Everything You Need to Plan Your Time Abroad
Free guides, downloads, and plain-language articles on turning your Segal Education Award into international service or a global placement.
Watch: 2.5 min · narrated
How Your Award Works Abroad
A short walkthrough of how AmeriCorps alumni turn the Segal Education Award into a volunteer or placement program overseas.
Guides and downloads
Start here with free resources for alumni and program staff.
How to Use Your Award Checklist
PDF · 3 pages · instant download
A printable five-step checklist for confirming your balance, choosing a program type, and getting your award transferred correctly.
Free Planning Guide
Editable Google Sheet · emailed to you
An editable budgeting worksheet for mapping program costs, flights, and extras against your remaining award balance.
Life After AmeriCorps Staff Toolkit
PDF · presentation-ready slides
A presentation-ready toolkit with talking points, slides, infographics, and shareable resources to help members explore what comes next.
Download staff toolkitReady to turn your award into a plan?
Start with the free Planning Guide or join an upcoming session. Not sure which? Just email us and we’ll point you to whatever fits where you are right now.
Drop-in advising Tuesdays, info sessions Fridays
Both run at 12:00 PM ET. Tuesdays are open drop-in advising for your own questions. Fridays are a walkthrough of how the award works abroad.
Articles and how-tos
Straight answers to the questions we hear most from AmeriCorps alumni.
How to Use Your Segal Education Award Abroad
A step by step guide for AmeriCorps alumni: how the Segal Education Award funds international volunteer and internship programs, what it covers, and how to enroll.
Read the guide· 6 min read- Global LearningEveryone
Why Global Learning: The Nine Skills You Bring Home
The nine competencies AmeriCorps alumni build abroad, from cross-cultural communication to career readiness, and why employers notice them.
Read the guide· 4 min read - Global LearningEveryone
Service Without Borders: Why AmeriCorps Alumni Belong Abroad
AmeriCorps alumni carry service ethics, humility, and everyday diplomacy across borders. Here is why alumni going abroad matters for host communities, for the alumni themselves, and for the U.S.
Read the guide· 6 min read - Choosing a ProgramAlumni
Volunteer Abroad or Intern Abroad: Which One Is Right for You?
A practical comparison of volunteer placements and internships abroad for AmeriCorps alumni: cost, length, supervision, resume value, and how to tell which one fits you.
Read the guide· 7 min read - Alumni StoriesAlumni
From AmeriCorps to Gondwana: Nick's GIS and Reserve Management Internship
Nick, a Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology student and former AmeriCorps Coach, used his Segal Education Award to fund a 12-week GIS and Reserve Management internship at Gondwana Game Reserve in South Africa.
Read the guide· 5 min read - Alumni StoriesAlumni
From VISTA to Belize: Chelsea's Marine Conservation Volunteer Journey
Chelsea, a two-time AmeriCorps member with a Master's in Biology, used her Segal Education Award to fund a Marine Conservation volunteer program in Belize with IVHQ.
Read the guide· 5 min read - Award BasicsAlumni
Beyond Volunteering and Interning: Other Ways to Use Your Segal Award Abroad
Study abroad, teach English, serve with Peace Corps, or pursue outdoor leadership. Here are honest ways AmeriCorps alumni can turn a Segal Education Award into a global experience.
Read the guide· 6 min read - Award BasicsAlumni
Can I Use My Segal Award If I Already Graduated?
Yes. AmeriCorps alumni who already hold a degree can still spend a Segal Education Award abroad by enrolling non-degree-seeking for academic credit at a Title IV school.
Read the guide· 3 min read - Award BasicsAlumni
Does My Segal Education Award Expire?
Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards expire seven years after you finish your term of service. Here is how to check your deadline and use the funds before you lose them.
Read the guide· 3 min read - Award BasicsAlumni
Segal Award vs. Paying Out of Pocket for Volunteering Abroad
A side-by-side comparison of funding an international volunteer or internship program with your Segal Education Award versus paying cash, including what each route covers.
Read the guide· 4 min read - Award BasicsAlumni
Can I Use My Segal Award for Flights and Travel Costs?
Yes. Learn how AmeriCorps alumni can apply Segal Education Award funds toward flights, travel insurance, passports, visas, and other program-related travel expenses.
Read the guide· 3 min read - Using Your AwardAlumni
Where's My Award? Find Your Segal Award Balance and Expiry
Find your Segal AmeriCorps Education Award balance, expiry date, and used amount inside the My AmeriCorps portal with this step-by-step walkthrough.
Read the guide· 3 min read - Funding Your TripAlumni
Segal Education Award Eligible Programs Abroad: What Qualifies and How to Choose
Which international volunteer and internship programs accept the Segal Education Award, what the award can pay for, and how to pick a program that fits your balance.
Read the guide· 6 min read - Choosing a ProgramAlumni
The AmeriCorps Alumni Guide to Volunteering Abroad
A step-by-step guide for AmeriCorps alumni who want to volunteer abroad with the Education Award: what it costs, how the paperwork works, and what the first week actually feels like.
Read the guide· 8 min read - Alumni StoriesAlumni
Purpose and Belonging in Lisbon: Maurice's Volunteer Story
Maurice spent four weeks in Lisbon on a Community Development and Food Security volunteer placement with IVHQ. Here is his story in his own words.
Read the guide· 4 min read
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