Jefferson loves AmeriCorps!

I went to Jefferson High yesterday where the students welcomed me excitedly. The girls I spoke with had big dreams but no idea how to pay for college. They seemed mainly interested in NCCC because they were very active young women who enjoy being engaged in their community. 
I told them about Mommy's Closet while they popped their pop corn in the Eagle's Nest, the student lounge, and learned that several students at Jefferson are pregnant or young mothers, and thought college was out of their reach. I was pleased to tell them that AmeriCorps not only pays for college but pays childcare too.

I learned that Jefferson requires Service Learning for all graduates, but many of their students lack transportation to Service Learning sites. My office is two or three blocks from Jefferson, so I may have high school interns here as early as September from Jefferson. My VISTA VAD was really heavy on volunteer recruitment and retention, so I have all summer to figure out something for these young people to do for a semester. 

I mentioned we were in the beginning stages of planning a small carnival this summer, and one young lady, who wants to be a psychologist, volunteered her boyfriend's services for the event. He's a hypnotist/comedian, loves kids and a crowd. Of the schools I've visited so far this week, Jefferson was my favorite because the students were friendly, warm and welcoming.