The Service Year Alums Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding alums across the national service community for their contributions during their service years and beyond. This diverse network is composed of AmeriCorps Alums, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, YouthBuild alums, and alums from various service year programs across the country.
In 2024, the awards highlight service year alums successful in bridging divides across lines of difference and fostering positive change in their communities.
Each awardee was asked to reflect on their service year and identify the learning and experiences that enabled them to come together across divides, including age, race and ethnicity, identity, and more. In doing so, each awardee demonstrated how their service year helped them find common ground, build relationships, and collaborate.
“When I first joined AmeriCorps, I had little knowledge of the world of mental health and only had preconceived notions of what I thought the word meant.” Jada’s AmeriCorps service was transformative, and in looking back, it enabled her to grow and expand her worldview. However, her understanding evolved dramatically during her service year as she engaged deeply with communities in northwest Indiana, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention.
“To make a long story short, being in AmeriCorps profoundly changed my life for the better.”
Jada was fortunate to serve twice with the same organization helping communities in northwest Indiana navigate the mental health crisis. Her primary focus was on educating community members about mental health issues and providing them with the tools to address these challenges effectively. She organized and led workshops on mental health and suicide prevention, which included interactive sessions and role-playing scenarios to simulate real-life situations.
She trained a diverse range of participants, including community members, law enforcement officers, and other stakeholders, ensuring they were well-prepared to handle mental health crises. Her work aimed to foster a more informed and supportive environment across the region.
“After classes, hearing feedback on how the information helped and knowing that participants were better equipped to assist others was a powerful affirmation of our efforts.”
One of the most significant aspects of Jada’s experience was her role in bridging the gap between communities and law enforcement. She organized specialized training sessions for officers to manage mental health crises effectively, demonstrating the importance of uniting toward a common objective. This initiative included creating and implementing a mental health training program specifically tailored for law enforcement to ensure they were equipped with the knowledge to handle mental health-related situations with empathy and understanding.
“Instead of always calling the authorities on someone going through a mental health challenge, we focused on connecting them with individuals who know how to best help in those situations.”
The training sessions led by Jada were not only educational but also encouraged meaningful interactions among participants from diverse backgrounds. These sessions included facilitated group discussions where participants shared their experiences and perspectives, fostering mutual respect and understanding.
Jada’s service year underscored the critical role of education in reshaping perceptions about mental health. Her team's relentless efforts to debunk myths and provide accurate information resulted in increased community awareness and support for mental health initiatives. The positive community response, including decreases in suicide rates and mental health-related crises, validated their approach
“Even if only one person was helped, that is one more person now equipped to help someone else.”
AmeriCorps provided Jada with a unique opportunity to educate, connect, and learn. It allowed her to deeply engage with people from diverse backgrounds, building relationships that crossed cultural and generational divides. This experience taught her that bridging divides is not about changing others’ views but about understanding and working together despite differences. The program emphasized finding common ground and collaborating toward shared goals, which Jada experienced firsthand.
“AmeriCorps is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that, if anyone is given the chance, they should seize. The opportunity to educate, connect, and learn simultaneously is a priceless reward.”
Reflecting on her time in AmeriCorps, Jada expressed, “My experience has made me a better person than I was when I started the program, and for that, I will never forget the impact it has had on my life."
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