2009-2010 Updates

• March
• February
• January
• December
• November
• October
• September
• August
• July

March 2010

It has already been an incredible 2010 for the AmeriCorps Fellowship program. Here are just a few of the program highlights from February:

• AmeriCorps Recovery Fellow Jen Ngai, from the Legal Aid Society of DC, along with Cole, visited the White House for the one year anniversary of the Recovery Act. http://twitpic.com/13yggq.
• We have already awarded four Innovation Grant requests! Please visit the Innovation Grant site for project details. Please keep the great ideas coming and submit a proposal!
• JR LaPlante’s "Defractionation Tour: 40 wills in 4 days" begins March 7th. The Class Representatives will join Equal Justice Works in South Dakota to support this great project. Follow us on Twitter @AmeriCorps_EJW as we travel South Dakota with JR, Josh, and Cheryl from Access to Justice South Dakota.
• The Equal Justice Works blog has started the recovery and foreclosure series and we are seeing hundreds of hits a day. Thank you to all the Fellows who have assisted with drafting posts about their Fellowships.
• We are increasing the number of opportunities available to law students by collaborating with Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellows on alternative spring break projects. Here is an example from Chio Saephanh at Public Interest Clearinghouse. More information can be found under “Spring Break Opportunities” in the Equal Justice Works Forum.

Summer Corps
This is a reminder that AmeriCorps host sites are eligible to have up to 10 slots set aside to fund Summer Corps members at your organization. The application will be available on our website starting April 1, 2010. You will need to send Marty the names of the law students you would like to enroll into Summer Corps using this form .

The students will still need to apply to Summer Corps directly to be considered for the funding. If your organizations would like to promote your internship opportunities directly to Summer Corps applicants, you may post a description on our Summer Corps Forum . You may E-mail Marty with any questions.

Equal Justice Conference
The Equal Justice Conference page has been updated with registration information. Please visit the page to register for the conference and reserve your rooms. We are also taking nominations for the class representatives for 2010-2011 in the registration process. We will continue to update this page with the AmeriCorps program agenda and AmeriCorps Fellow presentations. If you have questions about logistics, please contact Eric.

Mid-term Evaluation (due at the end of 6 months of service)
For a number of AmeriCorps Legal Fellows, the end of March is when Fellows reach the half-way mark of their service year. Mid-term and end-of-term evaluations are required in order to receive the AmeriCorps Education Award. Host sites can use employee evaluations that are already in place at your organization for this purpose. For more information and tips about what AmeriCorps Member evaluations should include, please review the following website.

Recovery Report (Recovery Sites only)
In an effort to increase efficiency, we have replaced the Recovery Reporting Form with an online survey. All Recovery host sites will receive an E-mail with a link to the survey as the reporting period approaches. Clicking on this link will allow respondents to access and complete the Recovery Report. Respondents will no longer need to attach and E-mail reports to Equal Justice Works. Please be aware that you will need to start and finish the survey in the same sitting. The survey will not retain information after you close out of it. If you have any questions about the new format or need technical assistance, please contact Jessica.

February 2010

This is an exciting time to be a part of this program. We are pleased to have a variety of funding opportunities in this update for your organizations, fellows, and volunteers. As always, we thank you for your hard work.

Innovation Grant
Congratulations to JR LaPlante for being awarded the first Innovation Grant this year! The Innovation Grant is available to all current AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and is designed to provide financial assistance to our Fellows looking to expand their projects in new and innovative ways. JR will use the Innovation Grant to develop a spring break trip for South Dakota law students called "Defractionation Tour: 40 wills in 4 days." We encourage all Fellows to continue to innovate and we hope you take advantage of this opportunity. If you have questions about this program, or how to apply, please contact the Class Representatives.

Summer Corps 2010
Equal Justice Works is pleased to announce the launch of Summer Corps 2010. Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2010 will provide 577 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,000 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization. 2009-2010 AmeriCorps host sites are eligible to have up to 10 slots set aside to fund Summer Corps members at your organization.

Summer Corps is a great companion program to the AmeriCorps Legal Fellows. In 2009, 99% of law students in Summer Corps said they would recommend the program to other law students. The application will be available on our website starting April 1, 2010. You will need to send Marty the names of the law students you would like to enroll into Summer Corps using this form. The students will still need to apply to Summer Corps directly to be considered for the funding.

If your organizations would like to promote your internship opportunities directly to Summer Corps applicants, you may post a description on our Summer Corps Forum. Over 200 students have already visited this section looking for summer positions. You may E-mail Marty with any questions.

Funding Opportunity: Veterans Initiative
Equal Justice Works is reserving 10 AmeriCorps Fellowships for next year to address barriers to housing for veterans who are homeless. AmeriCorps Fellows will provide direct representation and conduct clinics and community outreach to assist veterans with benefits, housing, employment, services, and other legal issues. These Fellows may assist with recruitment of volunteers. As with other AmeriCorps Fellowships, Equal Justice Works will provide the AmeriCorps living allowance of $23,600 per Fellow through the AmeriCorps grant, as well as program support and funding for two national trainings.

Host organizations provide matching funds of at least a $23,600 per Fellow in addition to supplemental benefits (such as housing and education loan repayment) and other benefits. Contact Cole for more information.

2010-2011 Renewal
We have requested 80 AmeriCorps Fellowships and 700 Summer Corps members in our 2010-2011 AmeriCorps application. We are confident in our chances to receive full funding, but will make final site selection based on the actual funding we receive. Organizations may recruit AmeriCorps Legal Fellow applicants for 2010-2011, but all offers must be conditional until funding decisions are finalized. Please note that any position description for AmeriCorps Fellowships must be approved by Equal Justice Works before being made public.

Equal Justice Conference
As we said in last month’s update, the Equal Justice Conference (EJC) is still a few months away. Many of the AmeriCorps Fellows have already reached out asking questions about logistics and professional development opportunities.

The Equal Justice Conference page has been updated with the travel and logistics information. We will continue to update this page with the AmeriCorps program agenda, registration process, presentations and panels, and information about next year. If you have questions about logistics, please contact Eric.

January 2010

The program results for last year are in: In 2008-2009, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellows and their volunteers served 26,019 clients (723 per Fellow), at an average of $43 federal dollars per client. AmeriCorps Fellows generated or managed pro bono opportunities for 3,543 volunteers, or an average of 98 per Fellow. Last year, 373 Summer Corps law student members served 19,550 clients in 42 states.

With the most successful year of the program now behind us, we look forward to having an even better 2010!

Recovery Reporting Reminder
This is the final reminder that all Recovery Reports are due tomorrow, January 5, 2010 by 5:00 p.m. EST. Please submit financial reports in GMS and E-mail completed progress reports in MS Word format to Jessica. We will provide receipt confirmation once we receive the report.

• Please note we also have all of our reporting and finance deadlines available through our on-line program calendar .

We look forward to reading your stories and seeing all that you have accomplished since August.

Fellows Conference Call/ Innovation Grant
On January 13, 2010, 3:00 p.m. EST, we will host a conference call with all of the AmeriCorps Legal Fellows. Please expect an agenda with the call-in information a few days before the call. We will cover issues including student debt (especially the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program), second terms of service, substantive training ideas, ideas for law student Spring Break service projects, and the AmeriCorps Legal Innovation Grant . Heather Jarvis will join the call to help explain some of the student debt issues. If you have any suggestions or topics you would like to cover, please send an E-mail to Marty by January 8, 2010.

2010-2011 Renewal
Thank you to everyone who submitted renewal applications for the 2010-2011 grant year using GMS. In the past, Equal Justice Works has made grant renewal determinations prior to sending our program application to CNCS. This year will be different. We will not make our selections until CNCS provides our funding level (which we anticipate will occur in June 2010).

Equal Justice Conference
Although the Equal Justice Conference (EJC) is still a few months away, we wanted to give you some general information about what to expect. All of the information you will need will be found on the Equal Justice Conference Page. We will post updates, travel information, etc. on this page. Equal Justice Works will be leading several panel discussions. Information about these presentations will be available on the EJC page including how you can participate. If you have questions about the EJC, please contact Eric.

MLK Day 2010
Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps encourage you to celebrate the Martin Luther King Holiday by talking a “day on” rather than a day off. This is a terrific opportunity to join other AmeriCorps members and programs in your area to do something a little different than your day-to-day service. Last year, AmeriCorps Fellow Tahira Bland joined us on a school rehab project in Southeast DC.

Go to www.serve.gov or www.mlkday.gov to search for service projects in your area. Participation in MLK day events counts as AmeriCorps service hours.

“Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”

December 2009

As another year comes to an end, we take time to reflect on the achievements and challenges of 2009. At the beginning of the year, Equal Justice Works had 36 AmeriCorps Legal Fellows serving at 16 different organizations. By the end of 2009 our family had expanded to include 66 AmeriCorps Legal Fellows at 31 different organizations. Growing our program during a period of economic strife was certainly an accomplishment that was made possible largely by your support and commitment.

Responding to the Economic Crisis Video
See how lawyers are working in communities across the country to help those hardest hit by the recession. This video was filmed during the AmeriCorps site staff training (you or someone you know is in it) and debuted at our 2009 Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. We are proud that Leigh and Bethany represented us so well, and we’re pleased that the AmeriCorps program is at the heart of Equal Justice Works’ outreach efforts. Click for video.

Social Media and Fundraising: Chase Foundation
Chase is using Facebook to determine the distribution of $5 million in charitable gifts. Help Equal Justice Works get Chase’s attention by promoting us (and you) on your Facebook page. How you can help? If you have a Facebook page, post this link in your “status update” field with a comment like, “Here’s the chance to help fight homelessness, prevent foreclosure, protect immigrants' rights - to battle injustices across the country. See what public interest lawyers (nonprofit attorneys) can accomplish with funding and support from Equal Justice Works: http://www.youtube.com/equaljusticeworks.”

Your post will appear on the homepages of all of your Facebook friends. If you have questions or need help posting to your profile, let us know. For more details, click for the Chase Facebook Program.

Alternative Spring Break Program for Law Students
Equal Justice Works is in the process of crafting a new program that will allow our fellows to recruit law student volunteers for short-term projects using the forum. Law students seeking to participate in “alternative spring break” projects, or other short-term projects, will be able to search for volunteering opportunities and contact fellows. Please email Jessica to learn more about how you can get involved and/or utilize this program to supplement your fellowship experience.

Reporting
We want to thank everyone who submitted their 2008-2009 Annual Progress Reports. We will be submitting our final results to the CNCS by the end of this week.

2010-2011 Renewal
Equal Justice Works will apply for AmeriCorps funding for 2010-2011 with the intent to maintain or slightly increase our current funding level (which includes one-year Recovery Act funding). Other programs will look to do the same, so we anticipate a very competitive funding cycle.

Host sites will submit applications through the Grants Management System. The deadline for Site Renewal Application is fast approaching. We have attached an FAQ to assist you in planning your renewal application. Please note the following dates:

• December 1, 2009 Intent to apply due, on-line application activated
• December 15, 2009 Site Renewal Application Due to Equal Justice Works
• December-January 2009 Budget and grant negotiations with sites, preliminary site selection
• January 26, 2010 Renewal Application submitted to CNCS

We wish everyone all the best this Holiday Season and look forward to a great 2010!

November 2009

So far, so good! All 66 AmeriCorps Fellow slots have been filled and we have never seen a class come together so quickly. We loved meeting all of the new fellows as well as seeing our old friends again.

LDT and NCLC Follow-up
We hope you all enjoyed your time together at the LDT and the NCLC in Philadelphia. We know it was a long period of time, but we hope you all saw the value in coming together. Here are a few reminders and highlights for you all to keep in mind:

Issue Area Group: Please remember to send in your issue area discussion piece to Equal Justice Works so we may post in the forums and blog. Send the article as a Word document to mcostello@equaljusticeworks.org.

Request for NCLC Reimbursement: All fellows who attended NCLC, and paid up-front, need to E-mail Jessica at jmeller@equaljusticeworks.org in order to be reimbursed. Please send her a copy of your conference receipt if you have not done so already.

Flip Video Camera Winners: To those of you who received a Flip camera, we look forward to receiving some video about your projects to share on our blog and website. As you heard, not only from Equal Justice Works, but also Frank Trinity (General Counsel of CNCS) and Steve Grumm (Director of Public Service Initiatives at NALP), storytelling is critical for funding and professional development. Please let us know if you need any assistance with media outreach, storytelling or promotion.

Forums: I have started to add more content to the AmeriCorps discussion forums including information from Kelly Gastley’s (Supervising Attorney, Philadelphia VIP) presentation about probate/mortgage foreclosure issues, our FTC contact, links to free Idealist books, etc. I know many of you, especially in California, Ohio and the Gulf Coast, are planning regional meetings and collaborations. Please let us know if any of our tools would be helpful in assisting your projects.

Innovation Fund: As the class representatives told you during their presentation, we now have a program for the AmeriCorps Fellows to apply directly to the class reps for financial assistance with their project. We should be launching that program soon and an E-mail announcement will be made when applications are ready to be received.

Reporting
Reminder - The Annual Progress Report for the 2008-2009 program year is due by Thursday, November 5 at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific. Please click for the   2008-2009 Annual Progress Report Survey.

Recovery Reporting – Thank you to all sites for submitting first AmeriCorps Recovery Report (which, surprisingly, was due before the APR for 2008). Here is what you accomplished in the first few weeks:

• 30 AmeriCorps Fellows saved 13 homes and managed 415 volunteers.
• Number of clients receiving services related to financial literacy: 184
• Number of clients receiving (non-foreclosure related) assistance with housing issues: 303
• Number of homeless individuals transitioned into affordable housing: 6
• Number of clients receiving information on health insurance, health care access and health benefits programs: 201
• Number of clients enrolled in health insurance and health benefits programs: 37
• In three months, 59 Summer Corps members serving through the Recovery Act served 641 clients.

2010-2011 Renewal
Equal Justice Works will apply for AmeriCorps funding for 2010-2011 with the intent to maintain or slightly increase our current funding level (which includes one-year Recovery Act funding). Other programs will look to do the same, so we anticipate a very competitive funding cycle. Host sites will submit applications through the Grants Management System. Dates of note:

• November 15, 2009 Application Instructions sent to Host Sites
• November 17 and 18, 2009 Technical Assistance Conference Calls (2 PM Eastern, 11 AM Pacific)
• December 1, 2009 Intent to apply due, on-line application activated.
• December 15, 2009 Site Renewal Application Due to Equal Justice Works
• December-January 2009 Budget and grant negotiations with sites, preliminary site selection
• January 26, 2010 Renewal Application submitted to CNCS.

October 2009

October 2009 is a significant month. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act took effect on October 1 and the first Recovery reports are due on October 5th. This is also the month Equal Justice Works announces the new classes of Fellowships and hosts a number of important events including:

• The Conference and Career Fair (Oct. 24-25)
• The Leadership Development Training (required for all Fellows, Oct. 27-30)
• The Annual Awards Dinner (Fellows will attend, Oct. 29)

We are also supporting AmeriCorps Fellows working on foreclosure defense at the National Consumer Litigation Conference (Oct. 22-25). Expect frequent communication from our staff in the next few weeks due to the amount of logistics to arrange.

Announcing the 2009-2010 AmeriCorps Fellows
In terms of skills, experience and numbers, there has never been anything like this year's class. In the next week, Equal Justice Works will release the names and profiles of the class to the media, law schools, funders and the general public.

This is the final request to upload you online profile (including your picture) on the Equal Justice Works website. If your profile is not complete, it will not be included in the release and you and your site will lose a valuable chance to promote your work. If you have questions about the profiles, please contact Marty Costello at mcostello@equaljusticeworks.org.

NCLC Foreclosure Training
Twenty-four (24) of our sixty-six (66) AmeriCorps Fellows are focused on foreclosure prevention and defense. Equal Justice Works is sending these Fellows to the NCLC conference in three weeks. Due to administrative restrictions, Fellows must register for the NCLC conference themselves. This is a change in policy.

On October 2nd, we will be sending by E-mail specific instructions on how to register for the conference and intensives. Do not register for the conference until you read the instructions.

We will host two conference calls for the Fellows working on foreclosure issues to ensure the logistical questions are resolved and also to talk about their role at the conference. The conference call information will be in your registration E-mail. The call times are:

• Monday, October 5, 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific; or
• Tuesday, October 6, 2 p.m Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific 

Performance Measures
All AmeriCorps Programs have a set of Performance Measures (PMs) to demonstrate impact. These PMs are the basis of our reports to the Corporation for National and Community Service and Congress, and they outline the data AmeriCorps Fellows should track day to day.

Please familiarize yourselves with the PMs and adjust your data collection systems to accommodate this information.

• Click for Performance Measures

Background Checks
As of October 1st, programs must conduct background checks for all AmeriCorps members as a condition for enrollment. No AmeriCorps Fellow may sign a contract or receive service hours prior to the completion of this process. See the August Update for details.

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September 2009

We just returned from the annual AmeriCorps Grantee Meeting, where we discussed the vision and policies that will drive the national service movement for years. We also met with Congressional staff to tell them of your efforts. Because so many members of Congress are lawyers, we love to share stories of AmeriCorps members who are lawyers and law students.

The reactions were terrific. Between the Serve America Act and Recovery, we’ve never seen anything like this year. Engineers call this a “stress test.” We’ve doubled our capacity, and… so far, so good. We are grateful for all of the time and energy that you have put into 2009-2010 program start-up. Please visit the Equal Justice Works Blog for stories and video about Fellows in New Orleans, Detroit and Toldeo.

Enrollment
55 of 66 AmeriCorps Fellowships are filled. Expect check in calls from us for paperwork. New Fellows should complete each of these steps:

• Enroll into the program: Please follow the instructions on the forms and speak to your project manager about your contract and benefits.
• Complete the AmeriCorps Entrance Survey : Within the first two weeks of your term of service, please complete the entrance survey. It should take 15 minutes and we appreciate detailed responses. The survey itself is a grant requirement.
• Complete your online profile : After you are enrolled in the program, you will get an email about how to start your online profile.
• Sign-up for the AmeriCorps Forum : You will be getting an E-mail shortly about how to create your profile.
• Enroll with MyAmeriCorps: Sign-up for a My AmeriCorps account after you enroll into the program and we process the paperwork. Please read more about your loans and Segal Education Award here.
• Register for the Leadership Development Training: Our annual training in Washington DC.

Please be aware that Martin Costello, Program Manager will be contacting you shortly to schedule an introductory conference call. Marty is your point of contact for questions about your work or your site.

For info on paperwork or benefits, Recovery Fellows can direct programmatic questions to Jess Meller and Eric Harsch will handle questions for non-Recovery AmeriCorps Fellows.

Training
In addition to completing the necessary paperwork, all fellows must be present at Leadership Development Training in Arlington, Virginia. Because programming begins on the morning of October 27th, fellows should plan to arrive in DC on October 26th. Please visit the LDT website for more information.

In addition, any fellows working on foreclosure issues should plan to attend the National Consumer Litigation Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This conference will be taking place just before Leadership Development Training. For information on travel and conference logistics for the Philadelphia training, please visit the Equal Justice Works NCLC page .

Grants Management System (GMS)
60% of host sites submitted budgets and PERs into the Grants Management System by the September 15th deadline. If you haven’t submitted your budget, please do so ASAP. Any questions regarding finances, the GMS, or budgeting should be directed to Cole McMahon. Thank you again for your patience and work. We look forward to seeing many of you soon.

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August 2009

Welcome to all of the new AmeriCorps Fellows and Host Sites! This update and our program management website contain must-read info to stay on top of your Fellowships. Expect to receive an AmeriCorps program update every month.

Fellow Information
Last week you should have received a welcome email from Equal Justice Works. We will be in contact with each of you shortly to talk for a few minutes about any needs or questions you may have. Please continue to check the AmeriCorps Fellow website for the most up-to-date information about your program.

In the next few weeks, you will be contacted by us to start your online profile. The profile is the key to promoting your fellowship. Please visit the online profile page for more information.

New Sites
August 1st marked the beginning of the 2009-2010 AmeriCorps program year. This includes our 30 AmeriCorps Recovery Fellowships, which are highlighted on our general program and recruitment website . We have received confirmation from the eight organizations below which are funded in part by the Institute for Foreclosure Legal Assistance.

The Recovery Act gives us a very narrow window, and our goal is to save as many homes as possible in one year. These are among the most established foreclosure prevention and defense projects in the country and we are thrilled to have such experts as part of the team. The sites include:

• Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society
• Community Legal Services, Philadelphia
• Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
• Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
• Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
• Northwest Justice Project, Seattle
• South Brooklyn Legal Services

Another major funder for Recovery Fellowships is the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, which is sponsoring five AmeriCorps Recovery Fellowships. This effort will give us a rare platform to generate statewide impact in one of the nation’s hardest hit areas. The sites include:

• Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (Toledo)
• Community Legal Aid Services (Akron)
• Legal Aid Society of Columbus
• Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
• Pro Seniors (Statewide)

The other new sites are:

• Legal Aid and Defender of Detroit is a new site with two Recovery Fellows and two committed to addressing domestic violence and foreclosure defense.
• The US Committee on Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) provide an expansion into the Washington, DC area with amazing projects focused on children’s and immigrants’ rights.
• The Miami-Dade Office of the Public Defender and the University of Miami School of Law are piloting a unique effort to host an AmeriCorps Fellow to create pro bono infrastructure for indigent defense.

Federal Grant Details
New Finance System: On September 1, the new Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps online Grants Management System (GMS) will be released. Host sites will be able to enter both regular and Recovery budgets in the system, and submit monthly expense reports/invoices using this on-line tool. Details on a webinar (September 3, 3PM Eastern/Noon Pacific) are forthcoming.

Recruitment: 41of 66 Fellowships are now filled! The Enrollment deadline is September 30. Please keep us updated on your hiring. After you make a hire, please contact Eric (eharsch@equaljusticeworks.org, 202.466.3686 x140) and give us the name and resume of the new AmeriCorps Legal Fellow.

Background Check: Required of all AmeriCorps Fellows! As per your request, here is guidance on conducting background checks for AmeriCorps Legal Fellows: A background check for bar admission is not sufficient to meet this standard. Perform these checks on applicants:

• National Sex Offender Public Registry (www.nsopr.gov)- Must be conducted prior to service.
• State criminal check for your state
• State criminal check for state of Fellow’s residence at time of application

Required Procedures:

1. Verify applicant’s identity
2. Obtain applicant’s written authorization to conduct State criminal registry checks and to share the results within the program
3. Participation is contingent upon the criminal history review
4. Applicants must have the opportunity to challenge results
5. Results must remain confidential

Required Documentation:

1. Written verification of applicant’s identity
2. Results of the criminal history checks must be maintained, unless prohibited by State law
3. Written documentation that the grantee conducted the required checks and considered the results in selecting or retaining the individual 

Disqualification: An individual who is subject to a State sex offender registration requirement may not serve in a covered position. Host sites have the discretion to reject applicants based on other offenses.

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July 2009

In 2009-2010 our AmeriCorps programs will double in size. Your impact, storytelling, and professionalism make this expansion possible. In the coming weeks, Equal Justice Works will add more features to our website including exit and enrollment forms as well as new features to the Forum.

Also, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) is now fully effective and Income-Based Repayment is available. 

Fellow Information
The AmeriCorps Team is working on a number of program elements and trainings to improve the Fellowship experience. This will be a landmark year for AmeriCorps Fellowships. For those of you returning for a second year, there is no doubt that there will be more expected of you, and we will provide increased support.

Training Dates
Mark your calendars now for our two trainings:

• Leadership Development Training – Washington, DC, October 27-30, 2009
• ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference – Phoenix, AZ, May 13-15, 2010 .

2009-2010 Class Representatives
We are pleased to announce that for the 2009-2010 program year there will be three class representatives. Marty is in the process of contacting the individuals and will make a formal announcement at the end of the week. Thank you all for your suggestions and nominations for the positions.

Host Site Information

Program Calendar
Please review and bookmark the 2009-2010 program calendar . Here are a few upcoming events and deadlines of note:

The June PER is due ASAP
In addition to the report, please submit a carry-over amount (the amount of the 2008-2009 grant you will not encumber or spend). This is a CNCS requirement. The AmeriCorps Team is scheduling optional technical assistance calls to go over new policies and procedures.

All calls will take place Wednesdays at 2PM EDT, 11AM PDT using this conference phone number.

• July 8 Interviewing and selection of Fellows
• July 15 Recovery Act Update
• July 22 Evaluation Working Group call
• July 29 AmeriCorps -Enrollment Process & new rules for AmeriCorps living stipend 2009-2010

Host Site Staff Training and Strategy Meeting – August 13 & 14
This year’s Host Site Staff Training and Strategy meeting will take place in Washington, DC at The Beacon Hotel and Conference Quarters. This training will focus on new AmeriCorps policies and procedures and orienting new program staff to the world of Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps Program Management. There will be content for new and experienced staff. (This is not a training for Fiscal Managers! We will conduct trainings on the new member and financial reporting systems as they are implemented at the federal and program level.)

Both regular and Recovery funded programs are required to send a representative, preferably the Project Director. If you wish to send more than one staff member to the training, we will cover food costs only. Sites are responsible for travel and lodging costs for additional staff members to attend the training.

RSVP to the Training and Strategy Meeting no later than Monday, July 13, 2009. The training will take place from 8AM August 13th through 2PM August 14th. Equal Justice Works will reimburse $400 per site for travel costs.

Specific information about transportation in Washington, DC is available on the RSVP form. Eric will also send more details about the meeting to all participants in the coming weeks. If you have further questions please contact Eric .

Evaluation Working Group
Equal Justice Works seeks host site staff interested in providing ongoing advice and assistance in the development of program reporting systems and impact measurement, including the implementation of real time data collection for Recovery Fellowships.

We anticipate quarterly conference calls and a four hour focus group on August 12th in Washington (prior to the site staff training). Email Cole if interested.

Exit Process for Fellows – New Exit Forms
We have posted the new comprehensive exit documents on our website. Please use these documents as you exit your Fellows for this service year.

We have also posted an exit checklist to help you manage the process. If your Fellow is staying for a second year, exit paperwork is still required to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Enrollment Forms for the 2009-2010 grant year will be posted shortly. If you have any questions please contact Eric.

Program Manual
We have developed a new program manual for the next grant year to assist with both the Recovery and regular Grants. The manual will be a resource for most of your general questions. The guide is a work in process and will continue to change as CNCS develops policies and procedures for the Recovery Grant. 

Summer Corps 2009
Thank you for all of the supervisors who supported their law students with the Summer Corps Standout Awards. We are reviewing the applications now and will let you know if your student/organization is selected as a winner. We plan to start featuring stories on our website in the coming weeks.

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