More than 115 people attended an NCLR AmeriCorps workshop entitled, “National Service: Finding the Leader in Young Latinos” on Monday, July 18. The workshop featured a panel of experts, including past and present AmeriCorps members; a member of AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC); a returned Peace Corps volunteer; and employees from the Corporation for National and Community Serivce, Peace Corps, and NCLR. The session was part of the 2005 NCLR Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

Gerry Schafer, National Program Director for NCLR’s AmeriCorps Program, detailed the way in which NCLR AmeriCorps builds leaders through national service. She said that AmeriCorps gives youth the opportunity to be involved in local communities and government, and engages youth in the implementation of community projects and activities through which they develop lifelong career and leadership skills.

Wilfredo Sauri, Diversity Recruitment Specialist for the Peace Corps, and Benjamin Doyle, Regional Peace Corps Recruiter, talked about the experience of working abroad and the challenges of Peace Corps for people of every background. Benjamin highlighted his two-year experience in a small pueblo in Paraguay where he developed his leadership skills working with local leaders on a variety of community development projects.

NCCC member José Manzanares described the challenges he faced in creating a community group called GRASP: Gang Resistance After School Program, while attending Boise State University. GRASP has contributed to the collection of qualitative research on teen suicide with José’s team in the Five Towns area on the eastern coast of Maine.

NCLR AmeriCorps member Ambrosia Johnson a second-year AmeriCorps member serving at Youth Development, Inc. (YDI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has sharpened her leadership skills through AmeriCorps by serving as “Team Leader” for the group of AmeriCorps members providing tutoring at YDI.

NCLR AmeriCorps alumnus, Roberto Yzaguirre spoke of how his service influenced his life. As an AmeriCorps member for YDI, he worked with Native Americans in a small rural town. Like all volunteers who serve, he discovered that good interpersonal skills are key to leading. His AmeriCorps experience provided him life skills that helped him gain valuable skills for later jobs.

All of the speakers emphasized the fun that comes from serving one’s community, either locally, nationally, or internationally.

Workshop attendees asked a variety of questions about the scope of AmeriCorps and specifically about the panelists’ personal experiences. Several people in attendance were current or past AmeriCorps members and program directors, including many currently serving with the NCLR AmeriCorps*National Direct.

For more information about the NCLR AmeriCorps program click here, or send an email to nclramericorps@nclr.org.