The Northern New England Campus Compact VISTA Collaboration is a full-time, post-graduate service opportunity program. VISTA members serve with K-12 schools, colleges and universities across beautiful Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to build capacity in educational institutions fighting poverty. This VISTA Program provides high-impact professional development and training for our VISTA members. Training addresses skills required to carry out the assigned VISTA role, as well as skill-building that will be valuable to the VISTA member in their future professional pursuits. The program is a cohort-based experience that creates the opportunity to learn from peers in the program, to share what is learned in service, and to foster a supportive service year community.
Service Activities
Did you demonstrate leadership skills during your service year? Ready for a new level of responsibility? Two VISTA Leaders needed to serve with the Northern New England VISTA Collaboration. Leaders will work to expand and build the capacity of 27 VISTA members and their service sites across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and provide support and coordination for members to increase the Northern New England VISTA Collaboration project’s impact. Leaders will be ambassadors, mentor VISTA members, recruit VISTA members for the next year’s positions, facilitate idea-sharing and meaningful learning that meets member needs, mediate and resolve conflicts and issues with the community, project, supervisors, and AmeriCorps VISTA members, strengthen and expand community partnerships, build relationships to generate resources, and improve monitoring and reporting systems.
Community Need Addressed
The Northern New England Campus Compact VISTA Collaboration seeks to provide support and resources to low income students in northern New England as they seek higher education through capacity building activities. We will develop programming on campuses across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont that will increase access to and retention in higher education for low income individuals by implementing such strategies as: college visits and mentors, to increase college aspirations and grow the belief that college is an option; high school guidance support and financial aid workshops and tutoring, to increase access for those who might otherwise aim too low or give up; and college preparation and academic tutoring, to ensure students stay in school, are successful, and are ready to enroll in college. In addition, VISTAS will provide support for low income individuals already enrolled in higher education to help them persist to graduation and complete their degree/certificate program, increasing their ability to secure a job and raise their earning potential.
The need for college access and completion for low income students is particularly acute in many parts of Northern New England. Vermont, one of the two most rural states in the country, has only 60% of high school graduates attend college—a rate that ranks last in New England and 42nd nationally. In Maine , just 25 percent of adults have bachelor degrees, and in some rural parts of the state, only 15 percent of the adults have four-year degrees. While New Hampshire ranks 9th in the nation for the percentage of its population holding four-year college degrees, fewer than 25 percent of residents under age 30 hold a four-year college degree. Surprisingly, no county in the state of New Hampshire has two of three graduates going on to college and in three of the state’s counties – Coos, Belknap and Strafford – fewer than four of ten male high school graduates go on to college.
We believe that improving college access and success for low income communities and individuals is an effective strategy to combat poverty. On average a Bachelor’s degree-holder can expect to earn 84% over a lifetime than one with a high school diploma. Access to and attainment of university education creates a pool of resilient workforce for the future economy, promotes social mobility, and yields positive externalities such as social stability and well-being.
Position Outcomes
VISTAs serve with educational institutions across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to support efforts to expand college access and success for low-income students in the fight against poverty. They engage in capacity building activities to increase the effectiveness of programs and organizations in achieving better outcomes for low-income students.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
$500 Monthly Housing Allowance
Education Benefits
College Degree
Skills you will gain
leadership, public speaking, volunteer recruitment and management, project management, conflict resolution, team-building, community partnerships and relationship building
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, 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