What I've Learned in AmeriCorps

As many of you may know, I have quit my job with AmeriCorps. This was due mainly to the outrageously poor management and supervision of our host organization, to the point that my teaching partner and I feared for the safety of the kids we were serving. When it became clear that our supervisors weren't putting the kids as their top priority, we both quit. So far, four AmeriCorps members have left the program, and several more are debating whether it is even worthwhile to stay four more months.

Anyway, the partial service year was not a total loss. I learned a few valuable things:

1. Just because I don't agree with someone's lifestyle doesn't mean we can't be friends.
Obviously, I am not referring to sexual orientation "lifestyle," but rather the way that people spend their free time. It may not be my cup of tea to go out drinking and hooking up on the weekends, but I can be friends with people who do. During my service, I met several coworkers who are very different from me, but still turned out to be great friends when the time came.

2. Service is hard, and you need breaks.
This was not one of the reasons I left, but serving kids in vulnerable situations is hard. I had to make several referrals to Children's Services, and it was heartbreaking to know that was the most I could do for these kids. Since my position was part-time, I was able to prevent burn-out in this area. If I ever choose to serve with another nonprofit full-time, I will definitely need to schedule vacations.

3. Adults are bullies.
My job was to teach kids how to deal with bullying, and they were usually very receptive to our lessons. We definitely had some conflict, but when confronted with that fact that they were bullying another student, each kid would pause and think about their actions for a moment. Not so for adults. If told that they were behaving inappropriately, adults would just get defensive and bully even harder.

4. Kids are way smarter than us.
I always knew this, but I learned even more as I dealt with over 100 kids each week. They might not be able to help with your taxes, but when it comes to friendship, kids get it. Next time you hurt your spouse's feelings, ask a kid how to fix it. Likely they will suggest that you give them a hug or draw them a picture that says "I love you." Yep, it works!

5. There is always a breaking point.
The reason I quit was because the adult drama within our organization was consuming my thoughts 24/7. Instead of going for a peaceful walk in the park after work, I was venting to someone about how absurd the system was. I couldn't read a book without my mind drifting back to the day's conflict, trying to understand why an adult would resort to screaming and name-calling when we have all the power. There's a point where it is just not worth it. I can volunteer with kids through another organization; I don't have to endure the hypocrisy and corruption of the adults who are paid to supervise me.