Form 1 Pilot Alumni Survey

AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Survey

Thank you for your commitment to service. To support current and future members and improve AmeriCorps programming, we are asking you to answer some brief questions so that we can better understand your AmeriCorps service experience. Your responses to this survey will remain private to the extent permitted by law. This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

1. What is your date of birth?

• Month (drop-down menu)

• Day (drop-down menu)

• Year (drop-down menu)

2. What is your gender?

☐ Female
☐ Male

☐ Other gender

3. Are you a parent/primary caregiver?

☐ No

☐ Yes, and all of my children currently live with me
☐ Yes, and some of my children currently live with me.
☐ Yes, and none of my children currently live with me.

☐ Yes, I am a parent of adult children who no longer live with me.

4. Have you served on active duty in the military?

☐ No
☐ Yes

5. How do you identify yourself in terms of ethnicity/race? Please select all that apply.

☐ African American
☐ American Indian/Alaskan Native
☐ Asian/Pacific Islander
☐ White
☐ Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish
☐ Other (specify):

6. Please select the highest level of education you have completed.

☐ High school degree (HS Diploma or GED)
☐ Some college
☐ 2-year college degree (AA)
☐ Technical or vocational degree or certificate
☐ 4-year college degree (BA, BS)
☐ Some graduate school
☐ Graduate or professional degree (MA, MS, MD, JD, Ph.D., etc.)
☐ Other (specify):

7. Prior to serving in AmeriCorps, did you or anyone in your immediate family ever receive welfare payments or public assistance benefits?

☐Yes

☐No

☐Not sure

8. What is your current marital status?

☐Married

☐Common law marriage or domestic partnership

☐Widowed

☐Divorced

☐Separated

☐Never Married

9. What U.S. state do you currently live in?

[Drop down choices, include “I live outside the U.S.” with Please Specify text box]

10. What AmeriCorps program did you serve in?

1. First term:

☐VISTA

☐NCCC Traditional

☐NCCC FEMA Corps

☐State and National program

(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name___________)

2. Second term (if applicable)

☐VISTA

☐NCCC Traditional

☐NCCC FEMA Corps

☐State and National program

(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name___________)

(c) Third term (if applicable)

☐VISTA

☐NCCC Traditional

☐NCCC FEMA Corps

☐State and National program

(If State and National, fill in the blank with program name___________)

11. What year did you begin serving?

[Drop down list of options]

1. First tem

2. Second term (if applicable)

3. Third term (if applicable)

12. What was the duration of your term of service?

[Full time, part-time, quarter-time, minimum time, etc. – plus list hours]

1. First tem

2. Second term (if applicable)

3. Third term (if applicable)

13. How old were you when you served in your first AmeriCorps program?

☐under 20

☐20 to 25

☐26 to 30

☐31 to 35

☐36 to 40

☐41 to 50

☐51 to 65

☐66 and over

13. Were you a parent/primary caregiver during your first term of service in AmeriCorps?

☐ No

☐ Yes, and all of my children lived with me
☐ Yes, and some of my children lived with me.

☐ Yes, and none of my children lived with me.

☐ Yes, I was a parent of adult children who no longer lived with me.

14. What were you doing in the six months before you first entered AmeriCorps? Select all that apply.

• Working in the private sector

• Working in the nonprofit or social service sector

• Working in the public/government sector

• Attending high school

• Attending a vocational/technical training program

• Attending college

• Attending graduate school

• Engaged another service experience such as the Peace Corps

• Working in my own small business

• Working at a nonprofit or social entrepreneurship venture that I created

• Serving in the military

• Unemployed

• Other

• Describe what you did immediately before entering AmeriCorps: [Text box]

When answering the rest of the questions on this survey, if you served more than one term please consider your AmeriCorps experiences as a whole.

15. What were the main focus areas of your AmeriCorps service experience? Select all that apply.

☐Education

☐Healthy Futures

☐Disaster Services

☐Veterans and Military Families

☐Environmental Stewardship

☐Economic Opportunity

☐Capacity Building

☐Not Sure/Does Not apply]

[For NCCC, additional options may include energy conservation, environmental stewardship, infrastructure improvement, urban and rural development, natural and other disasters]

16. For the statements below, please indicate how much you would have agreed or disagreed before your AmeriCorps service and how much you agree or disagree now. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree].

	Before AmeriCorps	Now
a. I enjoy exploring differences between co-workers and/or friends from different cultures or backgrounds and me.
b. I enjoy interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds
c. I respect the values of people from different cultures and backgrounds.
d. I feel confident when interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

17. For the statements below, please indicate how much you would have agreed or disagreed before your AmeriCorps service and how much you agree or disagree now. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree].

	Before AmeriCorps	Now
a. I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough
b. If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want
c. It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals
d. I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events
e. Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations
f. I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort
g. I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities
h. When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions
i. If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution
j. I can usually handle whatever comes my way

18. Thinking about your AmeriCorps experience, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements as it relates to your own AmeriCorps experience: [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree].

1. I felt I made a contribution to the community.

2. I re-examined my beliefs and attitudes about myself.

3. I was exposed to new ideas and ways of seeing the world.

4. I felt part of a community.

5. I learned more about the "real" world or "the rest" of the world.

6. I gained an understanding of the community(s) where I served.

7. I gained an understanding of the solutions to the challenges faced by the community(s) where I served.

8. I spent a lot of time doing meaningless “make work” tasks

9. The majority of my work did not make a difference in the community.

10. I felt I made a difference in the life of at least one person.

11. I did things l never thought I could do.

12. I did not get along well with my supervisor and/or my teammates

13. I figured out what my next steps are in terms of educational goals.

14. I figured out what my next steps are in terms of career/professional goals.

15. I felt defeated by the scope of the problems I worked on.

16. I re-examined my beliefs and attitudes about other people

19. All things considered, how do you feel about your overall AmeriCorps service experience? [Very Satisfied; Satisfied; Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied; Dissatisfied; Very Dissatisfied]

Please explain: [open-ended text box]

20. In the last 12 months, how often did you participate in the following activities? [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]

    1. Participate in community organizations (school, religious, issue-based, recreational)

    2. Vote in elections (as applicable)

    3. Keep informed about news and public issues

    4. Help to keep the community safe and clean

    5. Volunteer for a cause or issue that I care about

    6. Donate money or goods to a cause or issue that I care about

21. Think about how likely you were to participate in the following activities before you did AmeriCorps, and how likely you are now. Would you say that your AmeriCorps experience has made you more or less likely to: [Much more likely, Somewhat more likely, No effect, Somewhat less likely, Much less likely]

1. Participate in community organizations (school, religious, issue-based, recreational)

2. Vote in elections

3. Keep informed about news and public issues

4. Help to keep the community safe and clean

5. Volunteer for a cause or issue that I care about

6. Donate money or goods to a cause or issue that I care about

22. Think about your activities in the last 12 months when answering the following questions.

1. In the last 12 months, how often did you discuss politics with friends or family? [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]

2. In the last 12 months, how often, if at all, did you use the Internet to express your opinions about political or community issues? [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]

3. In the last 12 months, have you boycotted a product or service because of the social or political values of the company that provides it? [Yes, No, Don’t Know]

4. In the last 12 months, how often did you discuss and think about how political, social, local, or national issues affect the community? [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]

5. In the last 12 months, how often did you try to encourage others to participate in the community? [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]

6. In the last 12 months, how often did you and your neighbors do favors for one another? By favors we mean such things as watching each others’ children, helping with shopping, house sitting, lending garden or house tools and other small things to help each other [Basically every day, a few times a week, a few times a month, once a month, less than once a month, not at all]

23. Generally speaking, would you say that you can trust all the people, most of the people, some of the people, or none of the people in your neighborhood? [All of the people, most of the people, some of the people, none of the people]

24. For each of the following institutions, would you say you have a great deal of confidence, only some confidence, hardly any confidence, or no confidence at all in them to do what is right?

    1. Corporations [A great deal of confidence, some confidence, hardly any confidence, no confidence at all]

    2. The media [A great deal of confidence, some confidence, hardly any confidence, no confidence at all]

    3. Public schools [A great deal of confidence, some confidence, hardly any confidence, no confidence at all]

25. Did you vote in the last presidential election? [Yes, No, Don’t Know]

26. Were you registered to vote in the last presidential election? [Yes, No, No, was not eligible to vote, Don’t Know]

27. If you found out about a problem in your community that you wanted to do something about, how well do you think you would be able to do each of the following: [I definitely could do this; I probably could do this; Not sure; I could not do this; I definitely could not do this]?

1. Create a plan to address the problem

2. Get other people to care about the problem

3. Organize and run a meeting

4. Express your views in front of a group of people

5. Identify individuals or groups who could help you with the problem

6. Express your views on the Internet or through social media

7. Call someone on the phone you had never met before to get their help with the problem

8. Contact an elected official about the problem

28. For the statements below, please indicate how much you would have agreed or disagreed before your AmeriCorps service and how much you agree or disagree now. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree].

	Before AmeriCorps	Now
a. I have a strong and personal attachment to a particular community
b. I am aware of the important needs in the community
c. I feel a personal obligation to contribute in some way to the community
d. I am or plan to become actively involved in issues that positively affect the community
e. I believe that voting in elections is a very important obligation that a citizen owes to the country

29. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]

    1. Participating in AmeriCorps was a worthwhile experience in terms of furthering my educational goals and future educational endeavors.

    2. Participating in AmeriCorps was a worthwhile experience in terms of furthering my professional goals and future professional endeavors.

    3. Participating in AmeriCorps was a worthwhile experience in terms of furthering my personal goals and future personal endeavors.

30. How much do you agree or disagree that your AmeriCorps service was a defining personal experience? A defining experience is one that confirmed your beliefs and aspirations, or one that resulted in a change or shift in your beliefs and aspirations. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree Nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]

    1. If applicable, in what ways was it defining? [Text box]

31. How much do you agree or disagree that your AmeriCorps service was a defining professional experience? A defining experience is one that confirmed your professional goals or one that resulted in a change or shift in your professional goals. [Strongly Agree; Agree; Neither Agree Nor Disagree; Disagree; Strongly Disagree]

    1. If applicable, in what ways was it defining? [Text box]

32. How did your AmeriCorps service fit into how your career path has unfolded?

☐It aligned with the career path I was already pursuing.

☐My career took a different path into work in a service-related field.

☐My career took a different path into non-service work after AmeriCorps.

☐My career took a different path into non-service work after AmeriCorps, but then I returned to service work.

Please explain [Text box]

33. After your AmeriCorps service, did you stay in the community in which you were serving?

☐Yes – I was not originally from that community but I stayed there after AmeriCorps.

☐Yes – I was originally from that community and I stayed there after AmeriCorps.

☐No – I moved back to where I was living before AmeriCorps.

☐No – I moved to a new community.

34. If a good friend or family member told you he or she was interested in joining AmeriCorps, would you:

☐Advise against it.

☐Have second thoughts about recommending it.

☐Recommend it.

☐Strongly recommend it

35. How closely do you associate your AmeriCorps service with each of the following? [Very closely; Closely; Somewhat; Not much; Not at all; Not applicable]

1. AmeriCorps

2. NCCC, FEMA Corps, VISTA, or AmeriCorps State and National

3. The agency or nonprofit that operated your program

4. The specific organization or site where you served

5. Other (please specify) [open-ended text box]

36. How did you use your AmeriCorps education award? Select all that apply.

• To attend college

• To repay student loans

• To attend graduate school

• To attend a technical or vocational training program

• Transfer education award to a family member

• I did not qualify to receive an education award

• I chose to receive a stipend instead of an education award

• I did not use my education award

• I have not yet used my education award but I plan to use it

37. What did you do in the six months after your AmeriCorps service? Select all that apply.

• Got a job in the private sector

• Got a job in the nonprofit or social service sector

• Got a job in the public/government sector

• Enrolled in a vocational/technical training program

• Went to college

• Went to graduate school

• Enrolled in the same AmeriCorps program

• Enrolled in another AmeriCorps program

• Pursued another service experience such as the Peace Corps

• Started a small business

• Started a nonprofit or social entrepreneurship venture

• Served in the military

• Unemployed

• Other: Describe what you did immediately after your AmeriCorps service: [Text box]

38. If you got a job in the six months after your AmeriCorps service, was it a position in, or directly connected to, the organization or agency in which you served?

☐ No

☐ Yes

If yes, please explain [open ended text box]

39. What are you doing now? Select all that apply.
    ☐ Working in the non-profit sector
    ☐ Working in the private sector
    ☐ Working in government or in the public sector
    ☐ Serving in the military
    ☐ Self-employed
    ☐ Looking for work
    ☐ Staying at home to take care of a family or household member or for other reasons
    ☐ Working as a supervisor or in a management capacity
    ☐ Serving in another national service program (another AmeriCorps program, Senior Corps, NCCC, or VISTA project)
    ☐ Serving with the Peace Corps
    ☐ Engaging in other volunteer service
    ☐ Making plans to attend school
    ☐ Attending college or graduate school

☐ Enrolled in a certificate, technical, or vocational program
☐ Other (specify)

40. If you are working now, does your current job involve any of the organizations or AmeriCorps programs that you worked with during your AmeriCorps service?

☐ No

☐ Yes

If yes, please explain [open ended text box]

41. Do you include your AmeriCorps experience on your resume? [Always, usually, sometimes, rarely, never]

    1. Please explain [open ended text box]

42. If and when you do include AmeriCorps on your resume, do you include it in the “work experience” section or in the “volunteering or community service” section?

☐ Work experience
☐ Volunteer or community service

☐ I have done both, depending on the particular use of the resume

43. Please rate yourself in each of the following skill areas. [Excellent, Good, Average, Poor]

To what extent did your AmeriCorps experience help you increase this skill? [A great deal, Somewhat, Very little, Not at all, Not sure]

1. Conducting yourself in a professional manner

2. Working independently

3. Meeting deadlines

4. Setting priorities for multiple tasks

5. Communicating verbally with others

6. Communicate in writing with others

7. Adapting to new situations

8. Responding to unexpected challenges

9. Working with people different from myself

10. Leading teams

11. Recruiting and/or managing community volunteers

12. Assessing problems and finding solutions

13. Planning, coordinating and managing events

14. Facilitating groups

44. Consent: Would you be willing to be contacted again in the future? If so, please give your name, an updated email address, mailing address, and phone number.

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