SERVICE BRINGS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER!
Project CHANGE Montgomery is the original Montgomery County MD program of AmeriCorps, America’s “Domestic Peace Corps” for more than 25 years. AmeriCorps members serve the county’s most under-served K-12+ students inspiring them to believe in themselves enough to achieve. Project CHANGE uses its own instrument called MYSCORE, the innovative SEL tool that allows students to self-assess their growth in the 5C’s and reach out to the members to help them grow more confident, curious, collaborative, courageous and career/future focused learners.
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BENEFITS
In return, AmeriCorps members receive:
- 300+ hours of Training, peer-to-peer coaching, and professional development and mentoring ( worth $10,000) with a certificate of completion in Service Learning and Leadership
- Living stipend of between $18000 (.75 time) and $25,500 (FT) per year
- $7,395.00 Segal educational scholarship
- Health Insurance for FT members, including dental/vision ( worth over 7000) for those doing Full Time- ( not available for half time)
- Preference in hiring in many organizations and agencies
- Child Care Allowance if qualified
- Student loan forgiveness for the duration of the service
- Lifelong friends who experience the challenges together
- Invaluable experience of the local education/non-profit sector
5 Positions are full time (1700 hours over 12 months August 2026 to August 2027) and 14 positions are Three Quarter Time (1200 hours over a year.)
MCPS
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with almost 160,000 Students enrolled, is one of the nations largest school districts and it grows every year. But from March 2020 to September 2021, all schools were shutdown, leaving kids cut off from their peers, depriving them of normal healthy social outlets. While school is back, the students social and emotional needs are still trying to catch up. This is where you come in. “Back to Normal” is a misnomer given what so many students have missed out on.
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Every child needs one on one attention, especially struggling students, who battle to believe in themselves. Project CHANGE is dedicated to the 5C’s curriculum that says every student needs to grow in Confidence, Curiosity, Collaboration, Courage and Career/future focused learning. Guided by internationally known teachers, the best narrative and coaching faculty in the region, the Project CHANGE 2024-25 team will serve together to tackle the post COVID19 challenge to learning. By serving directly in schools and in after-school programs with leading non-profit organizations, AmeriCorps members commit to a year serving students so that they not just catch up, but learn to thrive again at learning.
For 25 years, AmeriCorps Project CHANGE Montgomery has combined a traditional AmeriCorps placement with the most innovative training and supervision drawn from the complementary disciplines of the narrative method and peer to peer executive coaching. 2024-25 will offer the same amazing faculty that includes Disaster Relief specialist Mary Fowler (Trauma informed teaching) Therapist Jonathan Zeitlin (Mindfulness and Zen) executive master coach Lynn Feingold ( the art of peer to peer coaching) Professor, Dr. Jean Freedman ( How Improv can improve performance) Women’s Business Coach, Maria Mcelhenny (Financial Literacy) and many others. This outstanding team has been brought together under the leadership of world authority on narrative method and Project CHANGE director, Paul Costello.
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AmeriCorps Members have been assigned to one of our outstanding nonprofit and educational organization partners: Potential partners for 2025-26 could include:
YMCA Youth & Family Services (YMCA-YFS) – YMCA-YFS is a community-based, comprehensive social services branch of the YMCA Metropolitan Washington. YFS provides school and community-based prevention and early intervention services to at-risk and under-served children and families from across Montgomery County, MD. YFS programs address basic social-service needs, teach fundamental life skills and assist participants in making healthy choices. The YMCA coordinates after-school programs for children, K-12.
AmeriCorps members serve as program assistants and coordinators at Benchmarks, serving middle school students.
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Family Learning Solutions (FLS) – FLS provides services at Neelsville Middle School and at Gaithersburg High School. FLS offers tutoring to students referred by school personnel and juvenile court professionals. There is a need for bilingual AmeriCorps members to ensure that students and households struggling with English can access needed services. FLS also offers a special mentoring program for girls (6 – 12 grades) to ensure that they are equipped with essential life skills to thrive in their lives, personally, academically, and professionally. A safe, empowering, and supportive environment is provided as students cultivate authentic connection with themselves and others.
AmeriCorps members can serve as a tutor for referred students and/or work as a mentor in the program for girls (6 – 12 grades).
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Arts on the Block (AOB) – AOB is an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that provides a unique model of youth development and community engagement through public art. AOB is the only organization in the Washington, DC area offering youth of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to learn first-hand about the intersection of art, design, and business by engaging in real-world projects. Today, more than 100 AOB apprentice-created projects — from park benches to large-scale murals — grace public and private spaces throughout the area.
One AmeriCorps member will assist the AOB cohort of passionate individuals in providing opportunities for creative youth in Montgomery County and beyond. This is a perfect placement for a budding artist.
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Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) – MHP serves more than 1,400 families in Montgomery County. They house people, empower families, and strengthen neighborhoods. Since 1989, Montgomery Housing Partnership’s mission is to preserve and expand quality affordable housing in Montgomery County. They advance their mission through three key strategies; by acquiring, rehabilitating, building and managing quality affordable housing, by developing and implementing community life programs to improve the quality of life and increase opportunities for our residents, and by collaborating with concerned citizens and businesses, public officials and community organizations to build strong, vital neighborhoods.
Two AmeriCorps members coordinate and supervise preschool and after school programs for students who live in these properties.
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The MCPS Restorative Justice Unit – Restorative Justice is an approach to building community, self-care, and conflict resolution. It’s a social justice platform that allows students to:
- Actively engage and problem-solve physical, psychological, social and disciplinary issues that affect themselves and the community.
- Take responsibility for their actions.
- Work with those affected to restore and/or repair the members and community who were harmed as a result of those actions.
Two AmeriCorps members assist The MCPS Restorative Justice Unit in preparing and engaging all stakeholders in restorative practices through meaningful trainings, school-level support, collegial collaboration, and supported community partnerships.
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C
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) – MCPS is searching for classroom support to the teachers and students in the highest needs schools in the County, which have included
- Kemp Mills Elementary School (Requires a Spanish Speaker)
- Sligo Middle School
- Jackson Road Elementary School
- Thomas Edison School of Technology
- Saturday School – George B Thomas Learning Academy
- Harmony Hills Elementary School
- Silver Spring International Elemenary School
Six AmeriCorps members will serve as assistants in the classrooms and provide direct support to the teachers and students.
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George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy (GBTLA) – GBTLA is often called Saturday School and is open to all students in Montgomery County. Saturday School is a sixth day of academic instruction with certified teachers in a nurturing and supportive environment. The Curriculum is aligned with that of Montgomery County Public Schools: Grades 1 through 8 focus on reading, language arts and math, Grades 9 through 12 focus on core subjects (English and Math); support for High School Assessments; HSA Bridge support available at select sites. College and career readiness is emphasized.
The AmeriCorps member is involved in student- parent outreach and communication with an emphasis on the Latino community which has not yet participated in large numbers in this Saturday learning opportunity.
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Community Bridges – Community Bridges is a non-profit organization that helps empower girls from diverse backgrounds to become exceptional students, positive leaders, and healthy young women. Community Bridges envision an inclusive community where each person is valued and has abundant opportunities to improve themselves and the world around them. The following principles guide all their work. The organization believes in:
- Endless Potential: Individuals are encouraged and given opportunities to explore limitless possibilities in order to actualize their dreams.
- Strength-Focused Thinking: Everyone is in possession of assets that can be mobilized to promote collective action in schools and communities.
- Resourcefulness: Barriers can be overcome by applying enterprising strategies to define resourceful ways to accomplish goals.
- Multidimensional Approaches: The world is interconnected and whole-systems thinking ensures the success for those involved.
Three AmeriCorps members serve over 450 girls from Grades 4-12 in the after-school program, covering Elementary, Middle and High School.
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The Career Readiness Education Academy (CREA) – CREA is an academic and career readiness education program for older ESOL students in MCPS. Students in CREA are provided with opportunities to prepare for the GED exam, learn valuable work skills, and earn industry certifications. Students are referred to CREA if they are at least 18 years old and unlikely to meet all graduation requirements prior to turning 21 and/or if they are interested in pursuing an alternative pathway to a high school diploma via GED preparation. The CREA program is currently offered at both Seneca Valley High School and Thomas Edison High School of Technology as a full-day or evening program. Having these two program options provides students who need to work or care for their own children with an opportunity to continue their education in MCPS until they turn 21. Students who participate in either CREA program are considered full-time MCPS students.
One AmeriCorps members will assist in tutoring students and providing support to the program educators.
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MCPS Recovery and Academic Program (RAP) – RAP is a partnership between Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Sheppard Pratt Health System to connect youth with academic and substance use recovery support services. The program pairs academic coursework from MCPS with recovery support services provided at The Landing, Family Services’ recovery clubhouse. RAP helps students continue working toward graduation in a safe and supportive environment during the day while learning the necessary skills needed to maintain sobriety in the afternoons and evenings. It is free of charge to Montgomery County youth and accepts referrals from MCPS, juvenile drug court, and other non-profit agencies.
One AmeriCorps members from Project CHANGE will assist the RAP participants in academic tutoring and mentoring and offer support to the program staff as needed.
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NEXT STEPS
All applicants must be high school graduates and American citizens or permanent residents. Send a copy of your resume and a letter of interest and be prepared for an interview.
APPLY on Indeed HERE Email us at americorpsmontgomery@gmail.com