YOUR SERVICE YEAR

As an AmeriCorps VISTA candidate, you attend a Pre-Service Orientation, which provides an overview of your role as an AmeriCorps VISTA member candidate, the role of your sponsoring organization, and the role of the Corporation State Office. The orientation is your final step to becoming a member, and the starting point to your year of service.

FIRST WEEK ON YOUR PROJECT

Your sponsoring organization should provide you with an On-Site Orientation and Training during your first one to three weeks on the project. This orientation will introduce you to your sponsoring organization, the community at large, and your role during your year of service. During the on-site training period, it is important that you review and integrate the Pre-Service Orientation material as appropriate.

ONGOING MEMBER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

After your AmeriCorps VISTA service begins, you may participate in an Ongoing Member Training and Development activity to enhance your knowledge and skills to perform your project assignment. This follow-up training may be a course, a conference, or a professional development opportunity. You should work with your supervisor to identify training and development opportunities for you. (For more information about follow-up training, see Chapter 4.)

SECOND CHOICE OPTION FOR POST-SERVICE BENEFIT

At any time before the end of your tenth month of service, you may change your post-service benefit to the stipend, if you originally elected the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. To make this change, you must select the stipend under “In-Service Benefits” in your My AmeriCorps account. If you initially elected the end-of service stipend, you cannot switch to the education award.

TENTH MONTH

Future Plans Form

You will need to complete an AmeriCorps Future Plans Form in the tenth month of your service. The form is on your member homepage in the My AmeriCorps portal under “Close-of-Service.” This form requires you to notify the Corporation if you are ending your service as scheduled or if you are requesting continuation of service. Your termination date is usually 365 days following the day you complete Pre-Service Orientation. You and your supervisor should complete this form in the My AmeriCorps portal at least 45 days before your end-of-service date. Follow up to make sure your supervisor completes the form before the 45-day deadline.

Extension of Service for Less Than One Year

Sometimes AmeriCorps VISTA members find that the task to which they have committed their service cannot be completed within one year. In this case, members and their sponsoring organization may request an extension of the first year of service for a specific period. This option is explained on the Future Plans Form. (Medical extensions are treated differently [see "Medical Leave" section in Chapter 9].)

If you elected a stipend, you may extend your service for a period less than one year. If you elected an AmeriCorps Education Award, you may extend, but you can only receive a prorated end-of-service stipend for the period of extended service. You cannot receive a prorated education award in this instance.

Reenrollment for a Second Year

Another option is to request reenrollment for a second year of service. AmeriCorps VISTA encourages you to pursue a second year with your current project. A second year of service with another AmeriCorps VISTA project is also possible. If you are considering pursuing a second term of service with a different project, you should visit the My AmeriCorps Recruitment System to search for AmeriCorps VISTA openings by location, skill areas, or issues of interest. You also may want to consider applying to become an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader (see Chapter 10).

The decision to extend, reenroll, or be designated as an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader requires the approval of the Corporation State Office. Approval to extend, reenroll, or become a Leader is dependent on the Corporation and AmeriCorps VISTA program policy, the funding available to the Corporation, the nature of the agreement between the Corporation and the sponsoring organization, and your performance and conduct as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Members are not entitled to an extension, reinstatement, or reenrollment as a member or Leader in the AmeriCorps VISTA program.

LAST THREE WEEKS

In the last three weeks of your service, you should prepare to leave your sponsoring organization and phase out of your service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. (See Chapter 11 for the end-of-service checklist of things you should do to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.) If you elected to receive a stipend at the end of your service year and not an education award, you will receive $400 of your accrued stipend (minus federal income tax and FICA [Social Security] deductions) in the living allowance payment for the next-to-the-last pay period of your service year. The balance of the stipend is disbursed in the last pay period of your term of service.

If you extend service, you will receive the full endof-service stipend in the final pay period of the term of service you have just completed. Another stipend starts to accrue through the extension. If you reenroll and elect the stipend as your post-service benefit, a stipend for the first year is disbursed to you as outlined above, and another stipend accrues through your second year.

** Revised 06/27/2012