Contemplating a year of national service as a College Possible AmeriCorps member? We have service site locations all across the United States, from Philadelphia to Portland! Whether you’re serving in your own community or excited to explore new scenery, you’ll find the perfect fit in one of the eight bustling cities where we’re located.
With over 300 full-time and part-time service roles open at College Possible, we invite you to answer the call to serve. But before you apply for service in one of our communities, let’s explore the unique aspects of four of these locations, and uncover how your AmeriCorps service year will help to strengthen communities across the country.
College Possible AmeriCorps service in Chicago
AmeriCorps coaches at our Chicago site serve in the Chicago Public Schools. During the 2021–2022 school year, College Possible coaches served nearly 1,400 students, focusing their efforts in Amundsen, Lake View, Mather, Morgan Park, and Thomas Kelly College Preparatory high schools.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serves nearly 330,000 students, where 90 percent of students identify as a person of color and 56 percent are from limited-income families. For every one high school counselor in Illinois, there are 626 students. Additionally, only 20 percent of CPS freshmen will earn a bachelor's degree. High school coaches serving in Chicago have an immense opportunity to help transform the lives of students through higher education.
With the support of an AmeriCorps coach, CPS students in the College Possible program have made incredible strides. College Possible-enrolled students see an average SAT score increase of 8 points, and 94 percent of the students assisted by College Possible are accepted into a four-year college.
If serving students in the Windy City sounds like a year well spent, apply for service today!
College Possible AmeriCorps service in Milwaukee
A year of service at the Milwaukee site in southeastern Wisconsin is a great opportunity for those looking to experience life in a mid-sized city. With about half a million residents, this port city situated on Lake Michigan is home to nearly 78,000 students. AmeriCorps members serving in Milwaukee support students in public, Choice and charter high schools, as well as seven local universities.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) serves roughly 8,500 junior and senior high school students. Eighty-two percent of these students come from limited-income backgrounds, and over 80 percent of students are people of color. Roughly three in 10 MPS students do not graduate from high school in four years, revealing a degree equity gap that College Possible coaches are poised to confront. In addition, less than 50 percent of MPS high school graduates attend college immediately after graduation, citing both academic unpreparedness and the high cost of a post-secondary degree.
College Possible Milwaukee coaches are empowering more Milwaukee County students to graduate from high school and earn their college degree. Wisconsin high school graduates left nearly $50 million in Pell Grants on the table in 2022. College Possible coaches in Milwaukee are working to ensure that students are taking advantage of all the financial resources available, helping to make college more accessible and affordable.
Because College Possible Milwaukee supports students in completing the financial aid process and finding their best-fit college, 100 percent of these students apply to college, and 99 percent are admitted. In addition, nearly 72 percent of College Possible Milwaukee students attend college immediately after high school.
If supporting first-generation, Milwaukee-area college students on their road to success sounds like a year well-spent, apply for service at this site today!
College Possible AmeriCorps service in Texas
AmeriCorps coaches at our Texas site serve in the Austin-area school districts. During the 2020–2021 school year, College Possible coaches served more than 5,000 students, focusing their efforts in Round Rock, Hays, Elgin, Del Valle, and Pflugerville.
Austin is a vibrant community, home to nearly a million people. The city comes with unique opportunities for impact for both students and college access and success coaches. First generation immigrant students make up only about 11 percent of the collegiate student body in Texas. And on average, the Texas six-year college graduation rate sits at just over 57 percent.
Additionally, nearly 18,000 students without documentation graduate from high school every year. As these first-generation students lack the social security number that is necessary to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), College Possible AmeriCorps coaches play a vital role in helping them apply for alternative forms of financial aid such as state aid and private scholarships
First-generation college graduates in Texas play a vital role in the economic success of the community. Nearly 29 percent of STEM workers and 20 percent of nurses in the state are first-generation immigrants. If you’d like to help empower high school and college students in Texas on their journey toward earning a college degree, apply for open AmeriCorps positions today!
College Possible AmeriCorps service in Washington
AmeriCorps coaches at our Washington site serve the Seattle and King County region. During the 2021–2022 school year, College Possible Washington coaches served more than 1,100 students in Seattle public high schools, Federal Way Public Schools and the Renton School District.
King County is the most populous region of Washington, home to more than 2 million residents. In the Seattle Public High Schools that College Possible students attend, nearly 44 percent of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Less than 55 percent of college students complete their college courses and earn a degree in Washington, and students from low-income backgrounds are 15 percent less likely to graduate than their higher-income peers.
Affordability is one of the leading reasons high school students in Washington do not pursue a college degree, putting them further behind in the job market—evidence shows that 80 percent of Washington residents who earn $100,000 or more have a post-secondary degree. According to a recent National College Attainment Network analysis, the nation's high school class of 2022 left about $3.6 billion in Pell Grants on the table by not completing the FAFSA. Washington high school students alone accounted for nearly $60 million in undistributed student aid.
Despite the many barriers to earning a college degree, College Possible Washington students continue to achieve their goals, year after year. Eighty-four percent of College Possible Washington students are admitted to college, and 83 percent of college freshmen persist to their second year of college. If you’d like to help empower King County students in earning their degree and achieving all the economic mobility it offers, apply for service at the Washington site today!
With more than 1,300 nonprofit organizations to choose from for your year of AmeriCorps service, we hope you’ll see why serving with College Possible is so valuable. Over 300 volunteers serve with us every year in our eight service sites across the country. If you’d like to learn more about national service and College Possible’s compensation and benefits, join us at a free, virtual information session!
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