Universal National Service Principles:
The Central Florida Impact Community, led by the Central Florida Service Collective at the University of Central Florida, leads the collaborative efforts of about 30 partners, which includes the counties of Lake, Orange (including Orlando), Osceola, and Seminole — and a handful of state and national partners who engage regularly. They have developed subject-specific sub-committees to address the gaps in national service. For example, a housing subcommittee exists to address high rent barriers for those serving. The Collective also has an AmeriCorps Recruiter that supports the University and area partners. It is the mission of The Central Florida Service Collective to connect national service to higher education. There are five valued focus areas that serve as a framework for the work being done by the Central Florida Service Collective: outreach, service, advocacy, scholarship, and partnership.
“The Central Florida Service Collective started as a group of former AmeriCorps alum who wanted to connect higher education to national service. In the 5 years we have been meeting as a team, we have seen first-hand the immediate return on investment both personally and professionally and we have watched our collective grow to include members of the community, AmeriCorps program leaders, and higher education partners. We are excited to be a part of the Impact Community cohort because we want to learn how to institutionalize our work while expanding pathways to national service.” - Amanda Dever and Shemeca Smith, University of Central Florida
Lead Organizations
Points of Contact
- Amanda Dever, Assistant Director, University of Central Florida
- Kaley Kirk, AmeriCorps Recruiter, University of Central Florida
- Shemeca Smith, Office of Student Involvement Coordinator, University of Central Florida
Latest News & Accomplishments
With the help of the Office of Student Involvement Design Group, the Central Florida Service Collective created a “Serve Your Way Quiz” that helps students better understand how to use their skills and passion to make a difference in AmeriCorps. Member programs of the Service Collective provided detailed information to UCF student graphic designers to create the quiz that is now available on the Office of Student Involvement website.
To take the quiz, please click here.
Volunteer Florida and UCF Partner to Provide an AmeriCorps Recruiter on UCF's Campus
Volunteer Florida and UCF are proud to partner for another year of AmeriCorps Recruitment at UCF. Starting in January 2022, UCF Office of Student Involvement will host our third AmeriCorps Recruiter, Kaley Kirk. Kaley will work directly with students, staff, Volunteer Florida, and AmeriCorps programs to connect students to AmeriCorps opportunities.
To connect with Kaley, please reach out to the Office of Student Involvement Volunteerism and Community Engagement at (407) 823-3318.
Key Achievements Based on Collective's Values
- Outreach – Creation of the Service Matrix buzz feed style quiz to engage and connect prospective service year members to the appropriate national service program based on interest, skill set, involvement, and career path: Service Matrix Buzzfeed Quiz.
- Service – Development of the first college-based AmeriCorps recruiter (in partnership with Volunteer Florida) serving at the University of Central Florida and replicating the position at the University of Miami.
- Advocacy – Piloting the AmeriMentoring program to pair alumni with prospective and current service year members.
- Scholarship – Presentations, panels, and trainings at several local, state, and national conferences.
- Partnership – Assisted OCPS ACE, A Community Partnership School with replacing service member through collaboration between CNCS, City of Orlando’s “Orlando Cares” managing VISTA members, UCF, and OCPS ACE to agree on a continuation grant placing VISTA at school as their wellness coordinator.
If you would like more information on Impact Communities, please reach out to [email protected].