Empower students, become a tutor!

Who can serve with Minnesota Reading Corps, Math Corps or Early Learning Corps?

Great tutors come from all walks of life. Whether you’re 18 or 85, your most important qualification is a desire to help children succeed! That said, it’s important that you meet the following minimum qualifications by the beginning of your service:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
• Be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States
• Have served fewer than four terms with AmeriCorps

I’ve served with AmeriCorps before. How do I know if I’m eligible for another year of service?

AmeriCorps term limits are a federal regulation. Currently, you can serve up to four terms with an AmeriCorps national program or a state program such as Reading Corps or Math Corps. After serving four terms, you’re still eligible to serve with an AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) or National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program.

If you’re considering more than two terms of service, please keep in mind that AmeriCorps members are able to earn no more than the value of two full-time education awards. Once you meet this limit, you will not receive additional education awards for additional terms of service.

I’m a college student and have daytime classes. Can I still be a tutor?

We’ve got great options for college students and would love to chat with you about specific opportunities! Most often, college students choose to serve 18 or 25 hours a week. It’s important to know that tutors serve during the school day (generally between the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

To talk more about your schedule and what may work for you, email join@ampact.us.

Can I have an additional job to make ends meet while I’m a tutor?

Yes! You’ll need to maintain a consistent schedule at your school, but are welcome to work part-time whenever you aren’t scheduled to be tutoring.

Will I have to travel?

You’ll spend most of your time helping students at one site, not on the road! To help you better serve your students, you’ll participate in several trainings during the year. These trainings are offered virtually or regionally to minimize your drive time.

All tutors are reimbursed for their mileage when they drive to trainings. Mileage is not reimbursed for your daily commute.

Where are the program sites located?

Our programs originated in Minnesota have been replicated in many states across the country. Some states may just have one program, while other host two or three. Visit our location page to find opportunities near you.

What is the curriculum?

Reading Corps is designed to give students additional guided practice outside of their core reading instruction time and doesn’t use a specific curriculum. Rather, we use research-based, high-impact tutoring strategies that are proven to be effective for children who need extra help practicing targeted reading or pre-reading skills.

Math Corps is designed to give students additional guided practice outside of their core math instruction time and doesn’t use a specific curriculum. Rather, we use research-based, high-impact tutoring strategies that are proven to be effective for children who need extra help practicing foundational math skills. Below are some sample questions that represent the math that our students need to practice.

• Multi-digit multiplication example: A truck has 50 boxes of jump ropes. Each box contains 100 jump ropes. How many jump ropes are on the truck?
• Fraction example: Write or draw 3 fractions that are equivalent to 1/2.
• Decimal example: Round .438 to the nearest tenth.
• Equations and inequalities: Which value makes the equation 5b +15 = 30 true?
• Area example: A triangle has a height of 25 feet. The length of its base is 12 feet. What is the area of the triangle?

Learn more about our research from the National Science & Service Collaborative.

Are there summer-only positions?

What are the benefits?

Tutors receive a modest stipend and an education award (up to $5,176) to pay for higher education or to repay qualified student loans. Tutors 55+ may choose to gift their education award to their child, grandchild, step child, or foster child. During their service, tutors may be eligible for student loan forbearance, health insurance, and child care assistance.

Tutors also participate in training, professional development, and gain marketable skills, while making a real difference in people’s lives. Service is an awesome adventure and an experience of a lifetime.

Is there health coverage?

Members serving full-time are eligible to enroll in health insurance through our programs. The plan is managed through Cigna and includes medical coverage for individual members. It does not cover dependents, California members, or Educator Corps members (school employees who incorporate Early Learning Corps in their preK classrooms).

What is an education award?

A benefit of AmeriCorps service, the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is granted when you successfully complete the required number of service hours. You can apply the award to educational costs, such as federal student loans, college tuition, educational supplies, etc. You have seven years to use your award.

If you’re age 55 or older at the start of your service, you may choose to transfer your education award to your child, stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild or foster child. The recipient of a transferred award has 10 years to use the award, beginning on the date it was earned. You can only transfer the award once, and it cannot be divided among multiple recipients. Learn more about the education award here.

Is this a paid or volunteer position?

If you join one of our programs, you are committing to complete a term of national service through AmeriCorps; you are not entering into permanent employment. In exchange for your service, you’ll receive a living stipend every two weeks while you serve.

What is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps, often called the “domestic Peace Corps,” is an opportunity to make a big difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.

Each year, AmeriCorps provides opportunities for 75,000 Americans to give back to their communities and country through dedicated national service. Since its creation in 1994, more than one million Americans have served their communities through the AmeriCorps program.

About 2,000+ individuals are serving with our AmeriCorps programs in this year. Most serve as tutors with Reading Corps, Math Corps or Early Learning Corps.

What is the difference between a “member” and a “tutor”?

What’s the relationship between a program like Reading Corps and AmeriCorps?

As part of the national service network of AmeriCorps, our education programs like Reading Corps receives the majority of funding from the AmeriCorps. Reading Corps is the largest AmeriCorps tutoring program in the country!

AmeriCorps is the nation’s largest grant maker in support of service and volunteering, engaging more than three million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to their communities each year. AmeriCorps program members, and the volunteers they help coordinate, enable tens of thousands of national and local nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools and municipal agencies solve tough problems and meet local needs in six priority areas: education, health, the environment, veterans and military families, economic opportunity, and disaster relief.

What is the Educator Corps?

If you’re already a paid staff member at an existing Early Learning Corps site, you’re eligible to join the Educator Corps and be trained in how to incorporate the Early Learning Corps model into your preschool classroom. Educator Corps members do not receive a living allowance, but they are eligible for an education award.

What is the application deadline?

Positions for each school year begin in August. We fill available positions on a rolling basis beginning in March 2025, and have tutors starting their service in August, October and January. Early applicants have more placement choices, so we encourage you to apply sooner rather than later.