Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) was an
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps (officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer work prog ...
program in the Pacific Northwest which focused on environmental service. The program ended in 2010 when the Americorps grant was not renewed. Northwest Service Academy ran from 1994, as an Americorps program in the inaugural year, to 2010.
Northwest Service Academy partnered with more than 250 schools, community-based organizations and
government agencies
A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...
to address significant environmental issues in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
NWSA projects typically addressed critical environmental needs through hands-on
environmental restoration
Environmental restoration is closely allied with (or perhaps sometimes used interchangeably with) ecological restoration or environmental remediation. In the U.S., remediation is the term used more in the realms of industry, public policy, and c ...
,
resource conservation
Resource refers to all the materials available in our environment which are technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally sustainable and help us to satisfy our needs and wants. Resources can broadly be classified upon their ...
,
environmental education
Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discip ...
, environmental
stewardship
Stewardship is an ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, property, information, theology, cultural resources e ...
or volunteer programs.
NWSA was located in the Pacific Northwest, one of the most
environmentally rich corners of the Earth. The region abounds with natural wonders; from the snow-capped mountains of the Cascades to the rugged Pacific Ocean coast, from the remote outback of the high desert to the mystical waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge.
AmeriCorps Positions
There are three types of positions in which AmeriCorps members could serve with NWSA: Leaders, Individual Placements, and Field Teams.
Leaders
Leaders played a dynamic role that requires a strong ethic of service, great communication skills, a desire to continually refine their leadership skills and the ability to balance the needs of team members, project sponsors and NWSA. Leaders were responsible for facilitating the creation of a strong and collaborative team, advocating for member needs, assisting NWSA staff with member-based issues, coordinating team meetings and trainings, and ensuring that the team completes all service related paperwork. Stewards and leaders usually served alongside their team, coordinating with sponsors to ensure that the team's service meets the project needs in a safe and effective manner.
Individual placements
Individual placements were placed with local schools, community-based organizations and government agencies. They were usually placed one per sponsoring organization and serve with that same sponsor for their entire term of service. NWSA projects were developed by project sponsors and selected through a competitive process. IP service activities varied from site to site, and generally focused on one or more of the following areas: restoring watersheds, enhancing public lands, conserving resources, increasing awareness through environmental education, increasing community stewardship and volunteerism, providing educational support, and strengthening communities.
Field teams
Field teams were made up of 4–10 members and usually include a Leader. Team projects were based on the needs of the communities being served, and often involve collaborating with local watershed groups, government agencies, non-profit organizations, community groups and schools. Field team projects often had a restoration, environmental education or community revitalization focus, and could have involved activities such as wildlife habitat restoration, building riparian fences, trail building and rehabilitation, salmon habitat rehabilitation, planting trees in natural and urban areas, non-native species removal, public education and outreach, and community enhancement projects.
See also
{{Portal, Environment, Ecology, Earth sciences
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Sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
*
Biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
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Ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
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Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental, and social movement that seeks to manage and protect natural resources, including animal, fungus, and plant species as well as their habitat for the f ...
External links
Northwest Service Academy- Official website (archived)
- The Columbian article on closing of Northwest Service Academy
AmeriCorps organizations
Environmental organizations based in the United States