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Volunteering for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps |
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Section I-A: Introduction of Topic I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Like so many of my peers, I only vaguely know what I want to do after I graduate. I eventually want to go to law school, but I am not sure that it is what I want to do right after graduation. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to travel a lot this summer. I went to Greece, the Caribbean, and Mexico on three different trips. I discovered that I have a great love for traveling and going to new places. Additionally, the trip to Mexico was a mission trip. During my time there, I visited an orphanage and worked at a youth camp. The trip was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It showed me the value of helping others. Ever since I came back from Mexico, I have been looking into ways to combine my new interests. Two obvious solutions are the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is more appealing to me because it is a shorter time commitment and an opportunity to serve my country. The only knowledge I have about AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) comes from an information session I attended in August. At that information session I learned that volunteers range in age from 18 to 24. The NCCC members live in dorms at one of five campuses located in Charleston, S.C.; Denver, Colo.; Perry Point, Md.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Washington D.C. The volunteers do service work around their campus and travel to other states to work on projects. Upon completion of the NCCC program, volunteers receive $4,725 to help pay for further college tuition or to repay student loans. I want to do more research on NCCC because I have several questions. I learned that volunteers work on projects varying from environmental, public safety, education, and other unmet needs, but this is vague. I want to know specific projects that AmeriCorps NCCC members work on. I would like to read about the experiences of someone who has participated in the program. I want to know how much time off the volunteers get during their 10-month commitment and what the "modest" biweekly living allowance is exactly. I am interested in learning how placement is decided upon and what percentage of applicants are accepted into the program. Finally, I want to know more about the application process in general. This research will obviously be very beneficial
to myself, but it could also be helpful to someone else who is
between the ages of 18 and 24 and is not sure what they want to
do "next year." I believe that a lot of my peers are
searching for a way to make a difference in the United States
right now and having more information on AmeriCorps NCCC would
be very beneficial to them. AmeriCorps NCCC provides individuals
with the opportunity to see new places and help others at the
same time. There are a lot of young adults searching for a program
like this. |
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Section I-B: Keywords UNC Library Catalog: LexisNexis Academic: Search Engine on Web: <http://www.google.com> |
| Section II: Books, Videotapes and
CD-Roms from UNC-CH libraries
Two print sources: Christmas in April USA. Christmas in April: 4
video presentations from programs in South Norwalk, CT, Hartsville,
SC, New Orleans, LA, Midland, TX. 34 min. Washington, D.C., 1992.
Videocassette. Call Number: 75-V14 |
| Section III: Electronics Indexes
and Databases:
Buller, Kristy. (2002, April 13). Gaining life experience; Local graduate experiences the country through traveling with AmeriCorps NCCC. Intelligencer Journal [Online], p. A6(761 words). Available: LexisNexis Academic [2002, Sept. 14]. (1998, Dec. 16). Greensboro Resident Joins AmeriCorps Service Program. The News & Record [Online], p. 6(285 words). Available: InfoTrac Custom Newspapers [2002, Sept. 13]. Orr, Noelle. (2002, April 18). AmeriCorps workers get job done. The Post and Courier [Online], (462 words). Available: LexisNexis Academic [2002, Sept. 14]. Ryan, Emi Kei. (2000, Nov. 1). AmeriCorps NCCC Ready To Serve: Program Offers Camps Low-Cost Help for Service Projects. Camping Magazine [Online], Vol. 73, Issue 6, p 38. Available: ERIC [2002, Sept. 14]. Spalding, M. & Kafer, K. (2002, June 28). AmeriCorps: Still a Bad Idea for Citizen Service. Heritage Foundation Reports [Online], Backgrounder; No. 1564(2242 words). Available: LexisNexis Academic [2002, Sept. 14]. Sweeney, Shawn (2002, April 14). Committed to
the cause. The Pantagraph [Online], p. C1 Editorial(784 words).
Available: LexisNexis Academic [2002, Sept. 14]. |
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Section IV: Five Web Sources: Title: AmeriCorps: National Civilian Community
Corps. Title: Rebuilding Together SF volunteers rebuilding
community Title: Team Formerly Known as Gold 4 web page Title: Serving Country and Community: A Study
of Service in AmeriCorps Title: Joining AmeriCorps: Frequently Asked Questions
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Section V: Mini-Essay Did He Invent the Internet? "I invented the Internet," are four words that may haunt Al Gore for the rest of his political career. Gore spoke this famous sound-byte during a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer. Television was filled with jokes about the vice president and his invention of cyberspace. Some reporters even joked that Al Gore and the Internet were now synonymous with Henry Ford and the Model T, Edison and the light bulb, and the Wright brothers and the airplane. (1) These words did not cost Gore the 2000 presidential election, but they did not help. However, Gore did not say those exact words. His actual statement was, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." (2) Surely, Al Gore did not invent the Internet. It evolved slowly in the labs of scientists such as Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn. However, what Gore did do was help bring the Internet into mainstream America and especially into politics. Gore fought for the Internet while he was in Congress and continued that push throughout his vice-presidency. Of Gore's efforts to "privatize cyberspace," Cerf and Kahn wrote in an online letter, "We would like to acknowledge VP Gore's contributions as a congressman, senator and as a vice president. No other elected official, to our knowledge, had made a greater contribution over a longer period of time." (2) Gore used his Internet knowledge during the 2000 election to try and capture more votes, especially with younger Americans. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, during a town hall meeting at the University of Michigan, Gore was able to hold his own in technology discussions involving Napster and music sharing. The article said, "Judging from his comments Tuesday night, it was clear Gore not just uses the Net but actually likes it." (3) So, it is still true that Gore did not actually invent the Internet, but, through his efforts in Congress and in the White House, he helped to make it a practical resource for everyday Americans. He pushed for the funds that allowed research and development to continue, and he put the Net on the presidential agenda. As more people come online, the Internet will find itself closer to the top of that agenda. Notes: (2) Clive Thompson. (2000, Oct. 15). Net Cetera / The Al Gore Internet is Not as Crazy as it may Seem. Newsday [Online], p. B15. Available: LexisNexis Academic [Accessed: 2002, Sept. 15]. (3) Frances Katz. (2000, Oct. 1). Gore Well-Versed about Role of Internet in 'New Economy.' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Online], p.P2. Available: InfoTrac Custom Newspapers [Accessed: 2002, Sept.15]. Three Web Sites: Title: Al Gore and the Creation of the Internet
Title: Al Gore and the Internet
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last updated: 11/17/02 |
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