Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps AmeriCorps Program
119 Park Street
Ebensburg, Pennsylvania 15901
WWW.pmsc.org
Email:
Phone: 814-472-7690 Ext 2305 or 2337
April 12, 2017
Dear Community Organization or School District:
The Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps is pleased to announce that applications to be a PMSC-AmeriCorps host site for the 2017/2018 PMSC program year will be accepted April 12, 2017 through May 15, 2017, 4PM. The application packet can be obtained in one of two ways:
1. By visiting the PMSC web site at www.pmsc.org clicking on become a host site, and choose the 2017-2018 New Host Site Application link for a fillable PDF that can be signed and submitted on-line.
OR
2. By downloading the attached PDF’s and submitting to the PMSC AmeriCorps office via email: or fax: 814-472-5033, or by mail to the address above.
Here are some key points you will need to consider for submitting an application:
ü Based upon what we believe will be the grant award amount for the 2017-2018 program, the cash-match for a full-time 1700-hour position will be $10,314 with a $1,000 in-kind contribution per member. All position awards are contingent on grant funding. The PMSC may not have award confirmation until June or July. We may have part-time 900-hour positions later in the program year.
ü The cash-match and in-kind should come from nonfederal sources; however, there are a few exceptions to that rule. Please see “Federal Match Exceptions” on our sponsor application page on the PMSC web site for more information. Title I funds are acceptable sources of federal dollars for your cash- match. Also, if you are not familiar with in-kind, this is simply putting a dollar value to items or services that support the AmeriCorps position. For instance, office space, computer usage, supervision could all be considered in-kind match.
ü Full-time members will receive a gross stipend of $ 602.00 every two weeks through-out their term of service, health-care insurance if needed at no charge, an income eligible child-care stipend if needed, and $5,815.00 in an education stipend upon successful completion.
ü Your application must align with one or more of our objectives.
It is important that you read the following instructions when completing your application:
Page 1:
ü Please complete all sections, and please fill out the 4-digit extension to your zip code.
ü If you are school-based, please make sure that the primary contact that is listed or list in the additional notes section….is someone who will receive the award notification over the summer so that you can get started interviewing candidates, etc.
Page 2:
ü There is room for information for up to three different locations within your school district or organization for member placements. If you need to add additional sites, please feel free to add an attachment.
Page 3:
ü For the web site description box, If awarded a position(s), there will be a generic position title such as “Tutoring position for grades 1-6 in the Somewhere SD”, placed on the PMSC recruitment page on our website, followed by your brief description of your minimum requirements. Space is very limited, so a few succinct sentences is all that we will be able to accommodate.
Pages 5-8
ü Please make sure your proposed position description describes a critical and unmet community need based on studies/needs assessments, that aligns with the PMSC AmeriCorps objectives as outlined on page 4.
ü For question 2a – Please be descriptive as possible in describing your community need. Use documented statistics and reports when possible (Example: “The Somewhereville SD has a 75% free and reduced lunch rate as per the PA Department of Education, and 45% of the K-3 students are currently below level in reading and math. Somwhereville does not have the staff to provide the intensive instructions needed for student success.)
ü For question 3 – Please be specific regarding your end goals. Use a number and or percentages to describe the amount of progress projected to be achieved by the AmeriCorps member(s) service for the year. (Examples – because of the AmeriCorps service provided to The Good Life Tree, Inc., there will be 50 additional volunteers recruited and trained. 10 new classrooms and 200 youth will receive drug and alcohol education. 125 K-3 at risk students will achieve grade level reading scores. )
ü For question 8 - Your description should give reasons what will happen/or not happen if the needs are left unaddressed. Do not use terms such as employment, work/job, job description, etc. This is a term of service for an AmeriCorps member.
Pages 9 -14:
ü Please read the agreement thoroughly so there are no surprises later.
ü For page 14 - please make sure to accurately report any federal funds to be used as match and indicate the CDFA # and the name of the grant used.
Notification of your selection status will be dependent on our funding notification; however, we hope to make awards by middle to late June. If you are school-based, please make sure that you have indicated on your application someone who will receive the award packet over the summer so that your school may begin interviewing for the position. If selected as a service site, your executed host site agreement will be returned to you with your selection notification.
Application selection will be based on several factors including; internal strategies for diversity of geographical representation, critical and unmet need, and how the position aligns with the PMSC/AmeriCorps objectives. All of these points will be considered when your application is reviewed, however, the competition for positions is keen as more organizations compete for very limited funding, therefore, simply covering all of the points or prior participation does not necessarily guarantee a position.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Respectfully,
Carol Lynne Overly, PMSC AmeriCorps Program Director