Goodwill Granite State Education Corps

In the Granite State Education Corps (GSEC), direct service AmeriCorps members serve youth, grades 4-12 across New Hampshire. Many Granite State youth have been impacted by trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which, without proper support, can negatively affect success, health, and functioning long-term. The good news? The impacts of ACEs can be counteracted, and one of those “counter-ACEs” is relationships. GSEC aims to introduce stability and positive relationships into the lives of at-risk middle and high school youth by pairing them with AmeriCorps member mentors, who regularly meet one-on-one or in small groups with a caseload of ten students to increase their resiliency, social and emotional skills, and self-sufficiency—in essence, serving the “whole child. Members are placed at host site organizations across the Granite State, from the Seacoast’s Portsmouth, Stratham, and Dover to Franconia, by the lakes and mountains, to southern New Hampshire’s cities of Concord, Manchester, and Nashua. Host sites include schools like Next Charter School, Kreiva Academy, Cooperative Middle School, Pembroke Academy, NH Academy of Science, Concord Schools, and Great Bay Charter School; community organizations such as Breakthrough Manchester, University of NH Upward Bound, CADY, Copper Cannon Camp, Adaptive Sports Partners, Somersworth Youth Connection, Haven, and Friends of Seabrook Community; and afterschool programs like the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, Nashua PAL, Strafford Learning Center, Seymour Osman Community Center, and the YMCA of Greater Londonderry.

Utilizing data to inform practice, members: Prioritize youth voice to increase social and emotional skills; engage youth in cohort-based programming; bring together diverse youth, inspiring problem-solving and listening skills amongst peers; create safe spaces for youth to take risks, reflect, and share personal experiences; involve youth in experiential learning, including outdoor education and adventure-based programming, allowing them to discover what youth are interested in, encouraging them to explore new things, and providing youth with opportunities to make decisions about what they want to do and how; and engage youth in setting and managing academic and life goals. Members may also create and lead lessons or after school clubs such as drama, environmental, community service/leadership, chess, culinary, robotics, debate, etc. – depending on YOUR skillset and interests!

Already have a MyAmeriCorps account and want to apply for this specific role? You can find that listing on MyAmeriCorps here.