Farrah Chrstos joined Ohio Campus Compact in the summer of 2019 to help lead Ohio Campus Compact’s AmeriCorps Student Resource Center program. In this blog, Farrah provides an introduction to the program and how it is providing assistance to Ohio’s college students.

The  Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps Student Resource Center (SRC) program is in its inaugural year on ten college campuses in the state of Ohio.

Developed by Ohio Campus Compact, the AmeriCorps SRC program helps students address non-academic barriers to their college success.  Research has shown that the reason a student will most likely drop out of college is not necessarily because of academic issues, but more likely due to unforeseeable financial, family or health issues that occur during their time as a student.  Food insecurity, car or transportation troubles and missed work due to illness is often the catalyst to academic decline.  AmeriCorps members have been placed on campuses to serve as a resource to help students recognize and address these barriers as they arise so they can feel empowered to stay in school and maintain a high academic standard.

AmeriCorps members help students in need, partner community resources with campus resources and expand current campus resources with the hope that the student will be helped and remain a part of their campus family.  Ohio Campus Compact, ServeOhio and AmeriCorps are working together to help students accomplish their academic goals.  By helping to remove immediate barriers and hardship for students, we create a positive ripple effect in student’s lives, on the university campuses and within communities around Ohio for years to come.  We are very proud of what we have done together this first year.

Interested in bringing the AmeriCorps Student Resource Center to your campus? Please consider serving as a host site for the 2020-21 program year. Ohio Campus Compact is accepting host site inquiries through March 13, 2020.

View the informational materials here, and download the Intent to Apply here. Instructions are provided on the Intent to Apply form.

Questions about the SRC program? Contact Stephanie Dodd, Program Director for the AmeriCorps SRC program.