Thank you for your interest in The Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps, the local initiative of the national AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps was created in order to give United States citizens the chance to serve their country by giving their time and talents to strengthen our communities in the areas of: education, environment, public safety, and human needs. Citizens can serve with the Corps for up to two years in exchange for a living stipend, educational monies, and a wealth of experience. Participants in this branch of AmeriCorps would have the opportunity to serve at a non-profit or governmental organization within: Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset, or Westmoreland Counties.

A full-time position requires 1,700 hours, and the part-time positions require 900 hours, to be served over a pre-designated one-year period. For the 2008/2009-program year, the full-time living stipend will be $11,400 divided over the course of the program, with an educational money voucher of $4,725.00 awarded upon successful program completion. The part-time living stipend will be $6,035 with an educational money voucher of $2,362.50 awarded upon successful program completion. Full-time members may also be eligible for health care and/or child care benefits; and qualified student loans may be put into forbearance while a member is serving, with the accumulated interest paid. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien, and be at least 17 years old to participate in any AmeriCorps program. The PMSC generally has members ages 18 up to and including senior citizens with a variety of educational degrees.

The 2008/2009 program year will begin August 25, 2008 and will run until the following August. If you are searching for a position that enables you to serve your country, offer your talents to make a difference in your community, interact with people, and learn and apply new skills, perhaps the Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps/AmeriCorps is for you. To find out more about the benefits of serving with PMSC, please review the packet of information. If you have questions regarding our program, please contact us by phone: (814) 472-7690, fax: (814) 472-5033, or e-mail: pmsc@pmsc.org If interested in becoming a member during the 2008/2009 program year, please complete the online application We will have 75 full-time positions and 10 part-time positions. We will accept applications May through November.

Fill out the online application to be considered for placement with the PMSC.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:

If you are interested in a position, you can do two thing to get started:

1. Feel free to contact any of the organizations on the service description page to let them know that you are interested in their position and that you would like to be considered for an interview.

2. Your on-line application will be added to a data base that the organizations with positions can access.. If you are on the data base, an organization may contact you to see if you are interested in their position.

While we would like to give everyone a chance to serve, this is a very competitive process and application does not guarantee selection. We typically get over 300 applications for less than 100 positions! Each individual organization selects who will fill their position without discrimination on the basis of, Race, Color, Religious Creed, Ancestry, National Origin, Age, Disability, or Sex.

Basic federal criteria for application, is that you must be at least 17 years old and an American or naturalized citizen. Our Corps, The PMSC, has had members as young as 17 and so far, as old as 78! We have members serving that do not have a formal degree up to those with a PHD!

Most importantly, if you are willing to take 1-2 years of your life to lend your time and talents to strengthening our communities, AmeriCorps may be a great fit for you!

If you are selected for a position, you will receive a packet of paperwork in the mail advising you of your next steps.

Good Luck! You may email pmsc@pmsc.org or call 814-472-7690 if you have any additional questions!