FEATURE
--pledge at least 1,700 hours. Givens says there is a good mix of all kinds of people, many of which are recent college graduates.
"City Year is a great opportunity for anyone who is looking to make a difference in the world. You serve as a role model within City Year, so it's a big responsibility that really teaches you a lot about yourself," Givens says.
The program, which consists mostly of working in schools in both a classroom and outdoor setting, can help a recent college graduate gain leadership experience, Givens says. A typical day starts with touching base with teachers at the school and then corps members move on to using music or games to get kids in the right frame of mind for school. Then, a corps member can spend their day doing anything from whole class instruction to one-on-one tutoring, and they finish their day by running the "Starfish" after-school program. Givens served as a corps member in San Antonio before becoming program manager, and says she joined after college looking to gain as much experience as possible.
"There are so many life skills that you pick up when you work for City Year. Humility was a huge one, especially when
working with so many people; you can't always assume that you're right. Communication is also something that you can't help but learn when the basis of your job involves interacting with all kinds of people," Givens says.
In addition to effective communication and humility, Givens says she gained valuable experience in event and project planning, which will help anyone in the professional world.
Givens notes that for those who want to join City Year, proving that you can work well with others is an essential skill. Givens, who volunteered for a mentorship program during college, says any experience with children will improve your chances of being selected into the competitive program. If you are selected, Givens says the experience is fulfilling and invaluable to someone looking to enhance their skills or resume.
Thanh Nguyen, the director of outreach and administration at WorldTeach, says that participating in a volunteer organization is great for resume building, even if a volunteer ultimately ends up in another field. WorldTeach, which was founded in 1986 by Harvard professor Michael Kremer, places about 500 volunteers in 16 differer
Two students taking part in the WorldTeach Namibia Program.
A WorldTeach volunteer in the center of her students in the China Program.
PHOTOS BY WORLDTEACH
ent countries — from Latin America to the Pacific Islands — every year. While they have volunteers from 18 to 74 years old, Nguyen says the majority of them are recent college graduates. She says WorldTeach can be useful especially if someone is testing out the teaching profession to decide if it's right for them.
"The international experience that volunteers gain through WorldTeach is of great value regardless of where they end up," Nguyen says.
Nguyen says it's hard to pin down exactly what a typical day is like for a WorldTeach volunteer, but the majority of them work with subjects such as math, science, information technology, entrepreneurship, community health, environmental education and HIV prevention. She says that when volunteers begin their time with WorldTeach they expect to simply be teachers, but through community integration, they leave with a richer understanding of the world outside the U.S.
Maureen Lavin-Arcand, a consultant for Taking Off, a consulting firm that helps prospective "gappers" find an opportunity that suits them, says a gap year can provide a fresh outlook and help a recent graduate narrow down their career options.
"The general sentiment is that even though they arrive in-country as teachers, they have come to realize that the lessons they've learned from this challenging but rewarding experience far outweigh the lessons they've taught," Nguyen says.
"It's really great for kids who are just finishing college, who haven't figured out their life plan yet," Lavin-Arcand says. "Even if they have a plan, getting some experience in another country is a great way to figure out what you do or don't want to do."
Lavin-Arcand says that while she works with people of all ages, recent college graduates have the ideal situation that allows them to take a gap year.
"I think every student should at least think about the possibility of a gap year. It really broadens your horizons and sometimes you can even parlay it into something else," Lavin-Arcand says. "I don't think necessarily that volunteer work becomes a job all the time, but it can help you see what's out there either in your field or in something totally different and unexpected."
GETTING ACCEPTED
With Teach For America accepting only 14 percent of the record 48,000 applicants into the 2011 corps. admission is highly selective. For someone interested in becoming part of one of Teach For America's 43 divisions, the organization offers these tips:
Leadership skills are essential. TSAS motto says it all: Teaching is leadership. While they evaluate every applicant individually, leadership skills are a common thread among successful candidates.
The Corps is diverse. TSA corps members have undergraduate majors ranging from communications to economics to art, and represent Greek life faith-based campus groups and honor societies.
Corps members must have superior interpersonal skills. TSA keeps a list of qualities that most corps members possess, and interpersonal skills remain at the top of the list.
WHAT IS A GAP YEAR?
A gap year is defined as any amount of time taken off from formal education to travel, volunteer, study an area of interest, or intern. Maureen Lavin- Arcand, a consultant at Taking Off, a consulting firm that helps people find a gap-year opportunity that fits them, says the options for gap-years are infinite. After a client hires her. Lavin-Arcand will begin searching for a gap-year opportunity that matches the budget and interests of the client. While the options are infinite, the client must consider airfare, health and travel insurance, out of pocket expenses, visas, shots and equipment, program cost, accommodations (if not included), and food. She shares stories of past clients and their gap-year experiences, which have included:
- Studying yoga in India
- Working with Tibetan refugees in Asia
- Sailing the Caribbean and exploring marine biology
- Learning flamenco dance in Spain
- Working on community service projects in South America
- Teaching in a rural elementary school in Africa
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