The mission of the Commonwealth Corps service internship program is to engage Massachusetts residents of all ages and backgrounds in direct service to strengthen communities, address critical needs, and increase volunteerism.
Commonwealth Corps members serve 10 months in a full- or half-time position at one of our host site partners in the focus areas of Workforce Development, Education, Health & Nutrition, Youth Development, and Veterans Support. Serving with Commonwealth Corps means becoming part of a group of people across Massachusetts who share a common desire to discover their passion and build their network in service to their communities and the Commonwealth.
See Commonwealth Corps in action on our social media!
www.bcnc.net
The mission of BCNC is to ensure that the children, youth, and families we serve have the resources and supports they need to achieve greater economic success and social well-being. BCNC will host two full-time Commonwealth Corps members in the Adult Education Program who will serve as Adult ESOL Program Assistants supporting English language learners in accessing employment opportunities in Greater Boston, Massachusetts.
Through their service, members will strengthen volunteer recruitment efforts to improve volunteer effectiveness, retention, and engagement and build staff capacity. In addition, they will leverage 60 volunteers who will be engaged in career counseling, one-on-one tutoring, and classroom assistance. The members will contribute to improved workforce readiness and employment outcomes for immigrant adult learners.
www.hernandezschool.org
Friends of the Hernández supports and advocates for the Rafael Hernández Dual Language School, its students, families and surrounding community. Friends of the Hernández will host 2 full-time Corps members who will serve as Student and Family Support Specialists at the Hernández School in Roxbury MA.
Through their service, members will provide services to students during the school day and in After School and will complete a capacity building project, one related to community members seeking volunteer/employment opportunities (some related to fulfilling SNAP benefit requirements) and the other related to our food/items distribution and Donation Center. In addition, they will leverage at least 25 volunteers who will be engaged in supporting services for the students and families of the school.
www.nesfp.org
New Entry's mission is to improve local food systems by training the next generation of farmers to produce food for all individuals regardless of age, mobility, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. New Entry will host 2 full-time Commonwealth Corps members in Health/Nutrition who will serve as Food Access and Community Engagement Coordinators to assist in managing and promoting our food access programs.
With the aid of Commonwealth Corps service members, our objective is to strengthen our food access partnerships and increase the availability of affordable, locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables by 15% on the North Shore and Greater Boston. In addition, they will leverage 300 volunteers to bolster the organizational capacity of New Entry’s Food Hub (NEFH) which distributes local produce from local small-scale farmers.
www.northshorecdc.org/
The mission of NSCDC is to invest in neighborhoods to create thriving communities. NSCDC will host 2 full-time Commonwealth Corps Members in its Community Building/Family Success and Small Business/Microenterprise departments who will provide case management, coaching, referral, and support for the target population of each program in Salem, MA.
Through their service, members will support the needs of residents, entrepreneurs and small business owners, and opportunity youth to set and reach personal and economic goals as well as improve volunteer recruitment and engagement, and data collection and assessment efforts. In addition, they will leverage 30 volunteers that will be engaged in service that will directly support our clients such as tutoring, coaching and intake assessments.
www.recworcester.org
The mission of the Regional Environmental Council (REC) is to bring people together to create a just food system and to build healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities in Worcester, MA and beyond. The REC will host two half-time Commonwealth Corps members who will serve as our School Garden Education specialist and YouthGROW Specialist.
Through their service, members will increase the sustainability and educational value of school and community gardens in Worcester, support positive youth development and youth-led community urban agriculture at the YouthGROW Farm. In addition, they will leverage 100+ volunteers that will be engaged in hands-on garden support and inner-city food production.
www.go3point.org
The mission of The3PointFoundation (3Point) is to engage Boston youth through programs that inspire learning, build life skills, foster a commitment to service to others, and promote lifelong health and wellness. 3Point will host 3 half-time Commonwealth Corps members in our after-school program who will serve as Commonwealth Corps Site Coordinators in Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Hyde Park.
Through their service, members will provide daily academic and social-emotional support to elementary and middle school students, helping improve attendance, engagement, and academic performance while strengthening relationships between students, families, and school staff. In addition, they will leverage 20 volunteers that will be engaged in supporting members to create a positive and engaging learning environment in 3Point classrooms.
www.thrivema.org
THRIVE’s mission is to empower communities to welcome and support our neighbors transitioning from incarceration. THRIVE will host 2 full-time Commonwealth Corps members in the Peer-to-Peer Program, who will serve as Fellows providing direct reentry support and leading initiatives for restorative housing and essential resources, in greater Lowell.
Through their service, members will support 20+ individuals impacted by incarceration, helping them: uphold reentry requirements; access supports; and address their goals and needs (e.g. securing or improving employment, housing, etc.). In addition, they will leverage 5+ volunteers that will be engaged in providing reentry support through community relationships and program support.
www.us.whales.org
The mission of Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is to amaze people with the wonder of whales and dolphins and inspire global action to protect them. WDC will host 2 full-time Commonwealth Corps members who will serve as education and outreach specialists in Massachusetts.
Through their service, members will help increase marine conservation literacy by increasing our number of individual contacts, building strategic relationships and developing lessons that will be utilized for years. Members will also continue to expand our volunteer program by recruiting, training, and deploying new volunteers, and seeking out & attending new community outreach events. In addition, they will leverage over 60 volunteers engaged in education & outreach.
The Commonwealth Corps, a state-funded service internship program administered by the Massachusetts Service Alliance, was established in 2007 by Governor Deval Patrick and his partners in the state legislature. The Commonwealth Corps provides opportunities for skill-building and leadership development and encourages and enhances a lifelong civic vocation for Corps members. Corps members provide direct service, build capacity, and recruit, organize and mobilize additional volunteers, thus building a grassroots movement of volunteers dedicated to service.
As the state commission on service and volunteerism, the Massachusetts Service Alliance administers the Commonwealth Corps program, including choosing host sites each year.
Check out this page for individuals interested in becoming a Commonwealth Corps Member!
Check out this page for organizations interested in becoming a Commonwealth Corps Host Site!
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Commonwealth Corps has been involved with nearly a hundred of community host sites since it was established in 2007. Below are our host sites from the last five service years.
