Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTAs are hosted by 2- and 4-year public and private universities of higher education and community organizations throughout the country to leverage resources to improve educational outcomes for students who live in poverty or attend under-resourced schools. Campus Compact AmeriCorp VISTAs are integrated into the staff of their respective host site and/or community partner organization to build capacity in the areas of education, economic success, healthy futures, veterans and military families, and environmental stewardship. They develop new programs, improve and expand existing programs, and strive to recruit, train, and support volunteers to engage with youth in intentional and impactful ways. Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTAs form a strong network and convene regularly as a corps to further their personal and professional development goals throughout their year of service.
Service Activities
CCSNE AmeriCorps VISTAs may: serve as a liaison between campus and community, identify community partner assets and needs, create or enhance programs, create or improve outreach, marketing, and communication, recruit and support college volunteers, create and implement training curriculum, collect and evaluate data, develop strategies for sustainability, and/or develop resources and write grants.
Community Need Addressed
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTAs will build the capacity of higher education campuses and community partnerships to improve educational outcomes for students living in poverty.
Position Outcomes
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA projects aim to create quantifiable changes in the following focus areas through the identified outcomes for students and youth living in poverty.
Within the Education priority area Campus Compact supports projects that leverage a VISTA member to enhance access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged children and youth. AmeriCorps VISTA programs within this priority will target new project development in communities with large concentrations of low-income students (e.g., Title 1 schools).
Within the Economic Success priority area Campus Compact supports projects that leverage a VISTA member to enhance access to services and resources that contribute to improved economic success outcomes for economically disadvantaged individuals specifically in the areas of financial literacy and workforce development.
Within the Healthy Futures priority area Campus Compact supports projects that leverage a VISTA member to enhance access to services and resources that contribute to improved food security or opioid addiction prevention/intervention/recovery for economically disadvantaged individuals.
Within the Veterans and Military Families priority area, Campus Compact supports projects that leverage a VISTA member to build capacity for projects that focus on education, economic opportunity and healthy futures for low-income veterans and military families.
Within the Environmental Stewardship priority area Campus Compact supports projects that propose to leverage a VISTA member to build capacity for education and training in environmental stewardship and/or environmentally conscious practices for low-income individuals in low-income communities. This includes education and training programs and service learning.
Within the Priority Populations priority area, projects focused on serving individuals in rural communities, Indian Country (Federal Government program term), and areas of concentrated poverty will be given the highest consideration for the investment of AmeriCorps VISTA resources.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance, Training
Additional benefits are site specific. Any of our host sites can decide to offer non-cash benefits to a VISTA who serves with them.
Skills you will gain
meeting facilitation, public speaking, community organizing, relationship building, project management, volunteer recruitment and management, resource development, marketing and outreach
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Turn taking, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Drive decision making, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment