More than 50 AmeriCorps members, hailing from Maine and across the United States, will gather virtually to participate in the 26th annual Maine AmeriCorps Launch Ceremony. Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap will preside over the statewide swearing-in ceremony.
In addition, there will be remarks from Dianne Smith, an Albion, Maine resident and AmeriCorps member beginning her second term of service, and Jenifer Tilton Flood, Volunteer Maine Commission Chair-elect.
Members of the public and media are invited to attend the virtual ceremony, which begins at 9:25 a.m. Those interested can access the ceremony using the YouTube link provided below. Media members who would like to interview an AmeriCorps member should contact Bryan Roche, Volunteer Maine Communications Officer.
- Who: Maine Sec. of State Dunlap, honored guests, and AmeriCorps members
- What: Maine AmeriCorps swearing-in ceremony
- Where: YouTube live stream -- access here
- When: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 9:25-10 a.m.
- Why: To celebrate and offer well wishes to more than 50 individuals who will spend the next the next year providing community service to Maine.
Each fall, soon after the start of the traditional AmeriCorps program year, Volunteer Maine gathers newly serving and continuing AmeriCorps members for this annual ceremony. It serves as the symbolic launch of the AmeriCorps service term.
In a one-year term, these individuals serve Maine non-profits, schools and community organizations. Service activities in Maine span across the areas of environmental conservation; early childhood education, intervention and development; classroom support; recovery coaching; mentorship; and improving community resilience, among others.
Smith will speak to the power of AmeirCorps service, both personally and for Maine communities. She will also share how service has "changed her life" for the better. Smith is beginning her second term of service with First4 AmeriCorps, an educational initiative of Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP). Smith serves as Classroom Support Member, who are trained to provide additional classroom support to strengthen existing trauma-informed care and to implement social-emotional strategies in classrooms for children six weeks to five years of age.
At 9 a.m, just prior to the ceremony, AmeriCorps members will participate in a virtual meet-and-greet networking activity. The activity has been added to the program as a way to foster better connection between AmeriCorps members in the state.
Visit the National Service section of our website to access for additional national information on AmeriCorps in Maine.
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About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.
About Volunteer Maine
Volunteer Maine, the state service commission, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine's volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service. On Oct. 16, 2019, the Maine Commission for Community Service adopted the public identity Volunteer Maine.
Media contact
Bryan Roche, communications officer
Office: (207) 624-7836
Cell: (207) 446-3471
Email: bryan.roche@maine.gov