Adventures in Alternative Spring Break

As college students look for more ways to give back, Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips provide the opportunity for students to be immersed in service with local communities. This year, North Carolina Campus Compact VISTAs were part of four different trips. The VISTAs were involved at all stages of the process, from coordinating volunteer sites, to planning meals, to recruiting students. Student volunteers gave over 1,110 hours of service during their ASB trips!

The WFU students and VISTAs

At Wake Forest University, VISTA members Natasha Vos and Naijla Faizi planned a week's worth of activities for four students in the Winston-Salem area. This "staycation" allowed participants to give 28 hours of service to the community at five different service sites! Over the course of the week, the students volunteered at education, food insecurity, and health-related non profits. Not only did Natasha and Naijla plan the service the event, they also planned all meals, extra-curricular, and reflection activities. The small group of students provided the opportunity for deep engagement and reflection. At El Buen Pastor, the Wake ASB group prepared quesadillas for 75 children and later provided homework help. Over the course of the week, the group also volunteered at community gardens and a food bank.

At East Carolina University, VISTA member Hannah Paek planned an ASB "staycation" for 12 students in the Greenville community. The trip focused on poverty and youth. During the trip, the group stayed at the Greenville Community Shelter and over the course of the week, the students learned about poverty through simulation activities, including managing grocery shopping and meal preparation on a food stamp budget, and managing the local bus system. The students volunteered with Sparkle Her Night, an organization that helps low income high school girls obtain prom dresses, tutored children at a community center, and interacted with and prepared meals for shelter clients. The students had the opportunity to engage in a panel discussion about poverty in North Carolina. One ECU student called his ASB experience "humbling, passionate, and empowering."

ECU students sort donated clothing at the shelter.

An ECU student tutors at a community center. 

The team of HPU students and VISTAs packaging meals at Food and Friends.

At High Point University, a trio of VISTAs planned an ASB trip to Washington DC for 14 Bonner Leaders from HPU. Our VISTAs have been working with the Bonner Leaders all year, developing their skills and reflecting on their service experience. The trip focused on issues of hunger and homelessness. The group prepared nutritious food packets at Food and Friends, a non profit that serves those facing challenging illnesses, met with the National Coalition on Homelessness, and toured Washington D.C. with a focus on poverty issues.

At UNC-Greensboro, VISTA member Kali Hackett served as the learning partner for an ASB trip to Atlanta that focused on education and economic opportunity. As the students engaged in service, Kali served as a resource for students and trip leaders. Over the course of the week, the students worked with elementary school children, served and prepared meals at a community site, and worked on a beautification project.

The impact of these trips goes deeper than student's brief encounters with service. This haiku, courtesy of the of WFU trip, reflects on the ASB experience:

A week of service,

gardens, kids, community,

impact starts local.

WFU students plant seedling at the Neal Community Garden.

NC Campus Compact sponsors 20 VISTAs in 2014-2015

Since 2003, NC Campus Compact has sponsored an AmeriCorps VISTA program that places VISTA “volunteers” at member campuses to support community engagement projects that address local, poverty-related needs. In 2014 – 2015, sixteen sites across the state will host twenty NC Campus Compact VISTAs.

Our VISTA Partnership Project involves the development of a key campus-community partnership that serves economically disadvantaged people. The host site may be an office or unit of a member campus, or a local non-profit agency identified by a member campus. All 20 VISTA members will work to address one of the priority focus areas identified by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps programs. The focus areas are education, food security, and economic opportunity.

Collectively, our Partnership Project sites seek to accomplish the following goals:
1. Develop a mutually-beneficial campus-community partnership.
2. Build capacity of community-based programs serving economically disadvantaged children and adults.
3. Leverage resources of higher education institutions to address local community needs.
4. Create sustainable pathways for community engagement of students, faculty, and staff.

Three of our sites will host pairs or teams of VISTAs working to build campus capacity to meet the needs of local children. These child success sites will focus on developing community-wide collaborations that support PK-8 children and families to improve educational and nutritional outcomes.

Short summaries for each of our 2014-2015 projects are below.

Community Empowerment Fund (CEF)
Partner: UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity

The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) cultivates opportunities, assets, and communities that support the alleviation of homelessness and poverty. CEF is a student-led nonprofit organization based at UNC Chapel Hill and in development at Duke University. CEF’s structure is based on the realization of a dual mission: empowering members to sustain transitions out of homelessness and developing student leadership. At CEF the VISTA will help address the need for 1) relationship- based support that leads to greater economic opportunity for individuals experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness; 2) access to financial services for low-income households, and; 3) a broader, more tightly-woven social safety net for poor households in North Carolina. The goal of this project is to increase the capacity and effectiveness of CEF’s Advocate Program, enabling CEF to strengthen an impactful model of relationship-based student volunteer engagement that promotes real change on an individual level for homeless and near-homeless individuals.

Duke University, Community Service Center
Partner: America Reads and America Counts
Focus Area: Education

The Duke Community Service Center (CSC) serves as a clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities available to Duke students and employees. The VISTA will help the Duke Community Service Center (CSC) further deepen relationships with partner schools through the establishment of a new program - Partners in Print. The Partners in Print program would provide a supportive environment where parents can discover how to help their children learn to read. Partners in Print mentors will conduct evening workshops with parents and children, grades Kindergarten-2nd.  The VISTA will also coordinate complementary CSC events and programs that align with the Partners in Print Program, including National Make a Difference Day, Dive Into Durham spring break, and Dr. Seuss Day. The VISTA will also enhance the planning and implementation of the ARAC K-8 tutoring program.

Duke University, Partnership for Appalachian Girls Education (PAGE)
Partner: Madison County Schools
Focus Area: Education

The goal of the VISTA project is to help girls and young women in economically-distressed Appalachian communities achieve educational success and build futures that include high school completion and college matriculation. The VISTA will engage in a number of activities that will support these goals and help PAGE achieve long term sustainability. She will conduct needs assessment in the communities served, gathering detailed information on graduation and the reasons for dropout. She will help develop a strategic plan for fundraising through grant writing and seeking
private/corporate gifts and help implement that plan. The VISTA will provide support with community outreach through (social) media and direct communication with PAGE students.


East Carolina University
Partner: West Greenville community agencies
Focus Area(s): Education

At ECU, the VISTA will be hosted by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC). This VISTA project will capitalize on the strengths of East Carolina University (most notably its strong mission-based emphasis on service and community engagement) and the west Greenville community, specifically Third Street Community Center and Lucille W. Gorham Inter-Generational Community Center (IGCC). The VISTA will build the capacity for both TSCC and IGCC to address community needs related to education and youth development for K-8 low-income youth and families, provide services to local community members, and strengthen the west Greenville community partnerships and community as a whole.


Elon University
Partner: Alamance County community agencies
Focus Areas: Education, Healthy Futures/Food Security

Elon will host two VISTAs in the coming year. Both VISTAs will be hosted by the Center for Access and Success. The VISTA project will establish a cradle to college pipeline of support services for low-income children and families in Alamance County through a new early childhood initiative to be led by Elon’s Center for Access and Success. The Center already provides a number of educational and college access programs for Alamance County children in grades K-12. The VISTA project would research, design, and implement a new county-wide, comprehensive early childhood effort focused on school readiness and health and wellness of low-income children ages 0-4. The nature of programs that will comprise this initiative will be determined through needs assessment, asset mapping, and collaborative planning with community stakeholders, but resultant interventions will likely rely on parental engagement and education, literacy instruction, and nutritional education. By the end of the 3-year project, Alamance County will have a comprehensive, collaborative early childhood success plan, including assessment protocols; and the Center will sponsor one or more community-based programs that effectively help targeted parents to have their children  ready for entering kindergarten.


Feast Down East

Partner: University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Focus Area(s): Healthy Futures/Food Security

Through the Food Sovereignty Program developed by Southeastern NC Food Systems Program (also known as Feast Down East), the VISTA member will support a number of projects designed to promote and increase access to healthy food in identified food deserts in New Hanover and Columbus County. In New Hanover County the VISTA member will continue to support the Fresh Market and the Rent-A-Farmer CSA produce bags which feature produce from limited resource farmers in nearby Burgaw County. The VISTA member will work in Columbus County, a Tier 1 County, to build healthy habits in underserved communities through the distribution of Rent-A-Farmer CSA produce bags. In addition, the project provides leadership education, nutrition education, and cultural heritage.

High Point University

HPU will host three VISTAs in the coming year. All three VISTAs will be hosted by the Service Learning Program, which is home to the Bonner Leaders Program.

Partner: West End Ministries
Focus Area(s): Healthy Futures
The first VISTA project will continue from the 2013-14 year. This VISTA’s work will take place on campus and in the community with West End Ministries (WEM), a non-profit agency that provides services such as emergency assistance and adult life skill classes. The VISTA will
improve WEM's volunteer coordination and training systems to support the agency's emergency assistance program. The VISTA will also help make healthy food more available to WEM clients.

Partner: Washington St. Project
Focus Area(s): Education
The second VISTA project will take place on campus and in the community with the Washington St. Project – a partnership between HPU and the Hayden-Harmon Foundation. The Washington St. Project is a strategic effort to bolster community resources in the Washington St. neighborhood. The VISTA will improve volunteer coordination and recruitment in line with programs seeking to promote Education for K-8 students in the neighborhood. In particular, the VISTA will develop tutoring and after school programs, with a specific focus on literacy and cultural understanding.

Partner: Washington St. Project
Focus Area(s): Healthy Futures
The third VISTA project will also work with the Washington St. Project, but will have an emphasis on food security and health education. The VISTA will improve volunteer coordination and recruitment in line with programs seeking to promote Healthy Futures. In particular, the VISTA will help make healthy food more available to the neighborhood and increase healthy living educational opportunities.

All three VISTAs' work will serve as a model or pilot project to demonstrate how HPU Bonner Leaders can serve as volunteer coordinators and liaisons with partner agencies. During the course of the year, the VISTAs will help develop trainings and supports for students taking on these roles. The VISTA will also help energize community members to participate in the MLK Day of Service.


Hospitality House of Boone
Partner: Appalachian State University
Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity

Hospitality House of Boone serves people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness in Watauga County. The goal of the VISTA project is to provide an earned income funding source for Hospitality House, act as a resource for services to meet client needs and to serve as a job skills training program and facility for residents and outreach clients. The VISTA project will build on the capacity of Hospitality House to stay sustainable and to continue impacting the community in positive ways through the increased collaboration with the Appalachian State University ACT Program. It will further increase community awareness and serve as a new way to recruit and
cultivate volunteers to give of their time, talents and treasures.

Marian Cheek Jackson Center

Partner: UNC-Chapel Hill Communications Studies

Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity

The Jackson Center is a community-based advocacy organization serving historically African-American and low-income neighborhoods in Chapel Hill through public history, civic media, and community action. The VISTA will support the development of Jackson Center programs that serve the housing and economic needs of local low-income residents. Key activities include the maintenance and expansion of service partnerships with university units (including the Communications Studies department), enhancement of community programs to serve housing needs, volunteer recruitment and coordination, database maintenance, and the development of new neighborhood advocacy networks to pair long term residents with students and community advocates.

Meredith College

Partner: Communities in Schools and Telamon Head Start

Focus Area(s): Education

The three year overall goal of the VISTA will be to support and continue to form the pipeline of services for the Children’s Collaborative of Wake County including home visitation, parenting classes, preschool, afterschool program, Campus Kitchens, neighborhood advisory board, teen job training and healthy outcomes in the Kentwood subsidized housing neighborhood. The three years will follow CCW’s first cohort, Kentwood children birth to three collecting pertinent data for the pipeline of services, and tracking educational, healthy eating, and social well-being progress for
Kentwood children four to eighteen years old.

NCSU/ Raleigh Colleges and Community Collaborative (RCCC)

Partners: Chavis Heights Community Center

Focus Area(s): Education

At NC State, the VISTA will be hosted by the NC State TRIO Program, which is in the division of Academic Programs and Services, the lead office in the Raleigh Colleges and Community Collaborative (RCCC). The VISTA will work on campus and in the community with key partner, Chavis Heights Community Center. Chavis is the main site for the RCCC’s College Center, an effort to deliver post-secondary programs and resources at the community level. The VISTA will coordinate services and programs at the existing College Center site and seek to expand the model

to other partner agencies. The VISTA will continue to catalogue assets at RCCC partner campuses, conduct outreach and track participants, engage volunteers, and coordinate programs.


Student U

Partner: North Carolina Central University

Focus Area(s): Education

Student U is a college-access organization that believes all students in Durham have the ability to succeed. The mission of Student U is to empower students in the Durham Public Schools to own their education by developing the academic skills and personal well-being necessary to succeed in college and beyond. The VISTA project will increase the reach of programming to connect with more students in Student U's target population. The VISTA will also strengthen relationships with local universities including NCCU to increase college student engagement in programming and ultimately educating Durham’s youth. This project will increase Student U's organizational capacity by creating a sustainable system that can be followed for years after the completion of the VISTA project.

UNC-Asheville

Partner: Open Doors of Asheville

Focus Area(s): Education

At UNCA, the VISTA will be hosted by the Key Center for Service-Learning and Community Citizenship, which serves as a hub for campus/community engagement efforts. VISTA work will take place on campus and in the community with Open Doors of Asheville, a local non-profit serving at-risk youth through education, enrichment, tutoring, and mentoring. The goal of the project is to strengthen a mentoring partnership between UNC Asheville and Open Doors that improves educational outcomes for low-achieving K-12 students. Partnership will increase both Open Doors’ capacity for improving the educational success of students living in poverty and UNC Asheville’s capacity to offer meaningful experiential education opportunities and training to students. This project also will increase capacity of additional community organizations to utilize UNC Asheville students as well as UNC Asheville’s capacity to prepare student volunteers for

community-based experiences.

UNC-Greensboro

Partner: Interactive Resource Center

Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity

At UNCG, the VISTA will be hosted by the Office of Leadership and Service-Learning (OLSL), which serves as a catalyst for the development of experiential curricular and co-curricular leadership and service-learning initiatives. VISTA work will take place on campus and in community with the Interactive Resource Center (IRC), Greensboro’s day center for people experiencing homelessness. The first year of the project focused on food security with the development of IRC’s Community Garden. The second year of the project focused on economic opportunity with particular attention on volunteer management and financial literacy. In the final year, the VISTA will continue to
refine volunteer management and economic opportunity outcomes.

Wake Forest University

Focus Area(s): Education, Healthy Futures

WFU will host two VISTAs in the coming year. Both VISTAs will be hosted by the Office of Service & Social Action. Both VISTAs at Wake Forest University will build capacity within existing programs, connect resources, and implement new initiatives in order to address the community-identified needs of increasing educational success and food security in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The goals of the education access project include: increasing school readiness and academic engagement of at-risk elementary and middle school children in Winston-Salem, and enhancing partnerships with community-based programs, including Saturday Academy and after-school, STEM-related programs at El Buen Pastor Latino Services and Ashley Elementary School, supported by the NERD network.

The goals of the healthy futures project include: increasing access to food resources and nutritional information for low-income children and families, and enhancing partnerships with community-based programs, including Campus Kitchen delivery sites.

Western Carolina University

Partner: The Community Table

Focus Area(s): Healthy Futures

The goal for this VISTA project is to strengthen relationships between Western Carolina University, the Community Table, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP) and the Local Food and Farm to School Education Program; to build capacity at the Community Table and ASAP/LFFSEP, and to raise awareness about food insecurity in Western NC. The project aims to provide the Community Table and ASAP/LFFSEP with the food resources necessary to meet their customers’ needs, to train and manage volunteers, and to enhance publicity and outreach efforts. The project is also intended to increase awareness of food insecurity issues on campus and in the wider community.

Why Summer Learning Matters

By Grace Troccoli, VISTA Summer Associate at NC Campus Compact. Grace is a rising senior at Elon University, majoring in Special and Elementary Education and minoring in History. 

As a future teacher, nothing irks me more then when kids return to school in the fall and have forgotten all of their multiplication facts or have fallen several months behind in reading. Yet this phenomenon is a common occurrence in classes I work with and in other classes across America each fall.

Why? Because the lack of kids’ summer learning causes learning loss.

("Summer Learning Day")

In fact, studies since 1906 have consistently shown that most students regress in their learning during the summer. Over the summer, students have been shown to lose about two months of learning in math. Additionally, low-income students typically lose two months of learning in reading while their middle-class peers typically make slight gains in reading.  These consistent summer learning losses add up; summer learning loss accounts for two thirds of the ninth grade achievement gap in reading (Fairchild, 2008).

Yet despite these facts, an estimated 43 million children in the United States miss out on summer learning opportunities (Fairchild, 2008).This means that 43 million children in the U.S. are at risk for summer learning loss or are at risk for falling behind in school.

This reality is especially true for low-income families.  An analysis from an early childhood longitudinal study found that 46% of low-income children visited a library over the summer months compared to the 80% of their high-income peers who visited a library. 20% of low-income children visited an art, science or discovery museum over the summer while 62% of high-income children visited a museum.  Lastly, 43% of high-income children attended a camp over the summer while only 5% of low-income students attended a camp  (Blazer, 2011).

The disparities are great and the learning stakes are high, so what do we do about summer learning loss?

I am part of a VISTA Summer Associate program sponsored by AmeriCorps and North Carolina Campus Compact. Several of my fellow Summer Associates are supporting great summer learning programs. Here in Alamance County, Anna Lewis is supporting the Elon Academy which is a college access and success program for academically promising high school students with a financial need and/or no family history of college.  This summer the 69 scholars will spend a month on Elon University's campus taking college planning classes and academic enrichment courses in addition to participating in leadership development community service activities. Additionally, Jenna Nelson is supporting a program at the Boys and Girls Club that provides educational and leisure activities for kids in grades K-12.

In Madison County, NC, four Summer Associates are supporting the PAGE summer program. The Partnership for Appalachian Girls Education (PAGE) offers two, 3-week sessions for local adolescent girls from low-income families. The program focuses on digital literacy, college access, and literature while building on girls' critical thinking and leadership skills.

Other Summer Associates are supporting hunger-related projects that include nutrition education, which creates opportunities for summer learning on topics related to science and health. In addition to these programs, many other campus- and community-based programs across our state and nation are working to prevent summer learning loss.

If you care about summer learning loss, please join us in celebrating Summer Learning Day this Friday, June 20th! 

Summer Learning Day is a national advocacy day, sponsored by the National Summer Learning Association, that promotes the importance of summer learning.

There are many ways that you can celebrate Summer Learning Day!

For example, you can:

• Celebrate Summer Learning Day with children you work with by: 
• Reflecting with kids about what they want to learn this summer and help them form summer learning goals.
• Creating a way to celebrate kids’ summer learning. For example, you could display kids' summer learning work around the room.
• Implementing a long-term summer learning challenge. For example, you could challenge kids to read for a certain amount of minutes by the end of the summer. 
• Spread awareness about the importance of summer learning in your community by sharing the Achievement Gap Info Graphic or Summer Learning Day Key Messages.
• Spread awareness about Summer Learning Day through social media  by: 
• Adding your event to the Summer Learning Day Map.
• Tweeting @summerlearning  and @NCCampusCompact using #SLD2014. 
• Posting to Facebook about your events. 
• Taking the Community Pledge for Summer Learning.  (“Summer Learning Day”) 

For more ideas, check out the National Summer Learning Association’s suggestions here.


So, on Friday, June 20th, highlight the importance of summer learning in your community by celebrating Summer Learning Day and remember…

“You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”- Dr. Seuss



Works Cited
Blazer, C. (2011). Summer Learning Loss: Why its Effect is Strongest Among Low-income Students and  How it can be  Combated. Information Capsule , 1011.  
Fairchild, R. (2008). Summer: A Season When Learning is Essential. Afterschool Alliance Issue Briefs (33).
"Summer Learning Day." National Summer Learning Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2014.

VISTA Elizabeth McIntosh helps Appalachian girls dream new stories with PAGE

VISTA
Elizabeth McIntosh

Though originally from sunny Winter Park, Florida, NC Campus Compact VISTA Elizabeth McIntosh is no stranger to the Appalachian mountains. Elizabeth's mother runs a summer camp for girls, Camp Glen Arden, in Tuxedo, NC, where Elizabeth has spent every summer of her life. Now Elizabeth works just 70 miles from Tuxedo in Madison County, and is following in her mother's footsteps.

In partnership with the Madison County School system, Elizabeth works with PAGE, the Partnership for Appalachian Girls Education, a project with a mission to foster 21st century literacy, social equity, and economic opportunity for Appalachian girls and young women. PAGE was founded in 2010 and has since hosted 50 girls (grade 6-9) in their summer camp program. Elizabeth officially began her year of AmeriCorps service in August of 2013 as PAGE's first VISTA member, but she had previously worked with the organization's summer camp through a Duke University internship in 2012, and then as part of the strategic development committee from 2012-2013.

Though the learning curve for institutional development is steep, Elizabeth's educational background has made the road much more navigable. Elizabeth graduated from Duke University in May of 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and minor in History. Now as the PAGE VISTA, Elizabeth wears many hats, but all with the goal of building capacity and long-term sustainability for the PAGE program so that it can meet the educational needs of students in rural mountain communities.

Elizabeth with PAGE participants

Elizabeth's work so far has been quite prolific. Since PAGE is currently a project of Duke University's Social Science Research Institute, she has been working with a Duke Research Fellow on a community needs assessment. Elizabeth has also had a hand in developing a strategic plan for PAGE with a goal of helping the organization become an independent, 501c3 non-profit within the next 5 years. She has designed and implemented a marketing approach that includes building key stakeholder relationships, securing grant funding, and creating a social media and communications presence. Elizabeth has already garnered over $18,000 in support from funders since she began her work in August. As a relatively new program, Elizabeth says, "It is important to take the time to get the word out [about the program] and develop community relationships."

Currently, she is spending a large majority of her time recruiting. Partnered with Duke Engage, she is looking for both Duke students to intern with PAGE during its 6-week summer program, and also looking for middle school girls from Madison County to enroll in PAGE's summer program. Though summer is still several months away, these middle-schoolers are jumping at the opportunity go to camp, and -- eventually -- to college.

Elizabeth recalls a conversation one mother shared about her daughter Laura's recent visit with the college counselor. The counselor asked the ninth-grader (and PAGE participant) to list ten colleges she was interested in, and the girl said firmly, "I want to go to Duke." According to Laura's mom, when the counselor laughed and encouraged Laura to add nine other schools to that list, she "looked straight at the man and [said] 'No! I don't need any more schools. I am going to Duke!'"


For Elizabeth, this story embodies PAGE's mission. This program, she says, is "allowing [these girls] to achieve their dreams, even in the face of much adversity. It would not have mattered to me if this girl said Duke or the local community college, as where she wanted to go. The point is that she is following her dreams whatever they may be, full force ahead."

As a strong advocate for following your dreams, when Elizabeth heard about the NC Campus Compact VISTA position, she didn't hesitate to apply. "Few graduates get to say they have a hand in developing and running a nonprofit organization, while also making a difference in a community, and I get to say I do both!" she exclaims.

She enjoys spending her time outside of work simply being outside. All outdoor activites -- from exercising to rock climbing to sitting on a porch with friends -- are favorite past times. Water sports, especially scuba diving and water skiing, also hold places close to her heart. "I am a Florida girl after all!" she jokes.

For Elizabeth, the draw of working outside during the summer at camp, was also particularly enticing. If the PAGE program also sounds like something you would be interested in, you can check out their website, follow them on Facebook or Twitter, or send Elizabeth an email to provide you with more information and add you to their e-newsletter.  Also, if you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please feel free to reach out. As PAGE has grown they are always searching for more and more people to help with various aspects including counseling middle school girls and fundraising, all to provide the best educational enrichment program to middle school girls possible.

Elizabeth hopes to extend her VISTA service for one more year with PAGE. After that, she plans to go to law school and then either continue her work in the non-profit world or work to make change at the government level. She states, "My passion is making the world a better place; I am just undecided as of now, the best place for me to do this."

What she does know is that PAGE serves an area that is near and dear to her heart. "I am...a firm believer that any child can accomplish whatever they set their mind to regardless of circumstance and I want to be a part of an organization that help[s] children know that." These young girls at PAGE are dedicated, creative, and bright. Through Elizabeth's own dedication to this program, she has not only acted as a role model for these girls, but has developed the groundwork for their future successes.

Elizabeth says that Laura's story is becoming wonderfully common, and offers some wisdom about their future: "Watch out world, here they come!"

VISTA member helps Raleigh colleges and community connect

As a VISTA hosted by NC State University to support the Raleigh Promise, Brianna Roach is developing new programs that prepare young people to access higher education. A key to her work is the time she spends each week visiting community partners and the kids they serve. "Brianna is our 'boots on the ground' in the community," her supervisor Dr. Kelly Laraway explains.

Since she began her VISTA service in August, Brianna has learned about the network connecting the six colleges and universities that make up the Raleigh Colleges and Community Collaborative, and the many resources those institutions can bring to bear in her work setting up the Raleigh College Center. The center is conceived as resource for community residents, especially young people, who want information and preparation that will lead them to access higher education. As the community liaison, Brianna spends time each week at the Chavis Heights Community Center, home of the first College Center. She also regularly connects with other key partners serving Raleigh youth, including Neighbor 2 Neighbor and the Hope Center.

So far, Brianna has organized college and career fairs and scheduled presenters from partner campuses to provide regular monthly programming at Chavis for the Insight Series. For example, on March 28th, Brianna hosted an etiquette dinner for 60 youth and 10 adults. The young people wore professional dress and had the chance to gain etiquette and interview tips, and they received items such as a portfolio to prepare them for professional settings.

Brianna at Chavis Community Center.

Brianna has also organized arts and science enrichment programming in at the College Center, and she is excited about a plan to offer mini-tours of several local colleges, including NCSU, Peace University, and her alma mater, St. Augustine's University. The tours will give up to 25 young people a chance to both visit the campuses and participate in fun activities like spray painting State's expression tunnel or playing a game show at Peace.

A New Jersey native from a large family, Brianna says working with the kids at Chavis has been the best part of her VISTA experience. She has tried to find ways to make College Center programs "down to earth" and fun - presenting financial aid information in a game of College Access Jeopardy, for example, rather than droning on about completing the FAFSA. "I learned that every kid doesn't need saving... they are smart, they have challenges, they want opportunities. I also learned that if you are not genuine with them, they will pack your bags for you."

When her VISTA year ends, Brianna hopes to move into a teaching position. Until then, she says, "I'm excited that I have the chance to be here" to help develop the programming calendar and make connections for the College Center. Her focus on presenting college information in ways that are fun and engaging will continue to influence future College Center offerings.                                                                                                                             

VISTA Profile: Tiara Pugh

First-year VISTA Tiara Pugh is already an AmeriCorps veteran, having served last year with NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) in the Pacific Region, a far cry from her hometown of Siler City, NC. She is now serving at Elizabeth City State University to build a strong partnership with the H.L. Trigg Community School, an alternative school for middle and high school students.

CC: What previous volunteer work or experience led you to
becoming a VISTA?
TP: I did AmeriCorps NCCC these last 9 months. I have worked in the rain, snow, and ice planting trees and chopping wood in the North West and worked in the blistering 100 degrees of Utah searching for beaver habitats while wading in waist deep water and closing roads. It was hard but all worth it in the end.

Tiara served last year with NCCC in the Pacific Region.

CC: What drew you to the project at ECSU with the H.L. Trigg Community School?

TP: At NC Central University, my alma mater, I majored in psychology with a minor in child development. I eventually want to end up in the education field but I don't know for sure if I want to teach just yet. I did an NCCC round in south central LA and saw first hand what a low income school is like. It was my favorite placement but also my most challenging. I served at an elementary school doing after school tutoring and the kids were both challenging and loveable. I worked with 2nd and 3rd graders. I wish I was super woman so I could help all children succeed in school! My VISTA project gives me a chance to know more about the NC education system and how I can help low income school systems succeed.

CC: Tell us a little more about your work with Trigg.

TP: Marion Hudson (another NC Campus Compact VISTA based at ECSU) and I are working to start a tutoring and mentoring program to support the school. We're recruiting ECSU student volunteers, training them, and setting up the program. We've also spent time in the school observing and talking with staff, and we've seen needs like new weight room equipment and grade-level reading material, so we are working with groups at ECSU to donate used equipment and put together a book drive.

CC: You're a North Carolina native, but you're new to Elizabeth City. How is it so far?
TP: They have a farmer's market here on Saturdays so I've been down there and it was nice. I also went to a football game that was fun. Everyone here has been really friendly.

CC: Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
TP:  I want to travel as much as possible. India is a must see for me so I hope to get there one day. I'm a great dancer! No, just kidding, but I love to dance.

Queens Celebrates Partnership with Local Elementary School

One year after the Carolina Panthers challenged the students, faculty and staff of Queens University of Charlotte to perform 75,000 hours of community service throughout the 2011-12 academic year, Queens officials announced yesterday that Queens did meet and exceed that goal.

NC Campus Compact VISTAs based at Queens played an important role in this success by supporting a partnership with a local elementary school.

"Our motto at Queens is 'Not to be served, but to serve,' and through our 80,353 hours of service this year I'm confident we're living our motto in a meaningful way," said Dr. Pamela Davies, president of Queens.

In September of 2011, the Carolina Panthers challenged Queens to perform 75,000 hours of service throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system and beyond. Sedgefield Elementary School was identified as a key community service partner in 2011 and teachers identified areas of need throughout the school year for Queens to offer assistance.

Last year, Queens VISTA Abby Burkland acted as a key liaison with the school, facilitating a number of initiatives that supported Sedgefield student success, including the development of a mentoring program that matches Queens students and Sedgefield children with help from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte. In the current project year, NC Campus Compact VISTA Christina D'Aulerio will work to expand and institutionalize the partnership.

Yesterday's celebration brought Sedgefield students and teachers to the Queens campus, where they danced along with the Panthers' mascot and Queens cheerleaders. Every child received a book to acknowledge their hard work toward academic goals.

NC Campus Compact Executive Director Dr. Lisa Keyne attended the celebration, along with Sedgefield principal Ivy Gill and representatives from the Charlotte City Council, CMS district, and Habitat for Humanity. "Queens' Center for Active Citizenship has made a deep impact by connecting college students with elementary students. This partnership is a model for focused, sustained community engagement," Keyne said.

"Volunteering at Sedgefield had more of an impact on my life than any other service activity I have ever taken part in. I became not only more humble, but felt even more blessed," said Whitney Liotti, a Queens' student. "A young girl told me she dreamed of attending Queens when she grew up. In that moment I realized my reality was another child's dream. The impact of this experience made me value my education at Queens... and heightened my desire to be my best as a Queens' student and Sedgefield volunteer.

Read more here: Queens Celebrates Win with Carolina Panthers and CMS
Check out this video:

VISTA Profile: Sara Brown

Sara is a 2012-2013 NC Campus Compact VISTA serving at UNC-Asheville. Although she is an alumna of Appalachian State University and claims New London, NC, as her hometown, Sara grew up in the North in New York and New Jersey and is excited to experience city life once more.

SP: What previous work or volunteer experience led you to becoming a VISTA?
SB: I worked a lot with the ACT (Appalachian and the Community Together) at Appalachian State University. We planned major service events across campus, such as Dance Marathon, MLK Challenge, and coordinated Alternative Breaks. We also attended outside service events and maintained and built new relationships with community partners. I decided to do VISTA because instead of it just being an extracurricular activity, I wanted to be able to dedicate all of my time to projects and work with college aged students.

SP: What are you most looking forward to during your term of service?
SB: I'm excited to get a new perspective of how projects are completed and events are executed. I want to be able to work with students who are in positions that I was once in, and be able to offer advice as well as learn a different university's ways!

SP: What is the primary focus of your project? What community partner(s) or populations will you serve?
SB: I will be working with UNC-A's Key Center, community service office. Our community partner is William Randolph School which is an alternative high school that serves low income students and provides them with holistic and vocational education to prepare them for college.

Other fun facts about Sara!
Favorite food: Mac and cheese
Favorite band: Red Hot Chili Peppers