Ionia County AmeriCorps:
It’s Been a Good Seven Years

The 2006-2007 grant-year is the final one for the Ionia County AmeriCorps program.  For the past seven year the Ionia County Intermediate School District (ICISD) has coordinated this successful national service program, sometimes described as a “domestic Peace Corps.”  The ICISD has supported its enrolled AmeriCorps members as they served in schools throughout the county and in the community impacting the lives of pre-k through 12th grade students in a positive way.  

The Ionia County AmeriCorps program began in 2000 with a focus on literacy for young children.  To meet the evolving needs of the school districts served by the ICISD the program changed foci in 2002.  For the 2006-2007 grant-year its members are concentrating their service in the following areas:

1. Providing academic coaching and/or homework assistance.
2. Providing support to teachers who are using academic service-learning.
3. Providing mentoring to students.
4. Providing support and/or resources to school staff members who are developing and/or coordinating mentoring programs (adult-to-student or older student-to-younger student): program models, best practices, forums/trainings, training materials for mentors, etc.
5. Coordinating or assisting with enrichment activities for students (clubs, field trips, other extra-curricular activities, family events, promoting non-violence through bully-proofing and/or social and emotion learning programs, etc.).
6. Recruiting and supporting volunteers.

Its members also coordinate and/or serve in countywide projects such as the F.R.E.E. (Families Reading Every Evening) Movie reading program, Promise Daze day camp for middle school-age students, and the Bertha Brock Park Water Festival.

In the past seven years in the Ionia County AmeriCorps program:

1. The teams have ranged in size from 10 to 12 members.
2. Each year at most 2 members were half-time members (900hours) with all other members serving full-time (1,700hours).
3. A total of 105,331 hours were served through June 2007 (with members scheduled to serve until February 2008).
4. There have been 61 different members.
5. 21 members chose to give not just one year of service, but also enrolled for a second year.
6. 60 12-month terms of service were completed.
7. 42 educational awards totaling $183,712.50 were earned by members who successfully completed their service years.

The final 2006-2007 Ionia County AmeriCorps team consists of:

1. Katie Richlick who served at Belding High School (Belding Area Schools) and successfully completed her full-time term on July 14, 2007.
2. Penny Beeman who is serving at Rather Elementary School (Ionia Public Schools) with her Certified Therapy Dog, Gracie, and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on September 14, 2007.
3. Heather Wortley who is serving at Oakwood Elementary School (Portland Public Schools) and is scheduled to complete her half-time term on September 14, 2007.
4. Laura Smith who served at Sunfield Elementary School and Lakewood High School (Lakewood Public Schools) and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on September 14, 2007.
5. Angie Martin who is serving at Jefferson Elementary School (Ionia Public Schools) and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on September 14, 2007.
6. Mary Huyck who is serving at Belding Middle School (Belding Area Schools) and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on November 20, 2007.
7. Lindsey Wagner who is serving at Ionia Middle School (Ionia Public Schools) and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on November 20, 2007.
8. Melissa Duff who is serving at Oakwood Elementary School (Portland Public Schools) and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on February 14, 2007.
9. Gillian Sharp who is serving at Jean K. Harker Middle School (Saranac Community Schools) and is scheduled to completer her full-time term on February 14, 2007.
10. Brenda Brengle who is serving at Belding Middle School (Belding Area Schools) and is scheduled to complete her full-time term on February 14, 2007.

The Ionia County AmeriCorps members have learned to see their strengths, have learned to see the strengths in others, have learned to problem solve and stay focused on solutions, have taught children to care about themselves and others, and together they have served to make our community stronger and more caring, too.   They are grateful to the school staff members and administrators, community member volunteers, both adult and youth, the Michigan Community Service Commission, and the Corporation for National and Community Service for partnering to make their national service experiences possible.   It’s been a good seven years.