We're now accepting applications for AmeriCorps Host Sites. Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps Members provide academic assistance in before, during, and after-school programming in a public or private school settings.

Apply to become an AmeriCorps Host Site Now!

Services Provided by AmeriCorps

Keystone SMILES is a nonprofit agency in Western Pennsylvania which coordinates the service of AmeriCorps members through the Corporation for National and Community Service and PennSERVE, Pennsylvania’s state service commission.

Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps partners with various schools and other educational programs providing them the hands to implement one-on-one and small group interventions for Pre-K - 12th graders in hopes to increase academic engagement through increased attendance, class participation, reading and math scores, as well as decrease disciplinary referrals and/or suspensions. Members serve full-time and can assist in other aspects of the educational program.

Members can be requested to serve in program such as pre-school, after-school safe havens. While members are serving students, they are increasing their own skill sets through full time hands-on experience, professional development opportunities, and mentor-ship from teachers and staff.

Partnering with SMILES AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps members have proven to be great assets for the SMILES programs and its partners over its 20 years of operation. Members have been able to establish and expand educational programs offered to students in North Western PA.

If you have any questions regarding partnership, please contact Joyce Fosdick, Director of SMILES AmeriCorps and Executive Director of Keystone SMILES CLC.

Each year our AmeriCorps program accepts applications from organizations interested in serving as a host site for an AmeriCorps member. Upon receipt of the applications, the following factors shall be considered in determining selections of the host sites:

Previous experience in hosting an AmeriCorps member-preference give to those sites providing meaningful service and appropriate supervision, complied with program requirements, etc.
Recruitment potential (consider past experience/problems in recruiting candidates in the surrounding area)
Location (preference given to sites in an area not already being served by the program)
Quality of position description: ability to provide meaningful service activities within the scope of the program’s goals.
Free & reduced lunch, special education, and individualized percentages by districts or location of host site.

Since 1998, Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps has provided 101.842 children and youth with the expanded learning activities they needed to succeed despite the poverty surrounding them. "AmeriCorps allows us to leverage our resources to provide the much needed small group and one-on-one assistance students need," noted a superintendent, while another indicated, "AmeriCorps enables the District to be able to provide our struggling students with targeted assistance to help them improve their achievement."