MHYC Participates in Global Youth Service Day

April 26-28th marks Global Youth Service Day 2013, the largest day of service in the world and the only service event specifically dedicated to children and youth ages 5-25.  In honor of the event, MHYC took part in five different service projects throughout Denver.  Take a look below to see how our Corpmembers and Staff lent their helpful hands today:

Picking up trash, sweeping, and checking for graffiti at our Adopt-A-Spot location.

Weeding and helping to install an irrigation system for the Boys and Girls Club.

Sorting food donations, preparing pallets of food orders, packing boxes of food orders at Food Bank of the Rockies.

Landscaping and maintaining trails at the Bluff Lake Nature Center.

Helping Denver Urban Gardens lay gravel pathways for an existing community garden.

And check out the video of why our Corpsmembers serve:

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Made in AmeriCorps – AmeriCorps Week 2013

This Saturday, March 9^th, marks the beginning of AmeriCorps week!

AmeriCorps Week aims to build awareness of national community service in communities across the country.  AmeriCorps members have completed one billion hours of service since 1994, and this week celebrates their accomplishments and highlights the importance of what alumni have done and what current members continue to do.

The theme for AmeriCorps Week 2013 is “Made in AmeriCorps.”  AmeriCorps provides its members with chances to improve not only their country, but themselves.  Members learn the value of helping others, have a chance to learn a variety of skills, and become leaders in their communities.

Here at Mile High Youth Corps, Corpsmembers will be celebrating AmeriCorps Week by doing several different service projects on Friday, March 15^th.  They will be displaying all the ways they were Made in AmeriCorps by cleaning up a neighborhood, serving at a food bank, and doing many other projects in the Denver area.

Our Corpsmembers are extraordinary young men and women and the future leaders of this country!

How are you Made in AmeriCorps?

Click here for more information about AmeriCorps week or to find out how you can serve in your community at MHYC or other AmeriCorps programs.

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WE’RE HIRING!!

Mile High Youth Corps is now accepting applications for multiple youth positions in two separate programs.

The AmeriCorps Leadership & Conservation program is a demanding, team-based, leadership experience providing diverse service opportunities in education, community outreach, youth development, and physical labor to achieve a common goal: environmental conservation.  ACLCs have the opportunity to work across all of our other programs and play an integral leadership role at Mile High Youth Corps. The position is a 10-month commitment, earns a bi-weekly stipend of $553.07, and is eligible for an AmeriCorps Education Award of $5,550. Corpsmembers must be able to serve from January 28, 2013 to December 13, 2013.

The Energy & Water Conservation program gives young people the chance to help residents in the Denver Metro Area to upgrade their homes and save money. Corpsmembers will perform efficiency upgrades on utilities in homes to reduce utility bills and benefit the environment. In addition, energy and water crews educate clients on conservation measures, which will help residents further reduce their consumption and costs. Positions are a 5-month commitment, earn a stipend ranging between $256-$288 per week, and are eligible for a $2,114.00 AmeriCorps Education Award. Corpsmembers must be available to serve from January 28, 2013 to June 28, 2013. For all positions, for which we are currently hiring, applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 24 and must have either their GED or High School Diploma by the start date for each program.

Click here for more information about these and all open positions at Mile High Youth Corps.

Check out these pictures to get an idea for some of the projects you would be working on.

Taking a break after installing a high-efficiency toilet!

Removing some noxious weeds.

About to install a high-efficiency toilet!

Cutting down some trees to prevent wild fires.

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From Peace Corps to AmeriCorps: A Journey of Service

After saying goodbye to my new family in Macedonia and receiving my certificate for completing my 27-month term of Peace Corps service in Macedonia, I felt relieved, proud and anxious for what was to come upon my arrival back in America. I had my resume, cover letter, and references all ready to go out and venture into the “real world” when I stumbled upon Mile High Youth Corps and their AmeriCorps Programs.

I am now working as the Administrative Assistant for Outreach and Programs at Mile High Youth Corps. In this position I not only get to meet each and every Corpsmember, but I also have the opportunity to support senior-level staff in a variety of ways. It is an amazing agency to work for and I could not have chosen a better way to transfer back into the “real world” as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

There are many similarities between Peace Corps Service and AmeriCorps Service, but there are many differences also. One of the biggest differences is the time period between the applications and beginning the programs. For example, as an applicant for the Peace Corps, I applied in January and then did not depart for Macedonia until September. When applying for AmeriCorps, I applied on December 8^th and began work on January 4^th.  Staff in both the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps are great and very supportive. One of the big differences in staff is in the Peace Corps there is a large number that are Host-Country Nationals. In my case, I had Macedonian Program Managers, which was a great experience to see the differences in our work-cultures.

In both AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, you get to work closely with the other people in your group. In the Peace Corps you may live several hours from the closest member of your group, and in AmeriCorps you may be roommates or neighbors. The other Peace Corps Volunteers that served with me in Macedonia became like my brothers and sisters or aunts and uncles and I will remain close to them for life. In my AmeriCorps position the other members are more like my co-workers due to the fact that the position is not 24/7 like the Peace Corps, but more comparable to a “9-5” job. The service mentality is similar in both programs, but it is more severe in the Peace Corps due to the fact that all volunteers uproot themselves by moving away from America with the goal in mind of helping people from another country. Peace Corps Volunteers do not get paid to be in the Peace Corps. They receive a living stipend, which solely supports a lifestyle like those of the Host-Country Nationals.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make an impact upon hundreds of Macedonian youth in the Peace Corps and now getting the chance to impact youth in my home state of Colorado by helping them get jobs. Serving has always been a part of who I am. From the first time I volunteered at the Salvation Army, I knew that I would devote a large part of my life to helping those in need. As a Peace Corps Volunteer I had the opportunity to volunteer two years of my life to helping out Macedonians and now, as a member of AmeriCorps, I have been given the chance to make an impact in my own community.

Please note: The contents of this blog post are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps. 

–Kaylee Poleschook
MHYC Corpsmember & Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

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MHYC on MLK Jr. Day 2012

MHYC on MLK Jr. Day 2012 from Kate Prestine on Vimeo.

(http://vimeo.com/35891174) or (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noZiWysgzEs&feature=youtu.be)

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Make A Difference Day: Denver

Make A Difference Day is held on the fourth Saturday in October every year and encourages the nation to come together for one day and participate in service projects that will directly affect their community in a positive manner. Projects were completed all over the country that truly made a difference in their community!

Mile High Youth Corps spent the day working on Fairview Elementary School, a school located in the neighborhood of several of our locations. Special thanks to the principal, Norma Giron for letting us work with her on such a special project! Listen to the speech she gave to the over 120 VOLUNTEERS!!!

The MHYC community joined with parents and students of the elementary school, Veronica Garcia, our friends from Ricoh-Ilkon and other community members to paint benches, clean up the playgrounds, plant trees, paint portions of the building and provide some overall maintenance to the garden. Thanks again for all you came to support!




We would like to thank all those who helped to make the day possible with their generous donations! Thanks from MHYC to John Alexander at Home Depot, Brigid McRaith for her art supplies, the Million Tree Initiative, Kim from Park People/Denver Digs, Cici’s pizza, Tagawa Gardens, Diane Wilson at Applewood Seed Co and Einstein’s Bagels for their delicious breakfast.

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MHYC’s YouthBuild Program Receives Nomination for Service Impact Award

We are excited to share that our YouthBuild program was selected by YouthBuild USA as a nominee for the 2010-2011 Service Impact Award sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

MHYC’s program was one of only a handful of other YouthBuild programs selected at the national level for this nomination. Programs were selected because of strong outcomes and innovative programming.

Check out the full nomination.

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A Look Back on Orientation

My first two weeks of AmeriCorps have been awesome, and I can’t believe I’m already reaching the tail end of my third week. When they say time flies, they mean it. In fact, I find this to be especially true at Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC), as the first two weeks of orientation were full of logistics (the cans and cannots), meeting new people, and most importantly: Fun. In only three short weeks, my time here feels like it is opening up my world to a more meaningful way of life.

Prior to joining MHYC, I was in the communications world, where you might have found me working the 9 to 5 without any rhyme or reason. Now I am outside playing, meeting positive people, gaining leadership skills and simply enjoying my days. Moreover, thank goodness that this all worked out, as I must admit I was a wee-bit nervous.

But don’t get me wrong. MHYC has already challenged me to shovel “compost,” brave the cold at Canosa and sort rotten oranges (all humbling, fine forms of service of course). Thanks to the neat people at MHYC, however, I am happy to say that my leap of faith has turned a monotonous workday into something that I feel good about leaving each day. You know, the type of feeling you get when you know you’ve done something good.

This is why I am happy to report that I am enjoying the early challenges of the ACLC program. Whether it be discussing why I am here or where I am going in the future, these new experiences have allowed me to step outside of my “comfort zone” and look forward to a career path of local and international service. I see a meaningful path in my life, and I am happy that I took the leap to join MHYC to get to this special place.

And finally, I would like to share perhaps my most memorable orientation moment: Diversity Training. An exercise in which Tom set up BIG mousetraps across the floor as we navigated blind Corps Members across the course. Now if that does not sound challenging to you, you ought to try it.

Caution: Objects in pictures are more dangerous than they appear.
~Adriana Lopez, AmeriCorps Leadership and Conservation

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New Energy, Water and ACLC corpsmembers begin!

A new year has begun! There was a quiet in the assembly room at headquarters that could only mean it is the first day of orientation at Mile High Youth Corps. New and returning corpsmembers for the 2011 energy, water and ACLC programs shuffled their feet into the assembly room where they began to learn more about MHYC and all the positive work they will be performing in the Denver community.
Before long, they will be out and about in the field changing toilets and performing energy audits, but for now they are getting to know more about each other through fun team-building activities!

There is excitement in the air about the year to come and the new members to the Mile High Youth Corps family!

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Meet Emily! Fall Sawyer Corpsmember

I had a chance to chat with Emily when the Sawyer crew invited the office staff out for a delicious meal at their campsite! Check out her story below.

Emily graduated with a BS in Chemistry and randomly decided to take a Military Science class in her last year of school. This class led her to signing up for the Army and she soon was commissioned as an officer. A few weeks after joining Mile High Youth Corps Emily found out that she will be reporting to Fort Sam Houston, TX in January.

Emily values leadership. Her Military Science class focused on this quality a great deal and Emily was able to see it in practice in her MHYC crew through leaders and sponsors. Working with a crew has been a great experience to prepare Emily for the Army because in both cases different kinds of people come together as a team to work on a specific job.

Emily enjoyed the opportunity MHYC provided for her to see other areas of Colorado that she had not while living here. She is terrified and thrilled to see where she will go and who she will meet in her future in the Army and is thankful for the ways that MHYC has prepared her for her next adventure.

- Sylvia Sedrak, Outreach VISTA, Colorado Springs Field Office

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