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Meet Michael McKinnon

Civic Engagement Team Leader

Hello, I’m Michael McKinnon and this is my second year serving at ��ɫ��Ƶ Seattle/King County. I did one year of service in a Seattle Public School and decided to return this year as a Senior AmeriCorps member (ACM) on the Civic Engagement (CE) team. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get leadership and event planning experience. I also wanted to continue working with the ��ɫ��Ƶ staff that I got to know during my first year. At ��ɫ��Ƶ Seattle/King County there are two ACM roles for CE. I am serving with my friend Suji who was on my school team last year. Our Civic Engagement team also includes our Program Manager, Alice.��

A Day in the Life of Michael

A day in the life of a Civic Engagement (CE) Team Leader is different than serving in a school. Every day is a little different but typically, there are either office days or project days. Office days are more routine. I arrive at the ��ɫ��Ƶ office in the morning and my team begins our day with a first circle meeting. Most days we plan service projects, email partner schools or community organizations, and work with ��ɫ��Ƶ staff. On the days leading up to a service project we go through our inventory and make sure we have the supplies we need. During these office days I have lunch around noon with Suji and sometimes the ��ɫ��Ƶ staff. After lunch, I continue my workday at home and finish around 5:00 pm. It is nice to go into the office regularly to see the rest of the ��ɫ��Ƶ staff.��

Project days can look very different depending on what we’re doing. Some service projects are done at our partner schools; we enlist the help of ��ɫ��Ƶ ACMs like we did earlier this year at Concord Elementary. During the Concord Service Project, we received approval from the district and the principal to paint their front entrance stone sign which had been graffitied over. The stone was painted puma themed with the help of the Concord ��ɫ��Ƶ team.����

Partnering with Seattle Local Organizations

The CE team also works��with local Seattle organizations and schools outside of our partner network. Earlier this year we did a project at Summit Atlas. Although Summit Atlas is not a ��ɫ��Ƶ partner school, our CE team was invited to talk about our organization and lead a litter cleaning project with their students. Furthermore, our team collaborates with various community donors. So far this year we have led projects at Russell Investments and Best Buy. During these events, we partner with their employees to make after-school kits for students at our partner schools. Suji and I gain a lot of experience leading these assembly line service projects. These projects also serve as good practice for Ripples of Hope, ��ɫ��Ƶ’s biggest event, and one that��the CE team leads.

The Impact of Service

Even though my day as a CE Team leader looks different, I always feel I’m��making an impact in the communities we service.��I’m also gaining valuable experience and skills from planning, organizing, and leading projects for ��ɫ��Ƶ. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year and that is a Day in my life as a CE Team Leader.��