Do programs like AmeriCorps offer any sort of improvement for the society?
AmeriCorps is a civil society program that provides fulfilling service opportunities to perform community-related services. The program is for volunteers who are looking forward to do some good and return the duties we have for the society we dwell in. It aims to offer the enrollees a chance to improve themselves all while making the society a better place to live in. Or that is what they say! And there are plenty of arguments that establish.
Irrespective of the adjectives that may be used to describe it, the idealistic AmeriCorps is just a glorified arrangement that set out with mighty ambitions and ended up falling terribly short of it. This is not to say that the program did not achieve anything at all. Having said that, it would be equally invalid as saying that it brought about a remarkable change in our way of life. The following is a brief rundown of what’s that the said program has managed to achieve and also how much has it failed in its tracks.
Almost unanimous complaints against the inefficacy of the program elaborate abundantly on the incompetence of the framework. The most common recollection of the enrollees’ state that there was a severe mismatch of information relay between the officials at different phases of the program. For instance, there were situations where the candidates were informed that they would be clarified on a topic at a later stage of the program. But when the stage finally arrived, it was fluency and adeptness that was expected from the candidates with respect to the topic or skill.
As sad as it may be, this wasn’t the only embarrassing moment that the people had to put up with. People who joined in with the purpose of actually wanting to do something for the society they dwelled in, usually got mixed up with a bad crowd. While some of them inevitably fell prey to the temptations and some swayed away from the intended goal, the persistent ones who tried their best to stick to the righteous path got into trouble anyways. Therefore, adversely affecting the entire program in a greater number of ways than what can be imagined.
Focusing on the bright parts, many of those that had enrolled, took away with them wholesome lessons that clarified a lot of misconceptions that had regarding the norms of society. Collaborating with the underprivileged sects made it abundantly clear that the only major aspect that these people were missing out on was money. Putting that aside, they were described as the liveliest people who were content with whatever life had to offer them. Doesn’t matter if it was family, friendship, job, or just life, they surely extracted the most out of it, that too effortlessly.
In conclusion, all the adversities and lacunas faced by this program, which was once established with noble intentions in mind, is courtesy of the idealistic approach that is so adhered to. A more realistic approach and incorporation of methods that wield practical results will surely do the trick. In turn, making it the promised grand success!
