesday-Saturday schedule. Deployed to an

immediate disaster response project? You could be asked to serve longer

days with fewer days off while helping to meet urgent needs in that

situation.

Members are permitted to take sick days if they aren’t feeling well and

can be granted emergency leave on an as-needed basis. For Summer of

Service, participants will not receive personal leave days. Two federal

holidays take place during the Summer of Service program and

participants will receive time off on Monday, June 19 for Juneteenth and

Tuesday, July 4 for Independence Day.

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For those who have served previously in NCCC, are we

eligible to participate in Summer of Service?

In most cases, yes!

Summer of Service is a program under NCCC’s portfolio. As such,

eligibility requirements for participation are addressed with the typical

restrictions in place for serving in consecutive AmeriCorps NCCC terms,

regardless of whether those terms are Traditional Corps, FEMA Corps,

or Summer of Service. If you have served in both Class 27 and Class 28 in

any NCCC program, you would not be eligible to serve in Summer of

Service, which is considered part of Class 29. Otherwise, NCCC alums

and those previously enrolled in an NCCC program who did not complete

their service term are eligible to apply.

For currently serving NCCC members (including Team

Leaders), how can we participate in Summer of Service?

NCCC’s Summer 2022 class, operated through the Southern Region

campus in Vicksburg, MS, is scheduled to graduate on 5/18/23. As such,

those interested in participating in Summer of Service will graduate, exit,

and re-enroll as Summer of Service participants.

NCCC’s Fall 2022 classes are set to graduate on 7/21/23 (Southwest

Region) and 7/14/23 (Pacific Region).

Current Pacific and Southwest members will have the option of

extending their service or to graduate early, exit and re-enroll as

Summer of Service participants. Pacific and Southwest fall class

members who wish to exit and re-enroll would need to have their 1700

hours complete by the Summer of Service start dates for Team Leader

Training (5/24/23) or CTI (6/12/23).

What about health and safety precautions for COVID?

The Summer of Service program will adhere to all NCCC’s current

COVID-19 health and safety guidance.

Vaccinations Required:

Up-to-date Tetanus vaccine, 2 doses of the MMR and a yearly Flu

shot

Up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters.

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Who can I contact if I would like more information about

Summer of Service?

Before and during the application process, please

contact: ANCCC@cns.gov.

Once you have accepted the invitation to join the Summer of Service

program, please reach out to the email address for your assigned region:

Southwest Region - ncccsouthwest@cns.gov

North Central Region - ncccnorthcentral@cns.gov

How many friends can I identify as those I would like to

serve with?

While you can encourage as many of your friends to join you in this

amazing service opportunity as possible, just one friend can be identified

as part of our Serve with a Friend program.

Will NCCC guarantee I can be on the same team with my

friend?

Requests to serve with a friend will be given full and due consideration

when constructing teams. To the extent possible within NCCC program

requirements, NCCC will place friends on the same team. However, we

cannot guarantee friends will be assigned to the same team, nor can we

guarantee friends assigned to the same team will remain as teammates

for the duration of their Summer of Service commitment.

What are examples of “program requirements” which might

cause NCCC not to place me on the same team with my

friend or keep us together on the same team?

For safety reasons, NCCC requires each team have a certain number of

trained and certified drivers.

SERVE WITH A FRIEND QUESTIONS

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If you and your friend are both drivers and the Summer of Service

program is experiencing a shortage of drivers, it is possible you could be

asked to move to another team to ensure sufficient drivers.

NCCC teams are sometimes called on to respond to natural disasters.

Disaster response teams can be constructed by taking 1-2 members from

existing teams. There could be a scenario in which you or your friend are

called on to join a disaster response effort and the other is not.

AmeriCorps NCCC provides reasonable accommodation to qualified

individuals with disabilities in accordance with federal law. Not every

NCCC service projects may be suitable to our commitment to supporting

a member’s approved accommodation and successful service experience.

Is Serve with a Friend possible for both Corps Member and

Team Leader positions?

No, given the scope of Team Leader responsibilities, Serve with a Friend

only applies to individuals serving together as Corps Members.

Do we apply to NCCC together, as a pair of friends, or do

each of us apply independently?

Both you and your friend must complete the application process

independently and be invited to serve based on your own qualifications.

Eligibility requirements for Summer of Service 2023 opportunities are the

same as the requirements for AmeriCorps NCCC opportunities and can

be found at americorps.gov/nccc.

How will I let NCCC know about the friend(s) I want to serve

with?

As you apply to join the 2023 Summer of Service, you can email

ANCCC@cns.gov to identify the friend you wish to serve with.

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Should my friend email ANCCC@cns.gov as well, or is one of

us doing so enough?

To ensure consent, each of you must request the other for NCCC staff to

attempt to honor the request. If you name your friend but your friend

does not name you, or vice versa, we will not attempt to place you and

your friend on the same team.

Will my friend and I be roommates while on campus?

The 2023 Summer of Service program will be run out of the Southwest

Region in Aurora, Colorado and the North Central Region in Vinton, Iowa.

Each campus uses barrack style dorm facilities, with 10-20 members

living in each room together. Dorm rooms are same sex facilities. When

possible, the Region will work to place you in the same room with your

friend.

Will my friend and I be roommates while on our project?

Lodging for NCCC teams is provided by the sponsoring organization

NCCC serves. As NCCC does not control the lodging a sponsor

identifies, beyond providing requirements for team safety precautions,

including COVID safety, we cannot make this commitment.

Will my friend and I work alongside each other on our

project?

Not necessarily. While NCCC teams work on a single project together,

that project can sometimes involve multiple work locations. For example,

if your team is working on a climate change mitigation project, such as

weatherization of homes, it is possible you could be working on one

home while your friend is working on a different one.

Will NCCC offer the opportunity to serve with a friend to

members in the Traditional Corps and/or FEMA Corps

programs, or is this opportunity limited to Summer of

Service?

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Currently, we do not offer Serve with a Friend beyond Summer of

Service.

We are using the 2023 Summer of Service to test this approach and see if

it allows more Americans an opportunity to serve their nation through

NCCC. If we see the results are positive, we are committed to learning

from the experience and how it might impact service in the Traditional

Corps and FEMA Corps programs in the future.

Who can I contact if I would like more information about

Serve with a Friend?

Before and during the application process, please contact:

ANCCC@cns.gov.

Once you have accepted the invitation to join the Summer of Service

program, please reach out to the email address for your assigned region:

Southwest Region - ncccsouthwest@cns.gov

North Central Region - ncccnorthcentral@cns.gov

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