April 2026
Earth Day of Service is April 22! This is a great opportunity to get community members involved in a volunteer service project that focuses on celebrating and protecting our beautiful planet.
Will you be hosting or participating in a volunteer event? Let us know by submitting a Days of Service form, and we'll highlight it on our Earth Day project webpage and social media.
 TimeTracker Update
Members and site staff, following up on the message we sent to you on March 11, a WA.gov account will soon be needed to log in to TimeTracker, instead of using Secure Access Washington (SAW). This change will happen later this month - keep an eye on your inbox for what you'll need to do and when.
Note: If you use an esd.wa.gov email address to log in to TimeTracker, this update will not affect you.
Apply Today to Host WSC Members
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Reminder: WSC's Intent to Continue and Request for Applications forms are now available! If you're interested in hosting WSC members in 2026-27, apply right away.
If you know of other organizations that could benefit from the passion and skills that AmeriCorps members bring to helping communities, please share this opportunity with them!
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If you’ll be hosting a WSC member next year, it’s time to submit your ITC or RFA and start planning your recruitment. We’ve updated and added some new resources to help. Please share them with potential members via your website and social media.
 Get a Jump on Planning for Life after AmeriCorps
Members, have you had a chance to look through our Life After AmeriCorps Checklist? It’s a great resource to help you start planning for what comes next once your service term ends - and it's designed to help you no matter what point you're at in your term.
As you review the checklist, here are a few suggestions for the 4 to 5 months before your term concludes:
- consider whether another year of AmeriCorps service is right for you: options include NCCC, State & National, VISTA, and AmeriCorps Seniors (age 55+);
- create or update your resumé:
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learn how to make your resumé stand out to employers (and their filtering apps);
- utilize WorkSourceWA.com to create and store your resumé(s);
- prepare your college applications, and research best practices for letters of recommendation and personal statements.
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Members, we're hosting a series of trainings to help you prepare for life after AmeriCorps - please prioritize attending these sessions if possible! The “Resumé Development” and “Interview Skills and Cover Letters” trainings will be facilitated by WSC alum and workforce development professional, Abel Hartman. Abel brings a wealth of knowledge about resumé development and the job search process. He will share specific strategies on how to tailor your resumé for individual job listings and best highlight your AmeriCorps service in interviews and application materials. WSC Training Specialist, Bryce Bateman, will facilitate the other two trainings. Look for an email this week from Bryce with links to join each of the sessions.
April 9 1:00-2:00 p.m. - WorkSource Programs and Resources
April 23 1:00-2:30 p.m. - Resumé Development
May 7 1:00-2:30 p.m. - Interview Skills and Cover Letters
May 21 1:00-2:30 p.m. - Using the Education Award
Upcoming Lunch & Learns
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Site staff, mark your calendars for our next two Lunch & Learns:
April 9 11:30 a.m. - Supporting your member's professional development goals
May 6 11:30 a.m. - Planning for your member's next evaluation and end of service term
Join us here for each session.
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Members, spring and summer school breaks are right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to make sure you’re prepared if your site will be closed during that time. As a reminder, to successfully complete your service term, you must finish the full length of your term AND meet or exceed the minimum required service hours. Not completing these minimums in your term will, in most cases, affect whether you receive a full or partial education award.
If your site will be closed, please work with your site staff to ensure you have service activities planned. Members are still expected to accrue hours during extended school closures to remain on track with obtaining the required hours for their term and also avoid administrative hold. Members are not permitted to take the entire break off from service unless prior approval from WSC finds admin hold is appropriate for a member's unique situation.
Review WSC policies 120, 122, 123 and 125 and the member service agreement in planning ahead.
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Members, now is a great time to confirm you’re on track to complete your minimum required term hours. To check your hours:
(1) log into TimeTracker,
(2) open your last approved timesheet, and
(3) compare your total hours at the bottom of the sheet to our chart.
Note: Hours not yet approved will not be added to your total. Ask your site staff to approve all timesheets before checking.
For example, if you’re serving a 1,700-hour term and started on Sept 2nd, you should have at least 1,144 total hours served by the end of March.
If you’re behind, work with your site staff to create a plan to catch up, and utilize WSC's alternative service policy if needed. See Section VII (Leave Situations) in your MSA for more details. Please reach out to your WSC Coordinator if you have questions.
A big thanks to everyone who completed our recruitment survey. Your responses will help us improve member recruitment for the upcoming service term. Here are some specific things we’ll do based on your feedback:
- create a recruitment - enrollment checklist for site staff,
- provide new resources (handouts, videos, etc.) to support applicants,
- update the “Become a Member” page on our website,
- attach or link directly to documents in our emails whenever possible.
 Photo on the right: WRC AmeriCorps Member Austyn S.
National Volunteer Week (April 19 - 25) is an annual celebration of the heart, skills and time that community members selflessly contribute where there is a need. In recognition, we're highlighting an excerpt from a story of service from Austyn S., a WA Reading Corps member serving at University of Puget Sound, who participated in an MLK Day environmental service project with members from WSC and Washington Conservation Corps, along with dozens of volunteers. Our members serve alongside community volunteers in many different projects and special days of service to help get things done -- cheers to those who choose to serve others!
"Throughout the day, I formed bonds and connections with other volunteers, including multiple AmeriCorps members, Evergreen State College faculty and students, as well as the owners of the farm. The special memories and relations I made during this time proved to me in the present moment that when people come together to volunteer for an important cause, then so much good is put into the world. As someone who experiences a lot of anxiety about the effects of climate change, that day provided a break from my worries and gave me a lot of hope for the future of our environment. That service day showed me there are actionable steps toward healing our world by being involved with community plans. Our combined contribution to this project bolsters the sustainability of our ecosystems, water resources, and native wildlife while supporting a local farm."
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