ACE at Andersonville National Historic Site
By: Emma Fantuzzo
About the CPA Team:
With support from the National Park Foundation, The Corps Network created the Corps Project Assistance (CPA) Team in 2022 to aid the National Park Service (NPS) in scoping and creating cost estimates for facility-related projects at small and medium-size parks across the country. These parks often lack the staff capacity and funding to undertake maintenance work on their own. The projects, which are funded through the Great American Outdoors Act/Legacy Restoration Fund, are meant to be carried out by crews consisting of NPS staff and Service and Conservation Corps members.
The CPA Team has scoped projects across the country, several of which have been completed. Among other locations, the finished work includes historic preservation projects at Camp Nelson National Monument, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, and Andersonville National Historic Site.
Andersonville National Historic Site is a National Cemetery and Confederate prison camp created during the Civil War. Over 45,000 Union soldiers were imprisoned there during the camp’s existence; its horrific living conditions led to the deaths of nearly 13,000 men. Today, the site serves as both a cemetery for veterans and a reminder of the great sacrifice made by Union troops. Partnering with American Conservation Experience, the site received assistance from several crews for the maintenance and upkeep of this sacred historic resting place.
About the Project:
American Conservation Experience (ACE) worked with Andersonville National Historic Site (ANDE) during late summer and through the end of 2024. ACE sent several crews of six to eight members in eight-day cycles to the site throughout this time. As with many small National Park Service sites, limited staff capacity at ANDE means all help is welcome. During their tenure, Corpsmembers participated in everything from historic preservation and interpretation to helping dig graves for veterans being buried at the site.
Impact on Corpsmembers:
During their service term, crews camped at ANDE in a wooded area. They woke up early each day and began working on tasks the NPS staff needed support with. While the crew noted that sleeping next to a graveyard could be spooky, it also helped them connect with the work they were doing on a deeper level.
Crew leader Jonathan Casado shared that the crew’s day began with meeting the NPS staff at 7:00 a.m.. Corpsmembers learned to use different tools to dig post holes, measure and dig graves uniformly, and—most impactfully for Casado—they learned their limits when it came to working in the heat and gained an appreciation for maintaining respect in a sacred space.
The site had a deep emotional impact on the Corpsmembers who served there. The gravity of what the site represents was felt not only during maintenance and burial preparation but also through interpretive work. Casado’s crew had a unique experience being asked to help reenact the Civil War camp, allowing visitors to better understand the terrible living conditions and treatment of the prisoners who suffered there.
Casado shared that Corpsmembers were outfitted in Civil War-era attire and sat around the encampment where the prisoners had been held. The crew used the clothing they were given for sun protection and had mock food consisting of cornmeal and strips of pork. They started a fire to cook over and experienced firsthand how hard life would be for a prisoner of war. According to Casado, “It put things into perspective. You’re sitting in the heat thinking, ‘Wow, it must have been so much worse back then—at least we can get water.’”
From this experience, Casado believes that Corpsmembers gained a better understanding of the importance of historic preservation. He shared, “Sometimes crews have a difficult time conceptualizing why [historic preservation] is important because a lot of people come in with environmental backgrounds. It’s relevant because it’s our American history.”
Many Corpsmembers who may not have been previously exposed to historic preservation learn new skills, become more interested and connected to history, and may even consider pursuing a career in the field. Working with smaller parks also allows Corpsmembers to form close relationships with park staff.
Impact on the Site:
With smaller staff sizes and ongoing funding cuts, partnerships between parks and Corps are more important than ever. Corps can send in crews to serve as extra hands, allowing staff to focus on other time-sensitive projects. Casado spoke about the bond his crew formed with park staff, even being invited over for gumbo one evening.
He shared, “I’ve been on so many different smaller park projects where they’ve been so forthcoming, offering so much great advice to me and my crew.”
Parks interested in working with Corps should remember to be patient. Crews are often encountering this type of work for the first time, and many members are fresh out of high school and still developing the maturity they’ll gain through Corps experiences. When park staff lead by example and set a positive tone, Corpsmembers become excited about the work and truly value the guidance they receive from staff.
Personal Statement: Working Lands Conservation Corps Member Reflects on their Experience in Colorado
In 2024, The Corps Network partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), AmeriCorps, and the National Association of Conservation Districts to implement the Working Lands Conservation Corps (WLCC). Funding from PACT supported The Corps Network’s ability to provide subgrants to organizations to host WLCC members across the country. The WLCC members provided outreach and education around agriculture assistance to farmers, ranchers, and communities. The WLCC ended in 2025. Read a statement from a WLCC member.
This personal statement was written by Rachel Post
My name is Rachel Post, I am Working Lands District Conservation Technician. I’m currently working with the NRCS and the Teller Park Conservation District in Woodland Park, CO. I joined WLCC because I’ve always believed that service brings about benefits in many ways. Volunteering isn’t just about what it does for the community, it’s about what it does for you as well. At its core, service isn’t about boosting a LinkedIn profile; it’s about taking the energy you have and channeling it into something bigger than yourself. It’s about engaging with the community and learning from people who think and live differently than you do. In the giving of time to the community it may be easy to see how one is giving, but in reality, I am receiving far more in terms of lived experience that is hard to quantify and real development in the inner working of my personhood.
For some time, meaningful work wasn’t always within reach. In college and right after, I worked a variety of jobs—from stocking shelves at Walmart to delivering sandwiches. But it was Wyoming, with its vast, desolate landscape and close-knit rural communities, that truly shaped me. I graduated from college there and developed a deep connection to the land and the people, many of whom are working hard to make ends meet in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. It was there that I developed a passion for place-based education and caring about food justice and agriculture and greater food sustainability. If sustainability is not sustainable for all then it is not sustainable.
Over the years, I’ve worked on farms during the summers, been involved in agricultural research focused on indoor vertical growing and worked on small-scale production farms. This opportunity to work with the Natural Resource and Conservation Services under the Department of Agriculture is amazing. It combines conservation practices with local producers and landowners, and I get to be right there learning it all. I could not be more grateful and awed at this dream opportunity. It is not always the easiest task to be young and in the environmental sector. This program has given me such hope for a promising future if I keep learning and working hard. Thank you!
Potential Government Shutdown: December 20, 2024
A message from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team
[This message was published at 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday, December 20]
As you are likely aware, the federal government is currently being funded by a Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, December 21, 2024. A vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the CR until March 14, 2025, failed on the evening of Thursday, December 19, 2024. The chances of a federal government shutdown are increasing.
In anticipation of this, linked here are the Office of Management and Budget’s Agency Contingency Plans for a federal government shutdown. You will see that most plans have not been updated since 2023. If there is a federal government shutdown, these plans could be updated. Please check this site for the latest contingency plans. We have linked below to the latest guidance for the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, and AmeriCorps.
Update from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team – December 18, 2024
By Danielle Owen
Read this blog from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team about recent updates from Washington and what they mean for the Service and Conservation Corps community.
2024 Federal Election Results
Elections were held throughout the country on November 5, 2024. Former President Donald Trump won a second term as President. Going into the upcoming 119th Congress, the Republican Party will now have the majority of seats in the U.S. Senate. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party maintained its majority, but that majority remains a very slim one.
In the weeks following the election, President-Elect Trump has been announcing his nominees for his cabinet. Most relevant to the Corps world, this includes the following individuals:
- EPA Administrator: former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin
- Secretary of Commerce: Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick
- Secretary of Energy: Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright
- Secretary of Interior: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum
- Secretary of Agriculture: Brooke Rollins, President of the America First Policy Institute
- Secretary of Labor: Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer
- Secretary of Transportation: former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy
Congressional Leadership Elections
Since the November federal elections, both parties in the House and the Senate have held their leadership elections to prepare for the upcoming Congress. In the Senate, the current Republican Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will be stepping down from his leadership position in the next Congress. Senator John Thune (R-ND), the current Senate Republican Whip, was elected by the Senate Republicans to serve as their leader and thus the Senate Majority Leader in the upcoming Congress. Also in the Senate, Democrats voted for their leadership for the next Congress. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will continue to lead the soon-to-be minority party for a fifth term. Over on the House side, current Speaker Johnson won a unanimous vote of the House Republicans to lead their party in the upcoming Congress while House Democrats voted again for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to serve as their party leader. Although both House Republicans and Democrats have chosen their current leaders in the chamber, there will be a vote held to elect a new Speaker of the House in the upcoming Congress. While the current Speaker, Mike Johnson (R-LA), is expected to remain in his role there are some in his caucus that might put up a fight against him once the vote for Speaker occurs.
Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations and Disaster Supplemental Funding
The federal government has been funded through several Continuing Resolutions (CR) since October 1, 2024. The current CR expires on December 20, 2024. As for Fiscal Year 2025 funding bills, the House has passed five of the twelve annual funding bills for Fiscal Year 2025, out of their chamber. The Senate has passed none out of their chamber. As a reminder, the current proposed House Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee funding bill, which funds the Department of Labor (DOL) and AmeriCorps, contains an 11% funding cut below its Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level. The House bill, as written, would eliminate funding for AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, and the National Service Trust that funds the Education Awards. The bill would also eliminate funding for DOL’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Youth Job Training and includes severe cuts for the Registered Apprenticeships program as well.
On December 17, 2024, the House Republicans released bill language for a new CR that would extend current (Fiscal Year 2024) funding until March 14, 2024. This CR also contains disaster aid funding to, amongst other things, replace the Key Bridge in Baltimore and to help with recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. It also contains the Stronger Workforce for America Act, a bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team is still reviewing this portion of the bill text but so far, we know that it includes an update to the definition of “out of school” youth to “opportunity” youth. It would also establish the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grant (YARG) program to increase youth participation in new or existing apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and support high-quality career pathways for in-school and opportunity youth. The proposed CR contains a one-year extension of the Farm Bill. It does not include funding for AmeriCorps that would have been specifically for their work in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
It is hopeful that both chambers of the U.S. Congress can pass this CR before 12:01 a.m. on December 21, 2024, and the President can sign it into law to avoid a federal government shutdown. There is a possibility that we could see a temporary shutdown if the timing does not go perfectly on passage.
CPAT Impact Story: Stones River National Battlefield Cemetery Restoration
Adapted by Emma Fantuzzo from a report written by Ilana J. Smith, SCA Crew Leader, with approval from the Student Conservation Association.
About the CPA Team:
With support from the National Park Foundation, the Corps Project Assistance (CPA) Team was created in 2022 by The Corps Network to aid the National Park Service (NPS) in scoping and creating cost estimates for facility-related projects at small and medium-size parks across the country. These parks often lack the staff capacity and funding to undertake the work on their own. The projects, which are funded through the Great American Outdoors Act, are meant to be carried out by crews consisting of NPS staff and Service and Conservation Corps members.
The CPA Team has scoped projects across the country, several of which have been completed. Among other locations, the finished work includes historic preservation projects at Camp Nelson National Monument, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, and Stones River National Battlefield.
Stones River National Battlefield (STRI) Cemetery is one of fourteen National Cemetery sites the National Park Service manages. Partnering with the Student Conservation Association (SCA), the site was cleaned and restored to maintain the sanctity of this historic resting place.
About the Project:
SCA Members at Stones River National Battlefield
SCA members worked with staff from STRI to preserve and renovate the site to be more accessible for future generations. Over the course of two months, the team cleaned approximately 800 headstones of Civil War and World War I and II soldiers. They also made ADA compliance renovations to the walkway for the Hazen Brigade Monument, the oldest Civil War monument still standing in its original battlefield location. In addition, the team was able to assist with smaller maintenance projects, including removing invasive Kudzu and Honeysuckle.
Through the project, the SCA team learned the history of the site and its significance to American History and the liberation of African Americans from slavery. Within the cemetery lay the remains of several members of the United States Colored Troops, Union Army regiments during the Civil War that primarily enlisted African American soldiers. The Stones River battle was instrumental in bringing the Union to victory and the region became a place where persons freed from enslavement settled down. As SCA Crew Leader Ilana Smith noted, there is a sign only 100 yards from the Hazen Brigade Monument acknowledging a post-Civil War freed person community called Cemetery that developed near the battlefield.
Conservation Impact:
The purpose of SCA’s work at STRI was to maintain the NPS lands at the battlefield. The project expanded to include maintenance of the main cemetery, renovation of the monument pathway, and removal of invasive species. Other conservation efforts included the removal of trash from a storm that had taken place a few months prior, and building 60 feet of cedar fencing.
Some of the crew’s accomplishments in numbers include:
- Approximately 800 headstones at main cemetery cleaned
- Approximately 72 feet of walkway around Hazen Brigade Monument renovated and improved
- 20 feet of cedar fence built at the parking lot of Fortress Rosencrans
- Approximately 40 feet of cedar fence re-built on the west side of Nashville Highway
- Approximately 883 invasive plants (Honeysuckle and Kudzu) manually removed
- 100 pounds of trash removed
Corpsmember Impact:
The SCA crew took several field trips to gain a better understanding of the history and community in the area. This included trips to historic Civil War sites, local farms, and several museums. This helped the crew build an appreciation for the work they were doing and how it affected the people of the community.
Several Corpsmembers took the opportunity to speak with NPS staff about their careers and explore future career opportunities. Three of the members became UTV certified which helped the team to more efficiently complete work. All members gained more skills in construction and maintenance. One Corpsmember noted, “I feel like we are walking away from Stones River with not just professional connections, but with friends and mentors too.”
CPA Team Impact Story: Continuing a Legacy of Service at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
By: Emma Fantuzzo
More than 80 years ago, members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, building infrastructure that is still used by park visitors today. This past summer, a small crew of AmeriCorps members from Conservation Corps New Mexico served at the park and, under the guidance of a master mason, helped restore stone walls built by the CCC. Learn how this project – supported by the Great American Outdoors Act – helped the Carlsbad Caverns maintenance team, and helped inspire a new generation of park professionals.
About the Project:
Conservation Corps New Mexico Dry Masonry Crew
In 2023, The Corps Network’s Corps Project Assistance Team (CPAT) visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park to review maintenance projects where Corps could potentially help. Launched in 2022 with support from the National Park Foundation, the CPAT has traveled to nearly every region of the National Park Service, visiting small and medium-sized parks that often do not have the staff capacity to quickly address maintenance needs. It’s at these smaller parks that Corps can step in and make a particularly big impact. After the CPAT finishes a site visit, they develop a report detailing how and where Corps can support the park’s project needs. Based on these recommendations, the park then engages a Corps to complete the work. To date, parks have used funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund to partner with Corps to complete these critical maintenance projects.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the hot, arid, Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. Discovered by a teenage explorer in 1898, and later made a national park in 1930, the caverns have inspired generations of environmental stewards. In the late 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked in the park to develop trails, facilities, landscaping, and more. This work has allowed almost 500,000 visitors to explore the park annually.
Unfortunately, with limited staff capacity and the availability of stone masons dwindling as many professionals in this field retire, the park faced a maintenance backlog. Some stone masonry projects have been on backlog since 2017. With the help of the CPAT team, Carlsbad Caverns partnered with Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM) to rebuild over 600 feet of historic stone guardrail under the guidance of a retired master stone mason, Bruce Wright. This work proved to be invaluable to the park and provided Corpsmembers with an experience in historic preservation that could help land them positions elsewhere.
Getting to Work:
While CCNM and Carlsbad have collaborated on trail work in the park before, this was the first time the Corps and park partnered on a masonry project. Through the National Park Service’s Experienced Services Program, Bruce Wright was identified to help mentor and oversee the Corpsmembers.
Together, the six-person Crew, including two Crew Leaders, worked with Bruce in 100+ degree heat. Historical stone masonry is hard work. Corpsmembers had to drill out old joints with a grinder; cut and reset stones; learn to mix concrete and work it into tiny crevices, and more. All of this was done primarily using tools similar to what the original builders would have used.
Completed Dry Masonry Wall
The guardrail was originally built over 80 years ago by the CCC. As they fixed the wall, Corpsmembers found mementos, including coins from the 1930s, that the original builders had left for future generations to find. To continue the tradition, the Corpsmembers left some of their own mementos in the new wall. These included little leaves, broken jewelry, and cupcake toppers.
While they worked, Corpsmembers gained a deeper appreciation for their predecessors.
“Bruce let us know that the original builders would not have had pre-mixed concrete…we had power tools,” said Liz…., a Corpsmember from CCNM.
Bruce was a huge help and inspiration for the Corpsmembers. Members mention that his high energy and eighties rock music kept them engaged. He made sure that all the Corpsmembers had the assistance they needed and was patient explaining all the intricacies of his craft.
During the project, the crew faced a few setbacks. The heat necessitated pausing work frequently for breaks to hydrate and cool off. One member had to go home due to illness. At one point, a car crashed into a section of wall that had been restored and the Crew had to rebuild it. Despite this, the Crew completed double the amount of work they originally projected doing.
Impact on Corpsmembers:
CCNM Dry Masonry Corpsmember
The Crew worked long days in high heat with little to no shade. They used a car’s air conditioning to cool off throughout the day. Corpsmember Liz says that the project taught her that she has more strength than she realized. Corpsmembers learned self-sufficiency while maintaining their own tools and looking out for one another. They felt they gained more self-confidence and were proud of the work that they did.
Carlsbad’s Facilities Maintenance Program Manager, Keenan Comer, who was closely involved in the day-to-day work says, “I hope Corpsmembers take away the importance of keeping historic trades alive and the importance of historic preservation.”
After the project, multiple Corpsmembers applied for positions with the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park to go into preservation trades.
As one member noted, “the job isn’t troubling, but it creates grit.”
Impact on the Park:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park has more stone masonry work that needs to be done, but as Keenan stated, “[The Corpsmembers] knocked out a huge chunk of work.”
For smaller, remote parks like Carlsbad, where staffing can sometimes be a challenge, having assistance from five to six individuals from a Corps is invaluable. As Keenan expressed, Corpsmembers are young and have energy and open minds. They provide extra hands to complete work, and – on a deeper level – the park service has an opportunity to engage a new generation of prospective resource management professionals. For this particular project, there was the opportunity to train people in the dying field of historic stone masonry, thus helping preserve a historic trade and keep history alive in our parks.
CCNM Dry Masonry Corpsmember
Impact Story: Breyonna Conner, Tabitha Corps Chester
By: Emma Fantuzzo
Breyonna’s Background:
Most people associate Service and Conservation Corps with outdoor work, manual labor, and conservation. Breyonna Conner, a student at Newman University and the first member of her family to not only graduate high school (at the age of fifteen nonetheless), but also attend college – thinks differently. For Breyonna, her Corps experience with Tabitha Corps Chester allowed her to explore her passion for the medical field and gave her valuable hands-on experiences that she believes can be applied to any profession.
Breyonna grew up in Chester, PA. Ever since she was a kid she has been interested in medicine.
“I would always read medical books and watch medical shows…I really wanted to go into the medical field,” she says.
During her second year of college, while studying Biology Pre-Medicine and Spanish, Breyonna learned about Tabitha Corps Chester when the Corps handed out fliers in her neighborhood.
“I decided to join, just to try something new.”
Corps Experience:
Breyonna’s Corps term was her first job experience. While the work focused on green infrastructure, stormwater maintenance, and community clean-ups, Breyonna notes that her biggest take-aways were job readiness, resume writing, teamwork, and workforce development.
Breyonna worked with the Chester Asthma Prevention Program to help clean up neighborhoods that were at high risk for asthma due to illegal dumping and pollution.
“We cleaned up these areas in hopes that asthma rates would go down but to also help our community, protect the environment, and improve the quality of life for local residents.”
Breyonna speaks of the gratitude of the people living in the areas she helped to clean and how touched she was to be able to contribute.
“The happiness that you get from seeing the work that you’ve done make a positive impact in the city is very rewarding,” she said.
Breyonna mentioned a particularly impactful project, “When we first arrived at the clean-up site, there were no kids playing on the playground because there was trash and drugs everywhere. After we cleaned up the playground, for the next two days that we came back, we saw all the kids in the neighborhood playing on the playground.”
As a result of her Corps term, Breyonna was able to apply for an internship and scholarship at one of Tabitha Corps Chester partners, Monroe Energy. The internship was medically focused and allowed Breyonna to work with a nurse practitioner.
She says, “This was a good experience that allowed to me to see if I enjoyed working in the medical field and also helped me figure out what specialty I would like to pursue.”
Breyonna is also currently working on a research study with two Doctors, focusing on neurological diseases. This was also an opportunity that stemmed from participating in Tabitha Corps Chester.
Looking Forward:
In the future, Breyonna dreams of creating her own Corps program with a medical focus. She wants to help students explore the medical field and its many different facets while gaining hands on experience, like she was able to do with Tabitha Corps.
Breyonna plans to attend medical school and would like to become an emergency room physician.
She believes that Corps can help youth step outside their comfort zone.
“Even if you aren’t going into something specifically geared to green infrastructure, the skills that you learn can be applied anywhere, not just to that specific field.”
Impact Story: Creating Tree Cover at the Taos Youth and Family Center
By Hannah Traverse, Director of Communications
The Taos Youth and Family Center is a community recreation facility, offering residents of Taos, NM, access to a pool, skate park, game room, and other gathering spaces. Thanks to assistance from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC), the outdoor area surrounding the facility now has additional tree cover.
This tree planting project was made possible through the United States Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program, supported by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. RMYC is one of 11 UCF sub-grantees across the country operating under The Corps Network. With locations in Taos and Albuquerque, RMYC is a “stepping stone to new opportunities,” offering youth and young adults the chance to gain work experience through service to the community and environment.
Two AmeriCorps members with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, help plant a tree.
During the week of June 26, the RMYC crew began digging holes for four large trees. The final tree was planted on July 3. Four Urban Forestry crew members were involved; they were assisted by RMYC’s Urban Forestry Coordinator and staff from the Town of Taos Parks and Recreation Department. The crew member positions are all supported by AmeriCorps.
The crew members learned how to properly plant trees and learned about the importance of a healthy tree canopy in social spaces. Shade from a healthy, mature tree can lower surface air temperatures by up to 20–45°F in an isolated area. The crew also learned how to work safely in the same space as a backhoe, which will be helpful for future projects. Planting larger trees requires a high level of communication between the crew and the machinery operator – proper safety protocols and training helped make this project a success.
Three AmeriCorps members with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, pose next to a tree they helped plant at the Taos Youth and Family Center.
“Planting these trees in an area that has such little canopy cover is going to make a difference in temperature, visual appeal, and we used trees that would’ve otherwise ended up in a chipper,” said Kate Sorrell, RMYC Urban Forestry and Saw Program Coordinator.
The trees included junipers and spruces, which will do well in Taos’ arid environment. These particular trees were previously used for an event in a local park. The planting project allowed the trees to have a long life instead of being discarded.
“This effort checks all the boxes when it comes to creating an ideal urban project: a group of young adults, outside, in their community, providing a service that would’ve otherwise been put on the back burner. This project, along with many others this crew has done in town, have made such a positive impact in the urban forestry health in Taos by creating more canopy cover. This means more shade and cooler spaces for the whole community,” said Sorrell. “In the process of planting these trees, our crew members had the opportunity to…better understand what their impact can look like as future arborists or tree professionals. They were given the chance to make executive decisions about where the trees can be planted and what would look best. Giving young adults that kind of responsibility over something they can see on their drive to work every day is something they can look back on and admire and say, ‘I did that with my crew’.”
Two AmeriCorps members from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, pose next to a tree they just helped plant at the Taos Youth and Family Center.
AmeriCorps members from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, pose with their hardhats, featuring stickers from The Corps Network.
#CorpsKudos Video Challenge
WHAT?
The Corps Network is hosting a video contest this August on Instagram and TikTok! This year’s campaign invites Corps programs and Corpsmembers to give a shoutout to individuals who have enhanced their Corps experience and project outcomes.
You can give kudos to Corpsmembers, Corps staff, program partners, crew, community members, and more. #CorpsKudos recipients should be an irreplaceable team member or Corps supporter.
There are cash prizes! You AND the person or organization you give a #CorpsKudos to could be eligible to win (see PRIZE INFO section below).
#CorpsKudos videos can focus on career growth, self-confidence, leadership skills, friendship, exercise, mental health support, camaraderie, and more.
PRIZE INFO
- What are the prizes? (see the “How will the prizes be distributed question below?” for more details).
- 1st place: $1,000
- 2nd place: $500
- 3rd place: $250
- Who is eligible to win a prize?
- Member organizations of The Corps Network
- Corpsmember serving in member organizations of The Corps Network
- Staff at member organizations of The Corps Network
- How will prizes be delivered?
- We will send the prizes via check or electronic payment to the winning Corps or individual Corpsmember. If a Corps program is selected, we will leave it to your organization to determine how best to use or distribute the prize. Remember, only Corps programs, Corps staff, and Corpsmembers are eligible to win cash prizes.
- How will the prizes be distributed?
- Winning Corps and Corpsmembers may wish to split their cash prize with their nominee if the #CorpsKudos recipient is a Corps staff member or a fellow Corpsmember.
- For example: The 1st place video creator would earn $500, and the remaining $500 would be awarded to their nominee if their nominee is a fellow Corpsmember or part of Corps staff.
- Corps and Corpsmembers who nominate a partner or community member are still eligible to win, but nominated partners and community members are not eligible to win a cash prize.
- For example: The 1st place video creator would earn $1,000 if their nominee is not a Corpsmember or part of Corps staff.
- Winning Corps and Corpsmembers may wish to split their cash prize with their nominee if the #CorpsKudos recipient is a Corps staff member or a fellow Corpsmember.
- When will winners be announced?
- We will announce the winners in September after Labor Day through our social media channels and The Crewleader newsletter.
- We’ll also reach out via Instagram and email the Corps and Corpsmembers that posted the winning videos.
FAQs
- How many videos can my organization post?
- There is no limit. Member Corps and Corpsmembers can submit as many videos as you’d like.
- What if a Corpsmember published a video entry from their personal Instagram account?
- That’s great — we’ll still count their entry — but we encourage Corps to collect and post videos from the Corps’ Instagram account as well.
- Who can participate in the contest?
- Member Corps can post videos from their organization’s Instagram and/or TikTok accounts
- Corpsmembers and Corps employees can post videos from their personal Instagram and/or TikTok accounts
- What happens if I share a #CorpsKudos to a program partner or community member?
- We encourage Corps to give shoutouts to partners and supporters in this video campaign. Please note that prizes can only be distributed to Corps organizations, Corpsmembers, and staff at Corps.
WHY?
We hope this campaign will generate fun content that demonstrates the various ways Corps benefit the environment, people, and their communities. Our goal is for #CorpsKudos content to showcase positive Corps project outcomes as well as benefits to the young adults serving in Corps.
CRITERIA TO WIN
Meet Basic Requirements:
- Videos should be no more than 90 seconds
- Save labeled video file in our Google drive folder
- Upload on TikTok and/or publish to Instagram and invite the @thecorpsnetwork to be a post collaborator
- Tag your Corps, @thecorpsnetwork, and the person you are shouting out
- Include #CorpsKudos in your social caption explaining why you are thankful for your kudos recipient
Tell a Story:
- How were you positively impacted or inspired by this person? Project outcomes, personal growth, career guidance, etc.
- Would this video inspire someone to learn more about Corps and the opportunity to serve in Corps?
Creativity:
- Is your video thoughtful and inspiring? Does it clearly tell a story about the person and how they positively influenced your Corps experience?
- Bonus points to videos incorporating different high-quality photos, videos, and audio
Quality:
- We’ll take note of extra effort the creators put into getting quality footage, editing clips, and making a visually appealing, well-packaged video.
HOW?
Steps to participate:
1. Invite your Corpsmembers to create videos! In 90 seconds or less, each video should feature a kudos to an individual who contributed to your Corps journey.
2. During the month of August, Corps and Corpsmembers should save the videos to our Google folder and share the content on Instagram or TikTok.
-
- Corps programs: Name your video file with your Corps Organization when uploading video in the Google folder so we know which organization they’re from.
- Corpsmembers: Name your video file with your full name and Corps affiliate and save file in this folder.
- Reach out to ekim@corpsnetwork.org if you’re having trouble with Google Drive. Other file sharing methods work, too – like iCloud or WeTransfer, Dropbox, etc.
- Instagram
- Corps programs: Invite @thecorpsnetwork to be a post collaborator. On the screen where you add a caption, choose Tag People >> Invite Collaborator.
- Corpsmembers: Upload your video and tag the @thecorpsnetwork, your Corps organization, and the person you are shouting out.
- Write your caption using #CorpsKudos. Also mention any important descriptive info (like who’s in the video, where they are, who made the video, etc.). See below for a sample caption.
- We will accept all collab requests on a rolling basis! The videos will simultaneously post to our Instagram page and your Instagram page. We will also repost any TikTok entries.
HOW WILL THESE VIDEOS BE USED?
Throughout this video campaign, we will repost the submitted videos across The Corps Network’s social media channels (we will share your caption and add tags/mentions to give credit). The videos will be used to raise awareness on the benefits of Corps service and The Corps Network’s member organizations.
Following the initial campaign, we will do a secondary campaign to repost the submitted videos across The Corps Network’s social media channels (we will share your caption and add tags/ mentions to give credit). We will also create short highlight reels of our favorite clips.
#CorpsKudos Example Social Messaging:
Corps program example caption:
[Corps name] has been invited by @TheCorpsNetwork to give a #CorpsKudos to a Corpsmember that’s been a key part of our projects this season.
We’d like to extend a #CorpsKudos to [Corps Kudos nominee] for [describe their positive impact].
Our #CorpsKudos nominee is eligible to win a cash prize thanks to this video and their generous support for our Corpsmembers and projects. Follow @TheCorpsNetwork for winner announcements and more #CorpsKudos videos from our fellow Member Corps!
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Corpsmember example caption:
I’ve been challenged/nominated/invited by @TheCorpsNetwork to give a #CorpsKudos to someone who positively impacted my service experience with [your Corps name].
My #CorpsKudos goes to my Crew Leader, [Corps Kudos nominee], for motivating me during field projects and keeping our energy up during wildland firefighting trainings.
My #CorpsKudos nominee is eligible to win a cash prize thanks to this video. Follow @TheCorpsNetwork for winner announcements and more #CorpsKudos videos from fellow Corpsmembers!
CONTACT US
Email ekim@corpsnetwork.org with any questions.
