AmeriCorps Youth Launch

AmeriCorps is a national service movement that supports the engagement of Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to address the most critical needs of education, public safety, the environment, homeland security and other human needs in our nation’s communities.

AmeriCorps Youth Launch

Graceland University AmeriCorps Youth Launch (AYL) provides positive youth development activities that build a youth-serving network in a six-county region in south-central Iowa. The AYL program assists students in achieving academic engagement and educational success by building developmental assets through the involvement and support of community partners. The mission of AYL is to provide opportunities for students to lead successful, rewarding and productive lives. AmeriCorps members build valuable developmental assets, instill civic engagement and help young people find the “sparks” that ignite their passions in life. AmeriCorps members serve in school-based and/or community-based host sites, developing and strengthening programs that promote positive youth development. Through partnerships with various community entities and volunteers, members will promote enrichment activities to strengthen and sustain out-of-school programming and to fulfill the goals of the AYL program. Enrichment activities may include career shadowing, drama, drug prevention, nutrition, life skills, personal safety and recreation.

Get. Things. Done!
Join AmeriCorps.
Go to AmeriCorps.gov.

Contact AmeriCorps:

Nancy Hoffman,
AYL Program Director
641.784.5476 ph
641.223.0676 mobile
nancyh1@graceland.edu

Kallie Burton
AYL Program Manager
641.784.5495 ph
461.442.5048 mobile
kallie2@graceland.edu

• Support
  • Family Support: Family life provides high levels of love and support.
  • Positive Family Communication: Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.
  • Other Adult Relationships: Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.
  • Caring Neighborhood: Young person experiences caring neighbors.
  • Caring School Climate: School provides a caring, encouraging environment.
  • Parent Involvement in Schooling: Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.
• Empowerment
  • Community Values Youth: Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
  • Youth as Resources: Young people are given useful roles in the community.
  • Service to Others: Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.
  • Safety: Young person feels safe at home, school and in the neighborhood.
• Boundaries & Expectations
  • Family Boundaries: Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts.
  • School Boundaries: School provides clear rules and consequences.
  • Neighborhood Boundaries: Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people’s behavior.
  • Adult Role Models: Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
  • Positive Peer Influence: Young person’s best friends model responsible behavior.
  • High Expectations: Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.
• Constructive Use of Time
  • Creative Activities: Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater or other arts.
  • Youth Programs: Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs or organizations at school and/or the community.
  • Religious Community: Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
  • Time at Home: Young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do” two or fewer nights per week.

Internal Assets

• Commitment to Learning
  • Achievement Motivation: Young person is motivated to do well in school.
  • School Engagement: Young person is actively engaged in learning.
  • Homework: Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.
  • Bonding to School: Young person cares about her or his school.
  • Reading for Pleasure: Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
• Positive Values
  • Caring: Young person places high value on helping other people.
  • Equality and Social Justice: Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
  • Integrity: Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
  • Honesty: Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy.”
  • Responsibility: Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.
  • Restraint: Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
• Social Competence
  • Caring: Young person places high value on helping other people.
  • Equality and Social Justice: Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
  • Integrity: Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
  • Honesty: Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy.”
  • Responsibility: Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.
  • Restraint: Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
• Positive Identity
  • Personal Power: Young person feels he or she has control over “things that happen to me.”
  • Self-Esteem: Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
  • Sense of Purpose: Young person reports that “my life has a purpose.”
  • Positive View of Personal Future: Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.

AmeriCorps Youth Launch