Host site application
Now accepting applications from organizations interested in hosting an AmeriCorps member for the 2019-2020 program year. The MPCA plans to place up to 42 full-time members with various host sites across the state. Members serve approximately 40 hours a week for 11 months from September 2019 through August 2020.
Member application: Coming soon
Members serve with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions statewide. Members serve 40 hours a week for 11 months, from late September through the following August.
The Minnesota GreenCorps program is a statewide initiative, coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, to preserve and protect Minnesota’s environment while training a new generation of environmental professionals.
The program places AmeriCorps members with host organizations around the state to assist communities and local governments in addressing a variety of statewide needs, aiming to:
- Reduce solid waste and increase recycling in Minnesota communities.
- Reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and other air pollutants.
- Reduce water runoff and improve water quality.
- Assist community members to take eco-friendly actions.
- Increase community resilience and build local capacity to respond to the threats of climate change.
- Train new environmental professionals.
Minnesota GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program. Funding is provided through a grant from ServeMinnesota and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Members serve at their host sites for 11 months, from mid-September through mid-August. More than 240 GreenCorps members have served at over 130 organizations across Minnesota. Former and current host site organizations include cities, counties, public schools, universities, watershed districts, and non-profit organizations.
Since the program’s launch in 2009, Minnesota GreenCorps members have engaged and educated nearly 200,000 volunteers in communities around the state through service projects, including assistance with environmental fairs, multi-modal transportation events, energy benchmarking, waste sorts, tree inventory/citizen foresters, invasive species removal, tree planting, and building rain gardens. Many of these projects help to increase resilience of Minnesota communities to the impacts of climate change, such as increasing heat and heavy precipitation.
For more information
For more information, please email: mngreencorps.pca@state.mn.us
Currently there are 42 Minnesota GreenCorps members serving at host sites around the state.
Project summaries: Program Year 2018-2019 (p-mgc1-10)
2018: Member - Rachel Brodeur
About me. I grew up in Andover, Minn., where I loved spending time with my family, playing sports, and taking summer vacations up north in Ely. My time at Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) as an environmental science major really fostered my love for this field, and confirmed that this is what I wanted to do as a career. Although it was a great place for me to study and grow, I wasn’t ready to stay in Iowa… I am a Minnesotan through and through! During the summers, I worked at a YMCA Camp in Ely which brought me back to my happy place, as well as connected me with many incredible people. I interacted with multiple MPCA staff members at Camp, and they all recommended I apply for the MN GreenCorps program after I mentioned I was interested in it. This validated the excellence of the program, so I was finally ready and willing to serve! Making these connections and knowing that I wanted to move forward in the environmental field is what has brought me to where I am today: serving with Lake County Environmental Services.
About my service. My service is in the Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Organics Management topic area. Lake County is a large area along the North Shore with a small population that is spread out. This spacing is one of the main challenges for waste disposal here, and the recycling program is extremely underutilized. My service is mainly focused on outreach and education to help people understand the services the county does have in recycling, and why it is important to divert waste from the landfill. This year I will be conducting workshops, attending events, and facilitating meetings with several different entities to increase the overall recycling rate in Lake County.
Why I serve. One of my semesters in college was spent studying abroad in Madagascar where I focused on biology and anthropology. Getting to know both the people and the environment in such an ecologically diverse, yet extremely poor country is what inspired me to focus my environmental work through service. I believe working in this field without economic motives helps foster the grassroots mindset and provides extremely genuine service to the places in need of our help.
My favorite place to visit in Minnesota. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I have spent many incredible summers there; the beauty and stillness hold a very special place in my heart.