All AmeriCorps programs under the American Samoa Special Services Commission will be celebrating AmeriCorps Week from May 11-18, 2008.

AmeriCorps Week is designed to recognize AmeriCorps alums; recruit more volunteers, and to thank community partners for their support of AmeriCorps programs. Throughout the week, alums, community members, and AmeriCorps volunteers will have the opportunity to come together and recognize the hard work AmeriCorps puts into its communities.

Off island, across the Nation, volunteer drives and recruitments are already underway.

Volunteerism and service play a huge part in the day-to-day operations of AmeriCorps, hence their motto: “Getting Things Done for America.”

Throughout this week, members of the local AmeriCorps program will be working on two projects. The first one is Tiaseulupe (Fatu O Aiga). This is a historic preservation - the last of its kind in the territory -and a great part of our history. AmeriCorps sees the need to help preserve this piece of our culture to pass on to future generations as according to them, it is in dire need of maintenance and renovation.

The second project is a much needed yard clean-up at the Rainmaker Hotel. AmeriCorps members have targeted this specific area because of its current state, and its location in the heart of town.

In American Samoa, AmeriCorps programs have made quite an impact in community service, since their inception in the mid-90s. Many people are familiar with AmeriCorps in American Samoa through its longest running program – Faitau Mai Samoa – under the Read To Me Samoa Organization which is a non-profit group founded by former First Lady Mrs. Fagaoali’i Sunia.

Faitau Mai Samoa, AmeriCorps Tutorial Program, was established in 2001 to assist at-risk students in grades 1, 2, and 9 improve their reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Currently, the program is serving only level 1 students.

After Faitau Mai Samoa became popular, two more programs were launched in 2006 to target areas within the community. They are: “Log on Samoa” and “Jungle Busters.”

Log on Samoa is a computer literacy program that consists of 30 AmeriCorps members trained to become computer tutors in local elementary schools. Participants of the program are assigned to mentors within the school who help tutor them in computer literacy.

Jungle Busters has 10 members and is under the Tutuila Conservation Corps, an organization established by the American Samoa Resources Conservation and Development Council of the USDA Farm Services.

The Jungle Busters are currently working in Pago Pago to eradicate invasive trees, namely the Tamaligi, within the village. In addition, the ASRC&D Council is helping program participants by placing them within different government agencies as apprentices to gain skills and knowledge so when the time comes that the government agency is hiring, the apprentices have an excellent chance of being hired as full time employees.

And that’s not all. Last year, AmeriCorps added yet another program called “Pathways to Success,” which focuses on early childhood education. The ten members who were recruited to initiate the program provide bilingual tutoring in literacy, language, and mathematics to more then 100 ECE students across the territory. Members are assigned to mentor and provide tutoring services for students within the schools.

All AmeriCorps members take pride in their service for their communities, and they are afforded an opportunity to give back to their villages and their people.

AmeriCorps greatly appreciates any donations to their projects. All local AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance and in exchange for their year of full-time service, they receive an education award that can be used to pay for school or pay back qualified student loans.

###