American Connection Corps Member Application (2024-25)

Note: we expect the significant majority of 2024-25 ACC placements to be primarily in-person positions.

The American Connection Corps (ACC) is the flagship program of Lead For America (LFA), a national nonprofit that is building a new generation of public service leaders nationwide. ACC is LFA’s boots-on-the-ground service corps, aimed at building local leaders in rural and legacy communities. Through a year of service, ACC Members become leaders who can tackle critical challenges, advance economic prosperity, and spark needed change in the places they’re most connected to. Every corner of America deserves the leadership of great public servants, and ACC brings that vision to life. 

Here's how it works: after an application and interview process, candidates will be matched with a host site in their area. The service year will begin in early September 2024, and Members will be placed with an organization whose work advances one of the following ACC focus areas:

• Community & Economic Development
• Health & Social Capital
• Agriculture & Natural Resources

We'll have over 200 Members serving in the ACC cohort in 2024-25, making the program one of the largest and fastest-growing civic leadership programs in the country.

Key Responsibilities

Day in and day out, you’ll work for your host organization, building critical knowledge and skills while advancing progress on a critical challenge in your community. You might serve a rural town with a triple-digit population, a small city of over 50,000 people, or you might be based in a larger metropolitan area while serving multiple smaller communities statewide.

You’ll have a dynamic local supervisor at your host organization - someone who can be there for you and provide mentorship for your personal and professional growth. You’ll also be supported by your ACC Program Officer - Program Officers are our public service experts who will connect you socially with your peer ACC Members, facilitate a range of professional development opportunities, and support you with any questions/challenges that arise during your service year.

To give you a sense of the contributions you could be making in your community, here are some examples of ACC Members' past placements, projects, and impact:

• Helping a rural Nebraska county secure $10M in public-private funding to bring high-speed internet access to 1K underserved households statewide.
• Supporting a rural Minnesota community with digital skills training for thousands of high schoolers and senior citizens.
• Developing a greenhouse gas emissions strategy for a Montana tribal government’s operations, allowing the nation to track its environmental footprint.
• Allowing citizens of an industrial, upstate New York town to play an active role in how their local school district allocates their tax dollars.

Lastly, you’ll have even further opportunities to develop knowledge, sharpen skills, and build connections at ACC’s 3-4 in-person trainings throughout the year. Trainings are week-long experiences that will take you to places like Wichita (KS), Minneapolis (MN), and Washington DC; you’ll put your host site responsibilities on pause while you get to know your ACC cohort and discuss the challenges you’re each addressing in your communities. During each training, you’ll get to learn from nationally renowned community leaders, corporate executives, policymakers, and more.

Requirements

We strive to recruit a diverse cohort of ACC Members that reflects the communities we serve nationwide. ACC is a proudly intergenerational program that we strive to be available and inclusive to individuals from a range of personal backgrounds and circumstances.

Eligibility:

• Be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Lawful Permanent Resident.
• Hold a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Be 17 years of age or older by the start of service.
• Have not already served four (4) or more AmeriCorps State/National terms. 

*The ideal ACC candidate will be committed to Lead For America’s values of Bridge Building, Service & Sacrifice, Love of Neighbor, Innovation in All Things, and Commitment to Place. 

Benefits

Every full-time ACC Member receives: 

• A $33,000 stipend. 
• A $7,395 Education Award through AmeriCorps, which can be applied to any education-related expenses after the program concludes (including repayment of qualifying student loans).
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage (if applicable).
• Access to childcare benefits.
• Student loan forbearance during your year of service.
• Fully-funded travel and lodging at 3-4 week-long, in-person trainings nationwide.

PLUS

• Access to a network of 200+ program alumni, a strong set of mentors, and unique graduate school scholarship opportunities that help accelerate Members' careers post-service.
• Regular 1:1 check-ins with an ACC Program Officer.
• Monthly "pod" meetings with other ACC Members, grouped by state and/or focus of work.
• Monthly topical plenaries with the full ACC cohort.
• Quarterly check-ins with their Host Supervisor and ACC Program Officer to ensure continued personal/professional success.

Non-Discrimination

In accordance with federal civil rights law and AmeriCorps civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact us at ACCinfo@leadforamerica.org.

Note: The ACC program may also offer part-time service options when appropriate. Contact us if you're interested.