CLEC AmeriCorps Success Stories
“Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good's CLEC AmeriCorps program has improved my community by having its members everywhere. At the Center for Community-Based Learning and Action at Evergreen State College, we have members out doing service with the foodbank, the incarcerated, the youth, and the houseless. Our team is out serving the community hands-on everyday. This has had a big positive impact on my career and on myself as a person. When I started this service, I had never run a workshop. Now, I do it at least once a week. I feel more confident speaking in front of people and leading academic conversations. This is valuable for me because I want to go into teaching. Not only does this benefit my future career, but it has also helped me as a person. I grew up very shy and I would have never imagined myself leading workshops at the Equity Symposium or a Latinx Youth Summit.”
— Evergreen State College | 2023
“I have greatly improved my speaking and leadership skills as well talking to large groups about tool safety, invasive vs. native species, and site specific information. It has been beneficial partnering with other environmental and ecological restoration groups to improve my confidence in group leadership and restoration skills. My service showed me that a career in ecological restoration and community leadership is something I would like to pursue.”
— Bellingham Parks Department Volunteer Program / WWU | 2023
“One of my greatest successes was introducing community members and first-time visitors to the pantry and the many different resources our site has to offer. We have a collection of community resources that are open to all of our guests. One specific guest was new to the community due to some unfortunate circumstances. Being able to connect them to the resources they needed felt amazing. I always enjoy hearing about the different ways that people have used what they received from the pantry.”
— Inland Oasis & West Side Food Pantry / WSU | 2023
“My time serving in Idaho State University’s Disability Resources prepared me to help students who require accommodations. This position is teaching me about so many of the different resources that are available to college students. Being aware of (my high school students’ needs) means I can help spread that knowledge to kids sooner in their learning journeys. This position is also giving me opportunities to provide others feedback which is great practice for this in my career.”
— Idaho State University | 2023
“People are enjoying healthier forests on their hikes. Fire breaks and the reduction of ground level forest fuels are keeping people safe. The riparian plantings (we installed) will restore the health of our waterways which will improve water quality for San Juan Islanders. Our efforts have focused on future climate change adaptations to support life, including human life, into the future.”
— San Juan Conservation Corps / WWU | 2023
“Student support = Community Support. By supporting students we are supporting integral members of our community by being there during some of their greatest times of need and helping to lift them up when they are at a perceived low. I serve to re-frame situations and present them in new ways to assist those in need to ‘see things differently.’ By doing this, they are able to manage and navigate situations they wouldn't have thought they could prior. Serving in this program has helped improve our campus as well as our community. ”
— Tacoma Community College | 2023
“Since all the residents we serve are low-income, my project is very impactful. It’s useful to provide knowledge surrounding preventative care and how to live a healthy lifestyle. Especially since all the programming is onsite, it removes a lot of barriers to care. We'll have more even more of an impact when the providers come on-site to offer presentations and services. A success has been launching the food pantries at each site. We reached a lot of residents this way, and it seemed like the need was really there. Also, I hosted a mindfulness painting event in which we had a large turnout and we saw a lot of families who don't usually attend events. I've enjoyed getting to meet the residents and trying to organize events that meet their needs.”
— Mercy Housing | 2023
“We are inspiring young high school minority students to pursue a career in healthcare where workforce diversity is highly needed. With our clinical outreach, we are serving marginalized population's who are in need of dental care within the Seattle area.”
— University of Washington School of Dentistry | 2023
“I have taught over one hundred different students between grades 3-5 since I started. I interact directly with these students inside their schools and teach them fun dance styles. Being in a rural area, these children have very limited resources to the arts. Many schools have cut their arts programs and there's rarely traveling performance groups that come to the area (besides the ones that Festival Dance brings). I provide arts education programs for local youth who otherwise do not get the exposure to arts and different cultures.”
— Festival Dance and Performing Arts / WSU | 2023
“[CLEC] has allowed me to help students, show them what services we offer, and meet with other faculty members on campus. [My project] is impacting students' lives. For example, a lot of them weren’t aware of our free college professional clothing service. We have had a lot of students come in to get clothes to get ready for an interview.”
— Lewis-Clark State College | 2023
“I have been able to provide mental health services to a significantly large amount of individuals who would not have care otherwise. I've gained so many skills and feel like I'll be leaving this experience ready to do more mental health work for underserved communities. I'm also proud of my MLK week presentation and my service to get the prison's TBI treatment program up and running. I am definitely more service-oriented in my career goals. When I think about what to do next, I now think about how it will impact the community I'll be doing the work in. I also feel better able to communicate and manage my emotions.”
— Antioch University | 2023
“My favorite experience this year has been working with people in the community. Working with colleagues toward a common goal has been invaluable. My greatest success has been supervising the student leaders of the program. They are and developing their teaching and classroom management skills. I am honored to support these leaders by encouraging them and teaching them what I have learned through my personal classroom experience.
Working with the youth directly has been immeasurably inspiring. I have grown to care deeply for them, truly understand them as humans, and care for them through the lens of their circumstances. All I have experienced and learned with colleagues, student leaders, youth, and community partners I will take with me to my future career. These programs bring the community together. Youth meet students from other classes, make new friends, and build relationships. Mentors get involved in their community, have a presence in schools and community centers, and make connections with others in both the Gonzaga and Spokane communities. Our events welcome youth and their families, helping promote positive memories and access to resources for families.
These mentoring relationships help support youth in developing social skills, emotional skills, positive orientation toward the future, and support networks. I am thrilled to see how much the youth enjoy the programs. I hear stories that they ask about them all week at their schools and look forward to program days. I have also seen the impact on our college students. These students are exposed to experiences and stories that they did not experience in childhood. This expands their understanding of the world, increasing their empathy towards others. I watch the mentors care for the youth and their passion for the programs. The impacts on youth and mentors alike has been amazing to witness.”
— Gonzaga University | 2023