Being Intentional Makes All the Difference: Reflecting on a Year of ACC AmeriCorps Service

by | Jul 31, 2025 | Digital Infrastructure, Digital Skills Training, Digital Inclusion

What a Year in the American Connection Corps Showed Gus Livers About Commitment

American Connection Corps (ACC) is a Lead for America program through AmeriCorps, dedicated to advancing economic prosperity in rural and emerging communities nationwide. Members are placed with a local public institution, where they build critical capacity, attract resources, and activate community engagement across many key areas, including bridging the digital divide. The partnership with ACC and KC Digital Drive aligns well; combining uplifting rural voices, building capacity in the ever-growing work in this space, and bridging the digital divide. This blog post shares our 2024-2025 member Gus Liver’s experiences, challenges, and achievements during his year of service. 

Gus Livers in a group of people attending the National Digital Inclusion Alliance conference in May 2025.

Gus Highlight: American Connection Corps AmeriCorps member

What does it mean, in your perspective, to be an AmeriCorps member?
Being an AmeriCorps member means committing to service and actively working to create positive change in the community. It requires recognizing challenges, stepping up to address them, and approaching the work with empathy, patience, and a willingness to learn. AmeriCorps is about building relationships, strengthening communities, and making a lasting impact through hands-on work and meaningful connections.

What has been your proudest achievement during your service year so far?
My proudest achievement has been leading the Digital Ambassador Program. This initiative placed college-age interns at local organizations to help bridge the digital divide. By training and supporting these Digital Ambassadors, we have provided direct digital literacy assistance to individuals who need it most. Seeing the program grow from an idea to an active initiative has been incredibly rewarding. The impact is not just in the skills being taught but in the confidence being built among both the Ambassadors and the people they serve.

Gus Livers presenting to a group of college age students about what it means to be a Digital Ambassador.

What is something you have learned about yourself from this service year?
I have learned that I can connect with almost anyone. I have developed a strong ability to listen, understand different perspectives, and meet people where they are. Whether working with community members, nonprofit leaders, or the Digital Ambassadors I’ve helped coordinate, I have realized how important it is to build trust and create spaces where people feel valued and heard. I have also discovered that I can adapt to challenges and find solutions, even in unpredictable situations.

What is something surprising that you have learned this year?
One of the most surprising things I have learned is how important intentionality is in this type of work. Success does not just happen on its own. It requires clear goals, active effort, and follow-through. Being intentional about outreach, engagement, and execution leads to stronger relationships and a greater impact. This has been a valuable lesson that applies not only to AmeriCorps service but to any community-focused work.

Any final comments?
This experience has shown me that anyone can serve and make a difference if they are willing to develop good habits and commit to growth. AmeriCorps is an incredible opportunity to understand a community more deeply while also growing as a leader and professional. I am grateful to KC Digital Drive, Lead for America, and AmeriCorps for giving me the chance to contribute to something meaningful.

Gus and Leah leaning against a door with the sign "Missouri Assistive Technology" on the door.

Further Reading

When Your Address Determines Your Access

The June meeting of the KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion brought together four voices from the region’s affordable housing and digital equity sectors for a rich conversation on how housing stability and internet access shape each other. Health Forward Foundation’s Adriana Pecina and John Tramel, LISC Greater Kansas City Executive Director Geoff Jolly, Hispanic Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) Executive Director Pedro Zamora, and Phoenix Family Program Manager Jessica Welch joined KC Digital Drive Digital Inclusion Program Manager Leslie Scott to explore what it means to live at the intersection of two of Kansas City’s most persistent inequities.

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How Researchers Address the Digital Divide Through Social Drivers of Health

In recognition of May as “Research Month”, Children’s Mercy Research Institute’s division of Health Services and Outcomes Research organized several “Lunch and Learn” sessions to highlight important topics for their researchers. The final session focused on the challenge of representative studies for improving both for quality and reach. KC Digital Drive worked with the CMRI team to provide further context for the session’s presentation, but also to help them create a version of Digital Drive’s Digital Divide Simulation (DDS) so that the researchers could see first-hand the circumstances which touch many of their patients and even more families beyond.

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A Laptop Means Dignity: Empire Dreams and KC Public Library Close a Device Gap

Not everyone building a business has a laptop. For Empire Dreams entrepreneurs, that gap was a wall. A connection through KC Digital Drive brought them to KC Public Library’s Chromebook lending program. Three weeks later, program participants weren’t pitching on phones anymore. They were building decks, creating marketing plans, and feeling official.

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