Samuel Cole, of Cazenovia, recently began a 10-month term of service in the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program, based out of the regional campus in Denver, Colo., and will soon be wrapping up his first service project.
As a team leader, Cole is responsible for managing the daily activities of 10 to 12 corps members on their service projects. He serves as a role model, educator, safety manager and liaison between the campus and project sponsor. He began his term of service with a month training in September.
Before joining the NCCC, Cole attended Cazenovia High School and then State University of New York at Oswego, from which he graduated in 2014 with a degree in Psychology.
“I chose to do a term of national service because I wanted to make a difference in the world and give back to my country,” said Cole, who is the son of Thomas and Sandra Cole.
Fifty-six teams composed of over 600 corps members and team leaders began service projects in November throughout the Pacific and Southwest regions, based in Sacramento in Denver. Some of these projects include providing services and meals to impoverished families, supporting underserved schools and assisting with ongoing flood recovery in Texas and Louisiana, among others.
AmeriCorps NCCC members, all 18 to 24 years old, complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the 10-month program. In exchange for their service, they receive $5,815 to help pay for college.
For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at nationalservice.gov/nccc.