**This information is specific for Partner Site Supervisors or Project Leaders that plan to host/lead an AmeriCorps member. If you are an SCA member, please return to the Onboarding Steps for SCA AmeriCorps page.*
SCA AmeriCorps and the Segal Education Award
SCA receives a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer an AmeriCorps Education Award program for our members. Under this grant our partners can set up their positions as AmeriCorps-eligible and selected interns will have the opportunity to become AmeriCorps members and receive an AmeriCorps Education Award after the successful completion of their service. Please note that the SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program is a grant program contingent upon federal funding. SCA receives a set number of spots in the AmeriCorps program each year, and sometimes our numbers exceed the program spots made available to us.
Required Items
As an AmeriCorps Host Site Partner you are required to complete the items listed below once per year (not once per member):
If you are unsure if these have already been completed, contact the SCA’s AmeriCorps Program at
Americorps@thesca.org
- AmeriCorps Partner Training Video – You will receive a link to the on-demand orientation video when you have a current position that is AmeriCorps eligible. Please send an email to Americorps@thesca.org after you have watched this video so we have a record of the date that this requirement was completed.
Additional resources:
AmeriCorps Expectations for Host Site Partners
While members are responsible for completing most AmeriCorps requirements, there are a few requirements for partners who participate in the program. Our relationship with AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service is an important aspect of our Conservation Internship and Corps Program design, and we appreciate your support in reaching our compliance and evaluation requirements. As a partner for an SCA AmeriCorps member, please make sure you are willing to:
- Set up your position’s duties and activities to be AmeriCorps-eligible. As a federal program, AmeriCorps has specific requirements and prohibited activities. If you choose to make these expectations a part of your position, your position will be “AmeriCorps-eligible”. If you would like more information on what your member has to complete to be enrolled in the AmeriCorps Program, please visit the Onboarding for SCA AmeriCorps Members page
- Complete the SCA AmeriCorps Host Site Form once per year. This document outlines the expectations for partners and can be found at the top of this page. If you cannot download the form, please email the AmeriCorps Program Manager (Americorps@thesca.org) and we will end it to you directly.
- View in the SCA AmeriCorps Partner Training video once per year. SCA will email you a video link (it only takes 18 minutes!) when you have a current position that is AmeriCorps-eligible.
- Approve your member’s Time Logs. Members will complete and submit two types of logs throughout their position: Time and Output logs, which are used to record the hours worked and the type and amount of work completed. You will approve these logs online in your MySCA Partner Portal.
- Verify that member service hours do not include prohibited activities. Members are not allowed to be involved with AmeriCorps prohibited activities. See below for a complete list. Members may participate in these activities as private citizens on non-SCA/AmeriCorps time and should not identify with the SCA AmeriCorps program.
- Complete Mid-term and End of Term Evaluations. These evaluations must be completed for all SCA AmeriCorps members and can affect a member’s future eligibility for AmeriCorps positions nationwide.
- Support members to complete their service commitment and minimum hours. Except in compelling personal circumstances (outlined below), members who leave the program early forfeit their education award. Leaving positions early for paid work is not considered an acceptable reason for a member to leave early. Please encourage members to complete their volunteer service commitment and advise members on what constitutes “compelling personal circumstances.” For a complete timeline of the member exit procedure, visit SCA AmeriCorps page for members.
- Support members who desire to attend national service events locally. Periodically throughout the year there may be AmeriCorps-sponsored events in your state or region. Members are encouraged to attend if their schedule allows. These hours can be recorded on their AmeriCorps timesheets under “Training/Education”
- Partner Handbook – the Partner Handbook is a valuable resource for site supervisors throughout SCA positions that outlines important information including AmeriCorps policies and procedures. The handbook and more information can be found on our partner resources page.
AmeriCorps Performance Evaluation
Towards the end of the position 7 days before the Opening end date, supervisors are emailed an end of term performance assessment to complete as part of AmeriCorps compliance. The answers will lead to a satisfactory or unsatisfactory performance. It should be noted that marking a member as ‘unsatisfactory’ upon their exit from the program will hinder their future ability to serve in AmeriCorps. With that being said, a member should only be marked as unsatisfactory in severe cases. There is no defined guideline of cases that may fall into this category as it is ultimately up to the partner and SCA to decide what is deemed unsatisfactory.
A member may be marked ‘unsatisfactory’ if the following examples were to occur:
- The member was a physical danger to fellow members and/or supervisors during service
- The member committed theft on partner property or from fellow members during service
- The member purposely damaged partner property, equipment, and/or fellow member’s property during service
- The member repeatedly performed prohibited activities
AmeriCorps Grievance Procedures
SCA has an informal and formal grievance procedure for SCA AmeriCorps members and external individuals who bring grievances to the SCA AmeriCorps Program.
AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities
SCA is committed to ensuring that all partners and members are knowledgeable of the activities prohibited by AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps prohibited activities include:
- Partisan political activities, political advocacy, protests, petitions, strikes, union activity, religious proselytization, for-profit business, abortion services, and general fundraising.
Compelling Personal Circumstances
In the event your member(s) cannot complete their full term of service, the Compelling Personal Circumstances policy established by AmeriCorps allows for members to receive a prorated education award. Circumstances may include:
- Member has a serious injury or illness that makes completing the term impossible
- Serious injury, illness or death of an immediate family member and the member is needed to care for that family member or take over the duties of the family member
- Member is drafted by the Armed Services of the United States
- Circumstance that occurs which makes it impossible or very difficult for the member to complete the Term of Service and the Program deems that circumstance to be compelling.
- Unforeseen termination of the service project by the host site.
Compelling Personal Circumstances DO NOT include:
- To enroll in school
- To obtain employment at your site or other
- Because of dissatisfaction with the program
Please contact your SCA Partnership representative for questions about the SCA’s AmeriCorps program, or email the AmeriCorps Program Manager at
Americorps@thesca.org
