AmeriCorps Member Survey Instrument
Revised May 27, 2011
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such a collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 3045-0094. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time to review instruction, search existing data resources, gather the data needed and complete and review the information collection.
Thank you for your commitment to service. As part of this commitment, we are asking you to answer a few brief questions so that we can better understand your AmeriCorps service experience. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard. Your responses will be aggregated and the information will be used to help us determine what is working well and what needs improvement. We will not provide any information that identifies individuals to anyone, except as required by law. Click here for help.
Section I. Motives for Joining /Ed. Award
People join AmeriCorps for a variety of reasons. Which of the following motivated you to join? Please rank the importance of each factor on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not at all important and 5 being very important.
To gain skills that would be useful in school, work or for a career.
To have a chance to work with people who share your ideals.
To fulfill your duty as a citizen.
To receive an education award.
To gain experience in a specific career and/or future professional goal.
To help in solving a community need or challenge.
To help combat poverty in the community.
To make friends and meet people.
To do something concurrent with your academic studies.
To do something during a break in school or work.
Other (specify______) [Coded after first 100 responses.]
Section II. Service Experience
2. During your AmeriCorps experience, what service did you do? Please check all that apply.
[Insert drop down of direct service and indirect service, then filter by issue areas, and then filter by service categories].
3. How would you rate the effectiveness of the [AmeriCorps State/National: orientation] [AmeriCorps NCCC: CTI] [AmeriCorps VISTA: PSO] that you received in preparing you to serve? This includes all training you received to carry out your service assignments and/or work plan before or right at the beginning of your AmeriCorps service experience.
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
I did not attend one.
4. How would you rate the effectiveness of the orientation and ongoing training, both on-site and/or online if available, that you received from your program/project sponsor during your service experience?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
I did not receive training.
5. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the guidance and support you received from your program/ project sponsor? This could include supervision, team meetings, member activities, etc.
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
6. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not at all and 5 being a lot, during your AmeriCorps service, did you:
a. Keep a journal or write about what your service or volunteer experience meant to you.
b. Talk about your service or volunteer experience with other AmeriCorps members, volunteers, friends or relatives.
7a. During your AmeriCorps service, how much experience did you have using the following skills listed below (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is none and 5 is a lot).
Solving unexpected problems or finding new and better ways to do things.
Knowing how to gather and analyze information from different sources such as other
people or organizations.
Listening and responding to other people's suggestions or concerns.
Decreasing conflicts between people.
Negotiating, compromising, and getting along with co-workers and/or supervisors.
Learning new ways of thinking or acting.
Adapting your plans or ways of doing things in response to changing circumstances.
Managing your time when you were under pressure.
Dealing with uncomfortable or difficult working conditions.
7b. During your AmeriCorps service, how much experience did you have using the following skills listed below (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is none and 5 is a lot).
Leading a team by taking charge.
Leading a team by motivating co-workers.
Attending a meeting where you took part in making decisions.
Planning or leading a meeting or activity.
Giving a presentation or speech.
Helping individuals learn a new skill.
7c. How important do you think the skills listed above will be to what you seek to accomplish in the future? [Rate each skill as not important, somewhat important, or very important]
8. How often did you experience each of the following when you were in AmeriCorps?
(Rate as never, rarely, sometimes, regularly)
Staff and supervisors challenged you to do your best.
Staff and supervisors helped you adjust to and deal with your service experience.
Staff and supervisors showed interest in what was going on in your life.
Staff and supervisors would complement you when you did something well.
You felt physically challenged by your assignments.
You felt emotionally challenged by your assignments.
Other AmeriCorps members challenged you to do your best.
You felt respected by other members.
You felt appreciated by the service recipients.
9. Thinking about your AmeriCorps experience, please indicate how much you agree with the following statements: (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree)
I felt I made a contribution to the community.
I re-examined my beliefs and attitudes about myself.
I was exposed to new ideas and ways of seeing the world.
I felt a part of the community.
I learned more about the "real" world or “the rest” of the world.
I gained an understanding of the community(s) where I served.
I gained an understanding of the solutions to the challenges faced by the community(s) where I served.
I felt I made a difference in the life of at least one person.
I did things I never thought I could do.
I changed some of my beliefs and attitudes.
I figured out what my next steps are in terms of school and/or career goals.
10. Thinking of your overall AmeriCorps experience, how satisfied were you with the following (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is very dissatisfied and 5 is very satisfied):
a. Gaining an understanding of the community where you served.
b. Gaining an understanding of the organization(s) where you served.
c. Establishing a relationship with your supervisor.
d. Establishing a relationship with your co-workers/fellow members.
e. Providing services to the community.
f. Learning new skills.
g. The quality of the training, workshops, or educational programs.
11. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your overall AmeriCorps service? Please answer on a scale where 1 means extremely dissatisfied and 5 means extremely satisfied.
12. [If you are a veteran of military service:]
Has your participation in national service helped you reconnect with community activities in civilian life? [Yes / No]
13. How much will your AmeriCorps experience affect your future participation in community service/civic engagement?
a. Will make me much less likely to participate.
b. Will make me somewhat less likely to participate
c. Will have no effect on my future participation.
d. Will make me somewhat more likely to participate.
e. Will make me much more likely to participate.
14. Below is a list of activities in which you might engage. Does your AmeriCorps experience make you more likely to (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not at all and 5 is a high likelihood of engagement)
a. Participate in neighborhood organizations (school, religious, community, recreational organizations)
b. Vote in elections.
c. Keep informed about news and public issues.
d. Help to keep the neighborhood safe.
e. Help to keep the neighborhood clean and beautiful.
f. Help those who are less fortunate.
15. Thinking about your future, how much do you think your AmeriCorps experience will help with (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not at all and 5 is a great deal)
a. Improving your chances of finding a job
b. Improving your chances of getting a promotion.
c. Improving your performance at a future job.
d. Making a career change.
16. How likely is it that you will benefit as a result of your AmeriCorps service in your future educational, professional or civic endeavors (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not that likely, and 5 is very likely)?
17a. To what extent would you say that your AmeriCorps service was a defining personal or professional experience? A defining experience is one that resulted in a change or shift in your beliefs, aspirations, and/or professional goals or one that confirmed your beliefs, aspirations, and/or professional goals (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not at all and 5 is a great deal).
17b. In what ways was it defining? (to be coded after the first 100 responses.)
17c. Would you say that this was a:
a. Personally defining experience
b. Professionally defining experience
c. Both
d. Neither
18. If a good friend told you he or she was interested in joining AmeriCorps would you:
a. Advise against it.
b. Have second thoughts about recommending it.
c. Recommend it.
19. How closely do you associate your service with each of the following? (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not at all and 5 is a great deal)
a. The broader national service community
b. The national AmeriCorps program
c. The national non profit that operates your program (if applicable)
d. The organization or site where you served
e. other
20a. When will you most likely use your AmeriCorps education award? Please select the best option that describes your future plans.
Within the next six months
Within the next 12 months
Within the next 2 years
More than 2 years from now
I plan on transferring my education award to a family member.
I do not qualify to receive an education award.
I do not have any plans to use my education award.
20b. (ask only if 20 = a through d) How important is the education award in continuing your education (code on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not very important and, 5 is very important)?
21. How often did you experience each of the following emotions when you were in AmeriCorps? (Rate as never, rarely, sometimes, regularly)
Afraid
Proud
Interested
Happy
Nervous
Sad
Hopeful
Frustrated
22. While serving in AmeriCorps, how much of the time did you feel… (Rate as Often / Some of the time / Hardly ever or never)
You lack companionship?
Left out?
Isolated from others?
That you are "in tune" with the people around you?
Alone?
That there are people you can talk to?
That there are people you can turn to?
That there are people who really understand you?
That there are people you feel close to?
Part of a group of friends?
That you have a lot in common with the people around you?
23. How much you agree with the following statements: (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree)
I often feel helpless in dealing with problems of life.
Other people determine most of what I can and cannot do.
What happens in my life is often beyond my control.
There is really no way to solve the problems I have.
24. What are you planning to do after your AmeriCorps service?
a. Get a job
b. Get a job in the non profit/social/public service field
c. Go to college
d. Go to college and work at the same time.
e. Enroll in the same or another AmeriCorps program
f. Pursue other service experiences
g. Do not know
Section III. Alumni Participation
25. The Corporation for National and Community service would like to encourage you to stay involved in service and help you connect with alumni opportunities. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not very likely and, 5 is very likely, how likely is that you will join an AmeriCorps’ Alumni Organization? [Code as 1= Not very likely, 5 is Very likely].
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| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Member Satisfaction Survey |
| Author | Brooke Nicholas |
| Last Modified By | Amy B. |
| File Modified | 2011-05-31 |
| File Created | 2011-05-31 |