Program Overview

The AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides is a partnership between the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism (ServeOhio) and like-minded college access organizations across the state including: College Now Greater Cleveland, I Know I Can, MyPath, Ninde Scholars Program, and Stark Education Partnership.

The AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides program maintains that all students and families deserve equal access to educational opportunities. The goal of the College Guides is to ensure that all Ohioans, especially those that are typically underserved – first generation college-going, low-income, and minority – get the information and knowledge they need and deserve to prepare, access and complete a postsecondary credential. The College Guides will deliver programs and counseling on college and career exploration and financial education to 6th through 12th graders; provide support to 11th and 12th graders on strategic and tactile postsecondary access and financial planning; and facilitate successful postsecondary transitions, persistence and ongoing financial education with high school graduates.

The AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides places recent college graduates into schools and community centers to provide a pipeline of new and current information about preparing for, accessing and persisting in a postsecondary education program, ultimately striving to be a caring adult committed to motivating students and families to think seriously about the plans and goals that will lead them into an opportunity-rich future. The College Guides is a corps of driven and highly-qualified professionals getting a start in education, whom students can relate with, confide in, and eventually emulate as they are guided in planning for their future and taking constructive steps toward successful completion of their goals.

The AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides will engage a total of 40 AmeriCorps Members statewide to serve in a full-time capacity (900 hours in 6 months) from January 9th, 2023 to June 30th, 2023.

Your AmeriCorps Ohio College Guide assignment is with I Know I Can in Columbus, Ohio. Your host site supervisor is Kim Ebbrecht. Your title will be AmeriCorps Ohio College Guide and you will be serving Columbus City Schools, Whitehall City Schools and/or South-Western City Schools students.

Attitude and General Responsibilities:

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  Strive to create and maintain a positive, professional and cohesive work environment
• Respect confidentiality of the families and students you serve, staff you engage with in the schools or otherwise, and other AmeriCorps members.
• Maintain a professional demeanor at all times.
• Abide by the AmeriCorps Rules of Conduct and Prohibited Activities (outlined in Member Service Agreement and Member Handbook)
• Consult with your supervisor if you have any ideas, issues, or concerns, offering analysis and solutions whenever possible.
• Report any accidents, illness, or sickness to your host site supervisor immediately.
• Practice sound health habits, including getting sufficient rest, to effectively perform the position and service to the community.
• Enter accurate data into the program’s database to track progress and success of all activities with students, families and others you serve in the community. Data must be entered no later than the 10th of every month.
• Stay up-to-date with all AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides reporting requirements.
• Enter time and service reports into AmeriCorps OnCorps system, abiding by provided deadlines.

Program Leadership

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  Participate on a team of AmeriCorps College Guides or other AmeriCorps Members and volunteers in your assigned location in the planning, creation, implementation and evaluation of service projects within the host site community.
• Each AmeriCorps Ohio College Guide is responsible for recruiting a minimum of 4 volunteers to participate in service days or to assist with events at the school or for the college access program. Ideally, volunteers will be secured beyond a one-time commitment.
• Make connections with individuals and volunteers in the community for program outreach and program enhancement. College Guides should seek guidance and support from their host site supervisor in conducting outreach in their communities.
• Train and assist volunteers for service day activities and other projects in which you engage them.
• Be proactive in developing ways to better engage the students and families you serve, seeking guidance and input from your site supervisor.

Program-Specific Duties

• Utilize an online college planning tool to develop and deliver classroom-based workshops to students in grades 6-12 and meet with college students via one-on-one meetings and electronic communications to ensure they have a successful first-year of college.
• Plan and promote college and career advising services and programs for students and parents including college planning workshops (Blueprint: College), college visits, application workshops, FAFSA Workshops, district-wide events, etc.
• Lead collaborative efforts with College Advising Managers, students, parents, school counselors, school principals, and community partners to ensure proper delivery of services.
• Assist students with all aspects of their college search, admissions, and financial aid processes, including ACT/SAT fee waivers, college application fee waivers, FAFSA and financial aid assistance, and grant processing.
• Remove financial barriers to persistence through FAFSA and scholarship renewal assistance
• Plan and implement college campus workshops and pre-enrollment/orientation activities
• Assist, coordinate, execute and record data and outcomes from middle and/or high school summer camps that occur at the end of the academic year.
• Assist staff by collecting, organizing and entering grant application data to award students with the IKIC Scholarships and/or Grants.
• Develop and execute timely communication plan with students via email, phone, and in-person meetings
• Lead collaborative efforts with students, higher education representatives, and community partners to ensure proper delivery of services
• Represent I Know I Can at various school and community events.
• Enter accurate and timely data into the CollegePath database to track progress and success of all activities. Data must be entered no later than the 10th of every month.
• Each member will have a specific area of responsibility, and will be expected to assist with advising and programming for all students served.

Program Training:

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  Participate in AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides orientation in January 2023.
• Participate in regional trainings coordinated by the statewide Program Director.
• Participate in monthly statewide College Guide conference calls/webinars.
• Participate in trainings provided by host site.
• Participate in Justice Talking and reflection of service opportunities.
• Participate in AmeriCorps training and events as required and requested by ServeOhio.
• Participate in required community service activities.

Service Schedule:

• AmeriCorps Ohio College Guides are expected to serve between 38-40 hours a week. Host sites will confirm your expected start time each day, which is dependent on your assigned location.
• Participate in service project for required national service days including:
  • 9/11 National Day of Service-Sunday, September 11, 2022
  • Make a Difference Day Ohio-Saturday, October 22, 2022
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service-Monday, January 16, 2023
  • AmeriCorps Week-March 5-11, 2023 (tentative dates), and
  • Global Youth Service Day-April 21-23, 2023 (tentative dates).
• College Guides will receive a calendar of activities that will help in planning.
• College Guides are expected to remain at “40 hours average needed per week or under to meet the service commitment” as indicated by the OnCorps timekeeping system.

Qualifications and Skill Requirements:

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  Minimum of an Associate’s degree, Bachelor's degree or senior year of college.
• Ability to effectively communicate and carry out the College Guide’s and host site’s mission in the community.
• Excellent communication and public speaking skills.
• Ability to serve independently and be a contributing member of the College Guide and host site team.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to serve in a fast-paced environment and multi-task effectively.
• Ability to commit to 900 hours of service in 6 months.
• Ability to serve for at least 7.5 hours in a row on any given day.
• Ability to serve during days, evenings, and weekends as required.
• Ability to arrange own travel to and from service sites.
• Strong organization and task management skills, self-motivation.
• Proactive in the provision of service delivery.
• Maturity, enthusiasm, positivity and great “people skills.”
• Satisfactory result of BCI and FBI background check, sexual predator check and drug screen.
• Strong commitment and passion for promoting access to and completion of higher education for everyone
• Experience with a variety of computer programs including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Suite.

Program benefits:

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  Up to a $16,000 living allowance (please note, the living allowance is taxed)
• Basic healthcare coverage. Premiums will be covered by the Ohio College Guides program.
• Upon successful completion of the full-time 900 hour commitment, College Guides will be eligible for an education award that matches the previous year PELL award, currently valued at $3,247.50 (please note, education award is taxed in the year it is used).
• Qualified Federal student loans are eligible for forbearance during time of service and potentially a portion of accrued interest may be eligible to be paid by the Corporation of National and Community Service after the completion of the service term. Note, AmeriCorps Members must follow instructions to apply for forbearance. Payments should be continued to be made on loans until a confirmation of forbearance is received directly from the lender.
• If applicable, a childcare allowance will be provided by Gap Solutions Inc., if the member qualifies for the allowance. To determine eligibility, AmeriCorps Members must complete an application here (found under “forms”): http://www.americorpschildcare.com/
• Statewide orientation and regional trainings in January 2023.
• Orientation to assigned location and surrounding community will be provided by the host site.
• Intense training at the beginning of the service term provided by your host site to prepare you for entering schools and community centers to begin providing service.
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities throughout the year, with at least one training a month provided by your host site
• One performance review over the 6-month service term
• Guidance and support for “Life After the Corps” goals