Team Descriptions-

2010-2011 Knox County CAC AmeriCorps

Our program has been in operation since 1994. I am an AmeriCorps Alumni with this program. We have great service sites that are facilitating awesome environmental education and service in low wealth communities in Knoxville. Our service sites have sponsored AmeriCorps members since 1995 and we have great supervisors that will develop you for your term of service and your life after AmeriCorps.

We have a 46 week term - we start on August 16, 2010 and end on June 30, 2011. Most AmeriCorps Programs are 50 or 52 weeks. By ending before July 1st, our successful members can enroll in grad school, law school, medical school or finish undergrad with enough time to get their ed awards and settle into their new situation.

You must be able to start on August 16, 2010. We have 7 days of pre-service orientation and training. This is a fun and interactive period with many training sessions that will be important to your service. Our training includes: AmeriCorps 101, Leadership Development, Volunteer Management, Communication, Diversity Training, Red Cross First Aid and CPR, Defensive Driver Training, and a team building ropes course. The rest of the service term you will be at your specific service site doing environmental service and facilitating service-learning with K-12 students, college students, community volunteers, and parents.

Here are the benefit basics:
$11,800 per 46 weeks or $513.04 / pay period (before taxes)
$4,725 educational award at end of service term to use for school or student loans
Health insurance provided, Training provided
We will have 40 AmeriCorps members at 17 service sites facilitating service learning, getting community volunteers mobilized, creating special events, recycling, gardening and teaching about land use, water and air quality. Not all of our sites are listed – some of the positions are filled…

Water Quality Team (7 positions): Members serve with the Water Quality Forum Adopt-A-Watershed Program (AAW) to teach students how to protect their local watershed. They facilitate teacher AAW teams, teach hands-on science activities (chemical and biological sampling and analysis, water pollution, land use, and other related topics) in the classroom. They organize stream monitoring field events (water sample collections and monitoring, fish collection, stream physical assessment). They provide technical assistance and support to students and teachers in the planning and implementation of AAW projects. http://www.waterqualityforum.org/
Summer 2009 WQF Newsletter: http://216.119.90.50/asp/pdf/WQF%20summer%2009.pdf

Knox County Solid Waste (1 position): This team member organizes recycling events with the Knox County Solid Waste Department to create awareness and educate adults about the importance of solid waste reduction techniques and litter abatement. http://www.knoxcounty.org/solid_waste/recycling_education.php

Knox County Recycling Team (3 positions): This team facilitates recycling events and provides environmental education to create awareness and educate youth and adults about the importance of solid waste reduction techniques and litter abatement. http://www.knoxcounty.org/solid_waste/recycling_education.php

Our service sites are in environmental organizations only.

Contact John Harris for more info at 865 546 3500
or john.harris@knoxcac.org