Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Does CCBA prohibit paid work outside of the program for full time members?	Members are allowed to work outside of the program. However, the work cannot conflict with member service activities, and the partner organization cannot hire a member to do substantially similar work as they are doing for their service.
I am barely starting my major courses this semester in the field of Environmental Studies and was curious if it was too early to apply for the internship? If so, when is a better time?	We accept any college graduate, or those with equivalent experience. If you are currently in school, you would have a hard time participating as the program is a full-time committment.
What are the specific job duties required of the members?	It depends on the placement.
If you are currently collecting unemployment insurance benefits does participation in Climate Corp affect this (i.e. do you have to report the stipend allowance as wages?)	Yes.
Does CCBA prohibit paid work outside of the program for full time members?	Yes. It cannot interfere with your responsibilities or committment (40hrs/week) to CCBA. Also you can't be employed by your partner for work that is similar (emissions reduction). Otherwise members can take paid jobs. Several members worked this past year as babysitters, at cafe's and other parttime positions.
Do Climate Corps Bay Area accept international applicants who are on OPT?	You must be a permanent resident to be considered by AmeriCorps, so being a student with an practicing training (OPT) visa is not going to be accepted.
I was wondering when I should apply if I'm interested in doing this program for the next coming year interval? Or if the position will still exist in the way that it does now for the next year. I'm very interested, but I don't graduate until March. What should I do?	In the Spring. We start identifying new placement positions for the coming year in March and try to start taking new applications for Members in April.
How often are members paid their living allowance?	The living allowance is paid twice a month: on the 15th of the month and the last working day of the month (usually the 30th or 31st).
Is it possible to get a loan deferral, rather than a forbearance?	No it's not possible to get loans deferred. However, at the end of the term, AmeriCorps will pay the interest that accrues during the term.
I am an international student currently on OPT but I do intend to apply for green card within few months. Am I eligible to apply for the AmeriCorps member position?	You have to have have been approved for the permanent resident card already. Even if you don't have the physical card, you have to have a letter stating you were awarded permanent resident status. Here are the docs we can accept for identification 1. Permanent Resident card, INS Form I-551; 2. Alien Registration Receipt card, INS Form I-551; 3. A passport indicating that the INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence; or 4. A Departure Record (INS Form I-94) indicating that the INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence
How can I find out the status of an application?	If applicants have not heard anything, it is not neccesarily a bad thing. CCBA Staff are sharing applications with all partners, but they can be slow in reviewing and setting up interviews. If an applicant has already been interviewed and have not heard back within a week after the interview, please email us at climate.corps@seiinc.org
Is there any flexibility in start dates?	Our goal is to have all members placed by the start of training.
I submitted my application 2 weeks ago and have not heard anything yet. Can you update me on the status and next steps?	CCBA Staff seek to notify candidates of status as soon as possible. But the process is dependent on partner review of applciations.
On the member application page it says "If you prefer not to email an attachment containing your social security number, you may call us with this information after submitting your application." How do I complete the application?	You can enter any text such as "000-00-0000"
When I upload my resume a message appears that says "The letters were not correctly identified." What does this mean and how do I fix it?	It is likely that this is related to the browser. Please try another one and if the problem persists contact climate.corps@gmail.com
Does CCBA accept any applicants who are undergraduate students now and want to work with you part time	This question has two parts - 1) CCBA may accept undergraduates if their experience and skills are a match for a community partner's needs. 2) however at this time CCBA only takes full-time placements
Can a partner use federal funds (EECBG, DOE, SEP, etc.) for the Match?	AmeriCorps allows this if the other federal agency will give permission. DOE has stated there is no general prohibition, however, they want to ensure that any specific uses are consistant with program and funding criteria. If a partner wants to use federal funds for the match, they should check with their funding agency to find out if it is allowed.
Are their part-time positions?	Not at this time. All of our current openings are full year positions
Do partners need to have at least 2 members at a site?	It is preferable to colocate members at a single site. But if that is not feasible, CCBA staff can discuss the situation with specific partners
Are the Corps members BACR employees, or federal employees?	AmeriCorps Members are not considered employees, but are in a category all on their own. They are considered volunteers who receive a living allowance and other benefits in return for performing service in their communities. On a practical level this means that they do not pay into, nor are they eligible to receive, unemployment benefits based on their AmeriCorps service, and that the stipend they earn cannot be counted as income when judging their eligibility for most federal need-based programs, including food stamps. They will be on BACR's payroll in order to receive their living allowance, which will be paid out to them twice a month over the term.
Do Community Partners get to choose from a pool or several, or is the person assigned directly to them?	Parnters participate in the recruitment and selection process. CCBA encourages partners to let their community know and to put forward candidates they are already familiar with. CCBA staff screen all candidates, narrow down a few according to partner criteria and interests and share this pool. Based on this partners will identify some to interview and CCBA will setup interviews.
Does the program require a set number of hours/week for the Member	members work 1700 hours over the approximately 10 month term. For this program, they will generally work 40 hrs a week with 1 day a month off for groupwide training and development days. In addition there is a 2 day retreat midyear.
What does the partner match cover and are there any other contributions expected?	See "Becomin a Community Partner" Section for annual Match costs. Partner match is a programmatic match not a salary match. Members are actually on payroll at BACR so partners don't have any HR costs to bear. That match amount is the only cash contribution.
What is the target (or typical) age range for Americorps members?	AmeriCorps members can be any age over 18. However, given our target skill set (see member qualifications under "Become a member"), it is likely most candidates will be in the 25-30 range or beyond.
Is the administering agency - Bay Area Community Resources - a nonprofit?	Yes
Does the Partner match plus the program funds equal a set salary for each intern?	The match and program funds cover all program costs including stipend, training, supervision and other related costs.
What kind of specific training outcomes are you hoping for from member's experience?	We aim to provide an initial training in climate change policies (AB32, SB375), GHG inventory protocols and quantification approaches, technologies and strategies for various mitigation measures related to energy, water, waste, transportation, land-use, professional practices, community outreach approaches for residential, business and municipal audiences
Are there any level of education prerequisites received (or commonly held)before joining AmeriCorps?	See the "Become a member" section of the site for an overview of the kind of educational background we are expect candidates to have.
Who handles the worker's compensation and liability insurance?	BACR not the host agency.
A question about the definition of federal funding – if a corps member is funded with State of California monies (e.g., State Energy Program grants) that are awarded by the state but originated as federal dollars, would that require permission from federal agencies?	yes - State Energy Program funds are DOE funds and would require permission.
Does CCBA handle benefits/payroll?	Yes the members are on our payroll.
Who is responsible for Member's activities?	Community Partners' designate site supervisors who have direct oversight, CCBA provides initial training, remote supervision and ongoing training, CCBA also acts as an intermediary if there are problems. We expect Community Partner supervisors at least 1 / week check-ins and regular feedback.