Green Iowa AmeriCorps

Green Iowa AmeriCorps is a small part of the nationwide AmeriCorps program that provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in community engagement and service. Currently making a large impact in Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Fairfield, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Decorah and their surrounding areas, Green Iowa is committed to not only actively engaging in environmental and energy conservation initiatives, but also educating the communities in Black Hawk, Dubuque, Jefferson, Linn, Polk and Winneshiek Counties about such initiatives. Ultimately, Green Iowa strives to serve as a community and regional resource for energy and environmental services -- including weatherization, education and outreach for all ages. The home weatherization program is Green Iowa AmeriCorps' primary method of guaranteed energy savings. Our members fulfill an unmet need in the community that would otherwise be unavailable or unaffordable to the majority of the population, due to the expensive nature of hiring a professional to perform basic weatherization services. Our weatherizations, performed with donated AmeriCorps labor and experience, can significantly reduce building envelope air infiltration that can lead to significant documented energy savings (between $50-350 within the first year). That is an extra $5.00 to $30.00 a month in your pocket.Over three years that is an estimated $180.00 to $1,080.00 saved in energy cost. This savings will also reduce the demand for fossil fuels. Green Iowa Americorps teams donate over 50,000 service hours annually and implement nearly $75,000 in annual energy savings. | Operated through the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Energy and Environmental Education, Green Iowa AmeriCorps is a community service program. Our organization was founded in 2009 to address conservation and sustainable usage of energy resources in several Iowa communities as they struggled to rebuild from the devastating floods of 2008. Since the start of the flood recovery, Green Iowa AmeriCorps has been an active community partner. Members are trained as energy auditors and contribute to a comprehensive home energy program. Other involvement in the community includes deconstruction projects, creating energy educational programs for all ages, and assisting in the development of energy-related community events. With the addition this year of the new site in Fairfield, we now have have six sites spread throughout Iowa in Black Hawk, Dubuque, Jefferson, Linn, Polk, and Winneshiek counties. In 2010 Green Iowa AmeriCorps was listed as one of the most innovative AmeriCorps programs in "Transforming Communities through Service: A Collection of 52 of the Most Innovative AmeriCorps Programs in the United States" by Americas Service Commissions and Innovations in Civic Participation. Chosen from 1,100 State Service Commission programs, Green Iowa AmeriCorps was selected for our weatherization and energy audit services. According to the publication, these services produce a lasting community impact by "providing residents with reduced utility bills and the education to become more conscious of energy use. This will enable Iowans to reduce overall demand for power and promote an energy-independent state." In addition, we were recognized for our collaborative efforts with other service programs and for potential of program replication.

Green Iowa AmeriCorps Mission - "Empowering communities through weatherization, education & outreach." Goals of Green Iowa AmeriCorps members: 1)Weatherization: Providing a necessary and affordable service that leads to concrete energy savings 2)Education: Learning and teaching energy efficient strategies to rural and urban communities 3)Outreach: Assessing unmet energy efficiency needs in each community, devising/implementing a strategy to make those improvements.