Earthcorps Interview

So, I finally applied and interviewed with EarthCorps! I've been pumped about this job for a long time now, and it feels good to finally make some progress on it. I interviewed on Thursday (02 July 09) and it went very well. Everything that follows are the answers to my questions.

There were 80 applicants this year, and this could be due the economy, greater care for the environment, and Obama pushing for more participation in domestic service programs. These were narrowed to 30 applicants, who were interviewed by Mike (from Ohio). Mike was really fun to talk to, and he was enthusiastic to pass me on interview #2 with project coordinators, Jeremy (from Michigan) and Erin (from California). When I asked about the regionality of the applicant pool, Mike said that there was a very strong Midwest representation in EarthCorps, and that it has been slowly shifting to the East Coast. We ended up talking about Twin Peaks.

When I asked about horror stories he said that some people have dropped out because of personal reasons, or because of injury, but that there has never been any major conflicts that required someone to be kicked out.

Most people before EarthCorps:
- College and high school grads
- Working

Most people after EarthCorps:
- PeaceCorps
- Grad school
- Stick around as a team leader
- Work in Seattle

Work schedule:
7:30-5 Tuesday-Saturday, with every other Saturday off
18 workdays/month
16 outdoor days 2 class days
4 out-of-town weekend retreats to debrief, discuss the experiences and relax as a whole.

2 x 5 member teams are made up of US applicants in October, and you spend the most time working with that crew, independent of other crews. The furthest work sites are no further than 1.25 hours away, and the crewleader drives, unless a short driving test is passed by another interested member. After 5 months of working with US corpsmembers, 6 international members join up in March. The 2 US teams are then dissolved, and 3 new teams are made with the international participants. Fall consists of stream restoration; winter consists of removing invasives; spring and summer consists of removing invasives and trail-building while hiking through the Cascades of Washington.

Benefits:
- $1000/month
- $4725 Americorps educational grant to pay loans. Any outstanding educational grants are forbeared by Earthcorps until after you leave the program.
- Bus pass provided
- $200/month in food stamps provided, with ample dumpster diving opportunities
- 4 days of vacation time provided
- On-the-job health insurance, excluding dental and eye care.