Canceled grants pull garden educator from Orion Alternative School

Not a year later, after moving across the country for this job, Schweitzer has spent the last two weeks explaining to students why she won’t be around to finish out the year. 

“It’s been up and down, I’ve had days where I feel so sad, and so empty,” Schweitzer said. 

Schweitzer, 26, is just one of many AmeriCorps fellows who have had to shift gears and change their plans after approximately $400 million in grants nationwide were canceled April 25 by the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration. Fellows with the national volunteer organization have reported from across the country of the struggle to find new work and the harm inflicted by the loss of services provided. 

Schweitzer was weighing whether she would return for the second year of the program, wishing she could be closer to her family on the East Coast. But, even if she decided to leave, the school would find a replacement and the kids would go on learning. Now, there will no longer be the same opportunity. 

“This work is so important for them, getting them outside in the dirt, they don’t have that chance otherwise,” Schweitzer said. “It’s not fair to the kids, they’re the ones that are losing so much.” 

While the AmeriCorps garden teacher will no longer operate at Orion Alternative School, the Redwood City School District is “committed to exploring funding sources that could help reinstate these important community-based services for our students in the future,” Jorge Quintana, a district spokesperson, said. 

The school is also trying to do what it can to elongate their fellows’ stay, but Schweitzer is struggling to consider the option. 

“The principal and teachers are really surprised it happened,” Schweitzer said. “I know [Principal Winnie Chen] is trying all she can to work with us to find out how to keep us as long as possible.” 

If Schweitzer were to work as a contractor for the school, not only would she likely get paid less and work more than she was before, she would also no longer be offered health insurance. While she looks for another job, Schweitzer also does not qualify for unemployment, she found out recently, because she was being paid stipends twice a month, rather than on a formal payroll. 

However, Schweitzer recognizes she is in a far better position than some of her peers. Schweitzer has an aunt and uncle who live on the Peninsula, so her housing situation is secure as she figures out her next step.

“I’m lucky, I don’t have to worry about rent or losing housing, others are scrambling to find any job they can get,” Schweitzer said. “Having it cut so suddenly, they’re losing a lot of their income on a short notice and they have to figure out how to continue paying rent on top of all the other stress.” 

Beyond the financial aspect, though, the weight remains a burden on the children, Schweitzer said. 

“I feel bad for the fellows, but the kids and environment are the ones that are not going to be cared for anymore,” Schweitzer said. “That’s the scary part.” 

The San Mateo County Office of Education also had staff who were funded by AmeriCorps grants, including two Safe Routes to School Fellows. Since 2018, these fellows have worked on evaluating the Safe Routes to School program, which encourages students to walk or bike to school through infrastructure upgrades and programs. 

After the funds were cut, fellows were instructed to pause their service activities and refrain from reporting to work, Ian Bain, Strategy and Communications director for the Office of Education, said. 

“This sudden and significant disruption is deeply disheartening,” Bain wrote in a statement. “Their energy, creativity and dedication have expanded our reach and impact in ways that simply wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.” 

Bain said the Office of Education has looked how to give the fellows other volunteer opportunities in the county, in the meantime.

The budget cuts from DOGE were not surprising, Schweitzer said, who felt the fact that the AmeriCorps program focuses on social services and sustainability made it a target for defunding. The slice of funding mere weeks before the end of the program also suggests that the alleged money saved wouldn’t be significant, Schweitzer said. 

“This isn’t about money,” Schweitzer said. “They’re just on a power trip.” 

Schweitzer has not avoided the difficult conversations about who is responsible for the program being cut. Students have responded asking to protest or raise money for the program, giving Schweitzer a sense that the kids will be OK once she leaves, knowing they value environmental education, and feel empowered to seek change. 

“They definitely see what’s going on in the world,” Schweitzer said. ‘They know, and they’re smarter than what we give them credit for.”