CEDO's Center for Community & Neighborhoods
We All Belong AmeriCorps*State Program
2010-2011

We All Belong Initiative CEDO’s We All Belong AmeriCorps*State program envisions a more welcoming and inclusive community by removing barriers that perpetuate poverty, racism and social inequity. It is an education, outreach, and community engagement initiative that engages diverse populations in the school community and public life.

CEDO AmeriCorps Goal and Mission

The mission is to provide the tools and resources for organizations to primarily build their cultural and linguistic competence so that they can provide more culturally relevant services, and then truly be more inclusive and welcoming.

The goal of the initiative is to increase the cultural competency of schools and organizations to serve low-income and racially/ethnically diverse groups.

Briefly, cultural competence is a developmental process, not a final result that evolves over an extended period. Both individuals and organizations are at various levels of awareness, knowledge and skills along the cultural competence continuum. (adapted from Cross et al., 1989). The Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University states the following:

Cultural competence requires that organizations:

1. have a defined set of values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies and structures that enable them to work effectively cross-culturally.
2. have the capacity to (1) value diversity, (2) conduct self-assessment, (3) manage the dynamics of difference, (4) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge and (5) adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of the communities they serve.
3. incorporate the above in all aspects of policy making, administration, practice, service delivery and involve systematically consumers, key stakeholders and communities.

Resource: National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University: http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/.

Member Recruitment

Our vision is to have a diverse team representative of our changing community so that local leaders will emerge to serve as AmeriCorps members. During their AmeriCorps service, members will develop professional skills and cultivate networks for further education, employment and service to their community.

For this reason, recruitment will focus locally to support the growth of our local leadership. This is an opportunity to use AmeriCorps benefits to support the very people host organizations are serving including existing volunteers, service users, and parents. Due to the unique skill set being sought of this team, CEDO will pre-screen applicants before being interviewed by host sites.

Interested in serving on our team?

For more information on AmeriCorps*State, please refer to the Prospective Members page. Or, learn more about CEDO's AmeriCorps*VISTA program, another local AmeriCorps program.

Page last updated May 04, 2010