United Way AmeriCorps Program

Start your career in education today!

Apply to become a 2021-2022 AmeriCorps Fellow

In 2013, the City of Lynn faced a growing and immediate need: there was an increasing number of non-English speaking children and young people coming to school, and schools and community organizations needed support to provide them with the kind of education they deserve. As a result, many were failing to graduate high school, leaving them unprepared for college or a well-paying career.

It was a problem no one organization could tackle alone. United Way partnered with the community to bring about a solution: deploying an AmeriCorps program — what would become the United Way AmeriCorps Program — to public schools and out-of-school time programs to Lynn, Salem and Gloucester. The goal was to provide immigrants, refugees, and students with a first language other than English ages 8-17 with tutoring and mentoring so they could get on the right educational track.

How it Works

To power the program, the Corporation for National Service and Massachusetts Service Alliance provide core funding for stipends to the 30 AmeriCorps Fellows willing to dedicate a year to service. They serve at 18 locations across Lynn, Salem, and Gloucester and and support 600 multilingual learner students each year.

Fellows serve together with and program staff to support students as they develop language and social-emotional skills. Each Fellow serves one-on-one with or in small groups of multilingual learners to help build skills like comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Fellows also serve as mentors, helping their students build social and emotional skills like communication, confidence, and teamwork. 

The positive feedback goes both ways. United Way invests deeply in training and equipping AmeriCorps Fellows to best support their students, and they receive real-world experience through their service that they can take into  life after AmeriCorps. 

Get Involved

The United Way AmeriCorps Program is an example of how United Way powers collaboration to solve a community’s toughest challenges. United Way provides critical program leadership and offers a valuable resource to public schools and community organizations: supporting immigrant student education so they’re able to thrive in school, stay engaged, and graduate. 

United Way seeks candidates ages 18 to 35 to become AmeriCorps Fellows placed in either public schools or community organizations on the North Shore. The program is a powerful way to launch your career while serving on a dynamic team supporting a diverse group of youth. 

If you would like more information about the role or program please contact Zach Brown at ZBrown@supportunitedway.org.