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Welcome to the AmeriCorps Team!

2018-2019 NESS SEA AmeriCorps Team
As summer comes to a close and the school year begins, we are excited to extend a warm welcome to 11 new AmeriCorps members and 4 returning members to the NESS family! The NESS SEA (STEM Education Ambassador) AmeriCorps team uses national service to engage the students of New London in STEM-based ocean adventure learning, bringing everything you love about the NESS Stonington campus to our neighbors in New London.

So, what is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps is a national movement of over 75,000 people dedicated to a year of service in communities across the country committed to fostering civic engagement and addressing community needs. A few ways the NESS AmeriCorps team contributes to these initiatives is by supporting students in various New London Public Schools through in-classroom support, mentoring, and tutoring, as well as designing and implementing STEM-based extended learning and summer programs to NLPS students while using NESS’s platform of marine science, adventure sports, and sailing to do so.

Our 2018-2019 AmeriCorps Team

This year, we have a team of fifteen bright and eager individuals who have come as far as North Dakota and Texas to come serve with the NESS. They have been working hard the past few weeks to prepare for the school year and enrichment programs! What does this mean? Their first few weeks included trainings on lesson planning and classroom management, Red Cross First Aid and Lifeguard certification trainings, ACA Kayaking skills course, and of course, prepping the NESS classrooms at Winthrop STEM Magnet Elementary School, Nathan Hale Arts Magnet Elementary, Harbor Elementary, Bennie Dover Jackson Middle, and the Science and Technology Magnet High School.

What does the team have to say about this new endeavor?

Kelsey Buckley, recent Wheaton College graduate, says, “I am eager to start building relationships with the students in the classroom, as well as during afterschool programming! Hopefully we will get them excited about environmental and marine sciences!” Kelsey will be one of the members serving at the Bennie Dover NESS site. Here, she will support students and teachers in the classroom during the day, and lead afterschool programs at sites such as Ocean Beach, Greens Harbor, and City Pier. Katie Morfill, graduate of Gettysburg College, shared why she decided to join the team. Katie says, “I joined the AmeriCorps team to help educate the public about why protecting our ocean is so important.” She will be serving at Winthrop, where she will assist with mentoring and extra academic support, as well as teaching STEM and marine science-based enrichment classes as a part of Winthrop’s extended school day program!

Wishing fair winds and calm seas to our new team with their voyage this year. We are lucky to have you and can’t wait to see all the great work you do this year! Follow the NESS SEA AmeriCorps Facebook and Instagram pages to see what our AmeriCorps team is up to! Be sure to check out our members’ Great Stories from years prior and stories to come on the blog! Know someone interested in community service and marine science? The team is still looking to fill one more spot! Find more information about applying to be a part of our amazing team here.

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