Below are several sample agendas that various AmeriCorps programs have used successfully. Click on the link to access and learn more about each resource.

• Week-at-a-Glance Orientation Schedule
• Two Week Orientation Agenda
• Five-Day Orientation Schedule
• Three-Day Orientation Schedule
• Three-day "Daily" Orientation Schedule
• Four-day Orientation Schedule
• Sample AmeriCorps 3-Week Agenda for Health Educator
• Planning Agenda for 3-day AmeriCorps Orientation
• 3-Day Promise Fellows Orientation Agenda

Also, consider giving members an overview of the training they'll receive during their year of service. It will help them see how orientation fits into broader development opportunities. In addition, it provides reassurance that important topics will be covered after their orientation.

Go on to Orientation Checklist

An orientation schedule used by staff as a final reference

This schedule was developed by Kitsap Community Resources in Bremerton, Washington, an AmeriCorps program dedicated to helping low-income residents by providing resources that promote self-sufficiency.

This schedule ensures all times and dates are covered with speakers and events, and that speaker contact information is readily available in the event of changes or emergencies. Adapt this resource to:

• Use as a final check in planning and preparing for orientation.
• Provide an overview of orientation activities to members (note: delete facilitators' contact information first!).

A four-day agenda for VISTA members

This agenda outlines the topics and activities covered during the Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) provided to all VISTA members. VISTAs spend the first two days in small groups getting oriented to their role and VISTA. On the last day of the event, participants choose one of three focused skill-building sessions that best fits with their VISTA service activities.

Use this resource to:

• develop a complementary onsite orientation event

This resource was created by the Education Northwest/Bank Street College training team. Education Northwest/BSC has been a Training and Technical Assistance provider for AmeriCorps*VISTA since 1998. They design and deliver the Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) and the Supervisor Orientation (SO), as well as other events.

A detailed agenda, preceded by a one-page overview

This detailed agenda was created by the Washington Reading Corps (WRC, Olympia, WA), an AmeriCorps program focused on improving reading abilities of K-6 students. The narrative approach to this agenda can also be used to supplement the information provided on a shorter, calendar-style agenda given to members.

This document, complete with unresolved or in-process issues, can be used by staff in planning the orientation. The resource makes reference to program-specific information, including fingerprinting. For more information on this topic, check out the Checking References and Conducting Background Checks resource.

Adapt this resource to develop your own 10-day agenda.

A five-day Orientation Agenda, with each page covering one day's activities

This five-day orientation schedule, developed by Partnerships for Student Achievement (PSA, Forest Grove, Oregon), is designed so that each page can be given to members on the morning of that Orientation day. The first page can be mailed to members ahead of time, to remind them to bring required personal documentation.

Topics are useful for education programs dealing with tutor recruitment training. The resource makes reference to program specific-information, including fingerprinting. For more information on this topic, check out the Checking References and Conducting Background Checks resource.

Adapt this resource to design your own five-day orientation event.

A three-day orientation agenda used by an environmental program

This three-day orientation schedule is intended for staff use, and was created by EarthCorps, an AmeriCorps program that provides one-year intensive programs for young adults (18-25) to learn best practices in conservation techniques through local environmental restoration service and develop skills in leading volunteers. EarthCorps' activities are left intact to provide context and ideas for structuring an orientation.

Adapt this resource to:

• develop your own three-day orientation.
• see how one environmental program structures its orientation.

A three-day orientation schedule formatted as daily agendas

This three-day "daily" orientation schedule was created by RARE (Resource Assistance to Rural Environments, Eugene, OR), whose mission is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of 20 full time trained graduate-level participants who live and work in communities.

Topics are from RARE's 2005 member orientation, and were left to provide an idea of the flow of "heavy" versus "light" activities, and the time devoted to them.

Adapt this resource to:

• create your own three-day orientation event
• provide an agenda to members at orientation. If it is mailed to members prior to orientation, include a list of documentation they should bring with them
• compare the flow of activities with your current orientation schedule