In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Rowan Russell-Berry, who is currently serving with Schools of Hope at Lake View Elementary in Madison. Rowan discusses their service this year as a literacy tutor, describing the different activities they are doing with and their work coordinating and supporting volunteer literacy tutors at the school. Rowan describes several additional projects they are working on this year, including the program-wide Books of Hope project that provides books to all of the students the program serves, a new interactive training for volunteer tutors in the Madison Metropolitan School District, and new surveys to gauge student attitudes as readers. Listen in to learn how Rowan has worked to boost student interest and enhance participation in literacy tutoring, incorporated song writing, comic writing, and a dice rolling story creation activity, as well as forging connections with students through assisting with the walking school bus program and numerous clubs at the school.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Angelica Morales, who is currently serving her fourth AmeriCorps term with the Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services (WAHRS) at Pathfinders in Milwaukee. Angelica discusses her service over the last four years at the Pathfinders Youth Shelter, which provides short-term shelter for adolescents aged 11-17 and crisis counseling for older youth. She describes the assistance she provides for youth, including her role in the intake process, their intervention plans, and group meetings, as well as the overall support, guidance, and supervision she provides during their stays at the shelter. Listen in to learn how Angelica has grown to love working with youth through her AmeriCorps service at Pathfinders, as well how she has found opportunities to use her artistic abilities to help providing education and awareness about a variety of topics.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Brittany Arnold, who is serving this year with the Green Bay Conservation Corps. Brittany discusses how she has helped educate the public and engage the community in volunteer service projects through numerous outreach efforts. She also describes the different conservation projects she has worked on so far, including native species maintenance, clearing invasive plant species, and preparing seeds for planting later this year. Brittany discusses how she came to the Green Bay Conservation Corps after working on projects alongside them previously as part of the Brown County Food Forest Coalition. Listen in to learn how she is serving while studying sustainable agriculture and brings her passion for agroforestry to her service, educating people about the plants around them and helping them try different edible plants, like baby dandelion leaves.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sam Greenberg, who is serving this year with the Green Bay Conservation Corps. Sam discusses the service he has done this winter with the Green Bay Conservation Corps while he is between seasons fighting wildland fires in the American West, which he typically does each year in Washington. He describes his service over the last few months, which has primarily focused on clearing invasive plant species from parks and public lands in Green Bay, as well as participating in community outreach efforts and volunteer projects.   Listen in to learn about how Sam has brought his experience to his AmeriCorps service with the Green Bay Conservation Corps and participating in its leadership pathway program and the difference he hopes to continue to make in the future.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Julie Wilson, who is serving with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Recovery Corps at the YMCA of the Chippewa Valley in Eau Claire. Julie discusses the Sober Strong program that she created to provide support to women in early recovery from substance abuse disorder, including how she was inspired to create the program based on her own experiences in early recovery. She describes the recovery support meetings and group exercise classes she holds for program participants, as well as the recovery coaching that she provides to individuals throughout the week. Listen in to learn about how Julie has drawn upon her own recovery journey to help others and educate the public and the future steps she hope to take to continue helping women in recovery.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sigourney Vandeveer, who is serving her second term with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Community Corps at the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes in Green Bay. Sigourney discusses the multiple ways she helps provide activities for girls in underserved communities that otherwise might not be able to participate in the Girl Scouts, including sessions during the school day, after-school programming, and staff-led troops. She also discusses her experience leading girls during summer camp and the opportunities she has had to expand the reach of those she serves through participation in numerous community events across the year.  Listen in to learn about how Sigourney uses her specialty in origami at a strategy for connecting with the girls she works with and to help teach several things at once, as well as the overall joy she finds serving at the Girl Scouts that is “bundled up in cookies and laughter and friendship bracelets.”

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Emily Cowles, who is serving her second term with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Community Corps at HopeChats Community in Green Bay. Emily discusses some of the ways she is providing support for the individuals accessing services and support at HopeChats Community this year after primarily assisting people at the Peshtigo River Center during her first term. She highlights the various nutrition and cooking classes she will be leading throughout the year, including classes designed to help individuals with Diabetes or in recovery from substance abuse, as well as those to help people with easy meal preparation and discerning facts around nutrition fads. Listen to learn how Emily is using research to create classes based around the dietary needs of those she is serving, as well as providing a listening ear and opportunities for building community during crafting activities and group meetings.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Emily Stockinger, who is serving her second term with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School at the Arbor Vitae Woodruff School District. Emily discusses harvesting numerous items with students in their outdoor school garden this fall while the weather allows and how the students will continue growing lettuce throughout the year indoors with their hydroponic garden. She also describes how these foods are used in nutrition education lessons she has done with her students and additional activities they will do as they transition more into the classroom during the winter. Emily discusses the food tastings she has done with the students, including their schoolwide participation in the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch earlier this month, and how she communicates these recipes and other information to the parents.  Listen to learn how Emily is reconnecting with a passion for healthy food through her service with Farm to School after a career in another field and the continued development of the activities she will be doing as she builds upon her experiences during her first term.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Kara Jorgensen, who completed her second AmeriCorps term with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) – ClubCorps this August. Kara discusses the different roles she has undertaken supporting youth at Camp Whitcomb/Mason during her first term last summer and her yearlong term that concludes this summer.  She describes her experience guiding youth on the new challenge course that opened at camp this spring, including training them in safety during ground school and them supporting them as they take on the 22 elements up on the course, including 18 high ropes elements, climbing walls, and the zip line.  She also shares about the joy she has found helping the campers during her AmeriCorps service and the skills and experiences she will carry forward with her. Listen in to learn about how Kara received her “camp name” as “Spirit” and how the magical experience she has had serving at camp has led to her to continue with a third AmeriCorps term over the next year.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sherlean Roberts, who is currently serving her third AmeriCorps term with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) - ClubCorps. Sherlean discusses how she is assisting students participating in their Graduation Plus program by providing mentorship and guidance from the early stages of the college application process through college graduation. Sherlean describes the different ways she is supporting both a cohort of current college students at Marquette University as well as high school students at The Ready Center and during visits to Milwaukee high schools. Sherlean discusses the ways she strives to form connections with students to strengthen the support she can provide to students, understanding the value of this assistance from her own participation in the program as a student. Listen in to learn about how Sherlean has forged meaningful connections and grown as a mentor for her students, which she plans to build upon during her fourth AmeriCorps term that she will be starting this fall.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sabina West, who is serving with MPL LibraryCorps. Sabina discusses serving during the inaugural year of the program through the Milwaukee Public Library and the different ways their AmeriCorps members are providing support to students. She describes the information technology literacy activities she did during the school year with students at three different Milwaukee schools, helping them build skills for their current grade and that they will use long into the future. She then spoke about the after-school programming she did with students at her assigned library branch, with their activities based around a theme for each day of the week.  Additionally, Sabina discusses how MPL LibraryCorps AmeriCorps members are providing enrichment activities to students at multiple summer school sites based upon a curriculum they individually created, with hers designed around astronomy. Listen in to learn how Sabina helped set a foundation for the future success of both the students she worked with this year and MPL LibraryCorps as a whole while serving as part of their initial cohort of AmeriCorps members.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Zarieanna McCoy, who is serving with College Possible Milwaukee. Zari discusses how she is remotely assisting college students that graduated from Milwaukee high schools that are attending colleges and universities across the country, as well as being an in-person resource for students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She describes how she assists the students with financial aid, finding scholarships, looking for internships, finding resources through their universities, and providing additional supports to help them on their path towards college graduation. Zari then discusses how she was inspired to serve with College Possible Milwaukee this year after having been served by the program herself as both a high school and college student. Listen in to learn how Zari is using her own experience as a student in the program to provide support to college students as they continue their academic journey toward and through graduation.

In this episode, we are exploring the service story of Anna Dannecker, who served two AmeriCorps terms with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee - ClubCorps and helped create The S-Files podcast while an intern at Serve Wisconsin following her AmeriCorps service. Anna begins by describing how she led students through a variety of performing and visual arts activities during her two terms of AmeriCorps service, bringing skills gained in her college comedy classes and other coursework to her service. During her first term, she supported summer enrichment programming at multiple locations in 2018, leading improv classes and organizing arts and crafts activities.  She then describes her service during her second AmeriCorps term in Spring 2021, creating pre-recorded activities and leading remote virtual drawing classes with students due to the impacts of COVID-19.  Anna then discusses her experience as an intern with Serve Wisconsin, including creating videos and promotional materials to support Wisconsin AmeriCorps programs, assisting with the Governor’s Service Awards, and helping to create The S-Files podcast and editing its episodes. Listen to learn how Anna has built upon the skills she developed serving with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee - ClubCorps and working with Serve Wisconsin into her current professional role in the entertainment industry at an animation studio.

In this episode, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Anna Loughman, who is serving this year with the Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (WAFCC) at the Community Outreach Clinic in Menomonee Falls. Anna describes the variety of ways she serves patients accessing healthcare and provides assistance to medical staff at the clinic. She discusses how she supports preventative health initiatives at the clinic to improve patient health outcomes, including programs focused on blood sugar management and high blood pressure. Anna also describes how her previous service experiences helped lead she to her AmeriCorps service this year. Listen to learn how Anna decided to build upon previous service experiences by dedicating a year to serving with AmeriCorps after graduating and how she has been gaining valuable experience working with a diverse patient population at the clinic before beginning medical school this summer.

In this episode, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Amber Scarborough, who is serving with the Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (WAFCC) at the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy in Madison. Amber describes how she helps patients accessing medications at the pharmacy, as well as working with individuals that would like to donate medications and working on outreach efforts to increase awareness about their services. She also discusses how she is assisting at the Food Bank at St. Vincent de Paul each week, and the connections and ideas it has brought to her efforts supporting the pharmacy. Amber later describes how she came to her AmeriCorps service with WAFCC despite not having a background in health, as she was seeking a new direction from the graduate program she had been completing. Listen to learn how Amber is striving to help address the societal issues she had studied through her service helping uninsured individuals access medication and how her service as a second-generation AmeriCorps member is helping her explore new paths to help others in the future.

In this episode, we are exploring the service stories of two AmeriCorps members, Paige Hill and Kamya Moultry, who are serving with the Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics at the Perry Family Free Clinic in Madison. Paige and Kamya describe the different ways that their service supports the goal of the clinic to provide quality healthcare for uninsured and under-insured Black men and all who are impacted by disparities in healthcare in the local community. Paige discusses how as a Public Health AmeriCorps member, her service focuses on directly working with the patients in different ways and looking at the social determinants of health that impact the patients. Kamya describes how as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, her service focuses on expanding the capacity of the clinic to serve the public, including community outreach, partnerships with other nonprofits, and assisting with grant writing. Listen to learn how Kamya and Paige are working to expand health care access and how their AmeriCorps experience and the memories they have made will carry over into their continued work to help others in the future.

In this episode, we are exploring the service stories of two AmeriCorps members, Lindsey Kurtz and Jared Gonzales, who are serving with the Green Bay Conservation Corps, which launched earlier this year. Lindsey and Jared describe the service they have done so far this year in the city’s parks and other outdoor spaces, including the removal of invasive species and collecting seeds from native plants for planting in the spring. They also discuss their efforts to engage and educate the public through community volunteer projects and the educational series they have planned on both the history of Green Bay parks and engaging people this spring outdoor in the parks to learn about bees, pollinators, native plantings, and other subjects. They also describe how they have been able to use some of their individual skills to support programmatic efforts and planning for future projects, with Jared discussing using a drone for gaining aerial perspectives and data on the public lands they serve and Lindsey describing using geospatial data for the creation of GIS mapping for analyzing progress and informing the public. Listen to learn how Lindsey and Jared are forging greater connections with the community during their service in Green Bay and how their service is helping them gain experience they plan to build upon into the future.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the envisioning, development, and launch of the new Green Bay Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program during a conversation with the Mayor of Green Bay, Eric Genrich, and his Chief of Staff, Amaad Rivera-Wagner, who previously served as an AmeriCorps member. Mayor Genrich and Amaad begin by describing why the City of Green Bay decided to create a municipally-based AmeriCorps program focused on conservation and improving access in the city’s parks and other outdoor spaces. They then discuss the launch of the program at the end of this summer, including events the program has held to engage the public in volunteering on conservation projects and the significant progress their AmeriCorps members have made towards clearing invasive species, adding native plants, and improving trails. Our conversation then turns to discussing the overall value of service and volunteerism for local communities, with Mayor Genrich and Amaad also sharing about some of their own meaningful service experiences. Listen to learn how Mayor Genrich and Amaad decided that launching an AmeriCorps program through the City of Green Bay would have positive impacts on the community and they future impacts that they hope AmeriCorps members will have for the people of Green Bay.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Wes Broske, who is serving with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School at the Monona Grove School District, where he had previously worked with some of their students as an educational assistant. Wes describes working with students across their seven schools, including teaching nutrition lessons at their four elementary schools and working with middle school students on lessons on preservation and fermentation. He discusses working further develop school gardens throughout the district, hoping to expand them at several locations and increase student access to learning in the gardens. Wes also describes working to get local foods into schools, both locally through Harvest of the Month items in the Monona Grove School District and throughout the state by helping connect farmers and school food service directors through the Wisconsin Local Food Database by serving as the manager for the East Central region of the state. Listen to learn how Wes is making connections with students, farmers, and other AmeriCorps members as he continues developing lessons and ways for students to increase access to local foods and school gardens.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Peyton Keith, who is serving with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School at the Bayfield School District, where she herself graduated from high school having grown up in a tribal community just outside of Bayfield. Peyton discusses the nutrition and gardening lessons and field trips she has done the first few months of this school year with the students she serves, a large majority of whom are tribal members, including the cultural connections they make during their activities. She describes working with her students to harvest items out of their school garden, their aquaponics system, and a field trip to gather wild rice and how they have used these items and other local produce to create pizzas, apple cider, apple chips, and other items for nutrition lessons. Peyton also discusses connections that have been made with local farmers, including having them sharing information with her students and getting more locally sourced items into the school meal program. Listen to learn how Peyton is making a difference in her local community and the plans she has for future activities inside and outside the classroom to continue making connections with her students.