But these past few weeks, I've done a lot of thinking about the latter.
It was fairly early into the year that I noticed my endearment to Packwood was enough to merit the consideration of a third year in the Cispus AmeriCorps Program. Fortunately, I've always been one to capitalize on opportunities for experiences though, and had been starting down the tedious road of resume/cover letter/application hell...because last week, our team received some rather devastating news.
Every three years, our supervisor applies for a Grant which comprises the bulk of the funding for our program. This grant is what supports the foundation costs of each of our 12 members and the price of having us in the schools, as well as many other core operating costs.
I've been quite out of touch with the details of our political atmosphere in this country lately but I have a basic knowledge of legislation that was passed earlier this year which was meant to help expand the availability of volunteer programs like AmeriCorps, Nation-wide. However, for places like Washington which had to this point, offered above average in the quantity of programs, this meant some major cuts. To determine where to make cuts, the standards for measuring each programs success were drastically altered. Under the new standard, eligibility for the grant became more reliant on concrete, measurable evidence of academic improvement. This means that things like the Open Gym, Library Tutoring, Teen Center and extracurricular opportunities like Field Trips were essentially written off ineffective. Under this logic, because half of our members function in these capacities, WSC is only offering to award us funding for 6 members, charging the schools nearly triple the price to have those members around. Our budget under this set-up would be nonexistent. There is no way that a program this size could be effectively supported. At this rate, AmeriCorps will have no presence in Lewis County next year.
Besides truncating my decision-making process, this news stabs at that ever-expanding soft spot that I have for Packwood. I can adjust and move into a new experience. This allows me enough time to start excepting that outcome. I move. I travel. I build community and leave but I am always carrying them in my heart. My loss is slim-none. The loss for Packwood is unfathomable.
In a way, the roles we fulfill outside of the school are the ones that are more invaluable. The school has Para-educators and other forms of guidance. Granted, I may take issue with some of the structure but at least there is structure; there is something for the kids to grasp onto. But once they leave school, they come back to a town with nothing. AmeriCorps is the only thing providing any after school guidance for kids in this town. It's that time out of the school when they're "forgetting" homework or trying to figure out how to avoid home that we're most needed. And it's those roles that have been deemed unworthy of support.
Two years in and I can see the gifts, potentials and challenges in each kid. I can envision the different directions their life could go, even while they're not up to thinking about that yet. And I can see this program as a make-it-or-break it factor in all of those scenarios.
There isn't much to be done at this point. All of us had that gut impulse to upheave our obligations and go picket in front of big, important rule-making peoples but unfortunately, a federal program soliciting against its higher-ups doesn't look too great, is kind of against the rules in a big way, and won't get us very far.
what we can do is employ each and every one of you who have followed my accounts of Packwood life and believe in the work that we do out here to write letters. Give us a face and show that it's about more than measurable numbers. If you are interested in writing a letter, you can e-mail it to me and I will direct it to where it needs to go.
melissa.meiller@aol.com
So, where does that leave my future?
I don't quite have the answer to that but like I said, I've been exploring. I'm pretty set on staying out Westward and have mostly been applying to positions in camps, schools, shelters, and other various programs in WA and OR that work with youth and families. With one exception: I am currently vying most heavily for a position as an admissions counselor at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. I wish I'd known about this place when I'd looked at colleges. It may be a bit of a selfish reason but I primarily want the job to be able to eventually transition to taking classes there. I think things like that are usually done the other way around.
Either way, the future is a big part of my present right now. I never really figured out how I wanted to consider future after AmeriCorps. I said I didn't want to go back home but I also didn't think I would bring myself to pursue a life out here. But it looks like that's what I'm doing.
Other things that have encompassed my time include:
-taking the kids bowling and having my car full of middle school boys talking about girlfriends
-preparing for our second annual talent show!
-Shivering through a 40-hour power outage; thanks, Typhoon Nuri!
-finally getting a commitment from my sixth graders in getting their homework done at the gym
-Struggling with the complex dynamics of working within a group and addressing miscommunication
-hating my stomach
-most recently though....
Having an amazing time in Seattle with a new friend and going to see this guy:
No comments:
Post a Comment