Lead the way-Be a NC Campus Compact VISTA Leader!

NC Campus Compact is now accepting applications from candidates for a 2015-2016 NC Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader.  VISTA Leaders work with the VISTA program coordinator to support NC Campus Compact VISTAs serving in community that addresses local needs in one of three areas: education (K-12 success or access to post-secondary education), economic opportunity (housing or financial literacy), or healthy futures (food security). 

NC Campus Compact VISTA members work to develop partnerships between universities and community partners that address these issues by mobilizing campus resources, including student volunteers, faculty and staff expertise, or financial/in-kind contributions. Please click here to learn about our 2015-2016 VISTA members and projects.

To apply and learn more about the process please click here.

The VISTA Leader will support the current cohort of 17 VISTA members whose terms began in August 2015. The VISTA Leader will play a key role in recruiting new members for the 2016-2017 year. Other duties include, but are not limited to, advising members to ensure VISTA project success; managing performance measurement system for monthly VISTA reporting, providing summaries, and assisting with submission of CNCS reporting; enhancing member communication with calls, emails, and site visits; and co-coordinating training and presentations.

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have one full year of prior VISTA service to apply. Strong candidates will have: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree; experience with college service programs and programs serving low-income adults and/or youth; strong writing and organizational skills; knowledge of social media platforms and MS Office products. The VISTA Leader role demands passion for the VISTA mission of fighting poverty and for the Campus Compact vision of higher education as a path to active citizenship. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or have permanent legal resident status. The VISTA Leader will serve at the Compact’s office in Elon, NC, on the campus of Elon University. Elon University is a selective, independent university renowned as a national model for engaged learning. Learn more at www.nccampuscompact.org. 

CNCS benefits include: Education award upon successful completion of service, health coverage,  living allowance,  professional development,  relocation allowance,  childcare assistance if eligible. NC Campus Compact offers an additional living stipend to support the VISTA Leader.

The start date for the position is flexible, but is expected to be be filled by mid-January. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

In addition to the online application, please send a letter of interest and a current resume to Program Coordinator Carolyn Byrne at cbyrne3@elon.edu.

Can you hear me now?

By
Perdita Das, VISTA Leader at North Carolina Campus Compact

It’s not every day that you get to speak with the NATIONAL AmeriCorps VISTA Director. I count myself to be lucky to be among the few chosen members to have had the opportunity to chat with Director Paul Monteiro on the phone. I think it’s really cool that the head of a national program is taking the time out of his extremely busy schedule to speak personally with VISTAs across the nation. The half hour conversation I had with him was thought provoking, reflective and, most importantly, very honest. We spoke of the many rewards, some challenges and what it personally means to me to be a Volunteer in Service to America.

The conversation gave me food for thought and I hope it provided Mr. Monteiro with the insight he was looking for. We talked about why becoming a VISTA was important for me, what made me decide to be a VISTA leader, what are some of the challenges my cohort and I face as service members, and so on and so forth. I tried my best to represent my program and my VISTAs and I hope that my comments will help him as he plans for the future of the program.

As VISTA members, we fight poverty and our main focus is to build capacity of organizations that are committed to alleviating needs in a community. In addition, it is also a way for young, civic-minded professionals to gain valuable skills and experience that can be applied to future career choices. But most of all, VISTA members are able to provide support to organizations that allows them to build long term capacity and sustain projects that are important to a community in need. My conversation with Director Monteiro revolved around these ideas and he asked me some really important questions of how we can make this experience for VISTA members a positive and worthwhile one. Pretty much nothing was off the table- our topics ranged from living stipend, healthcare benefits to recruitment challenges and so forth. As a VISTA, it gave me an opportunity to voice both my praises and concerns for the program. As a VISTA Leader it allowed me to learn the critical thinking process that I will be able to use as I plan for the professional and personal development of our cohort of VISTAs.

I believe Mr. Monteiro has a vision for the program which will allow it to reach new heights. I was excited when he spoke about engaging VISTA alums more and making our alumni network a stronger one as that is something we are also trying to do with NC Campus Compact’s current members and alums. I am grateful that I was able to talk candidly about different things that can often be a challenge. The fact that he is taking the time to talk to members shows his commitment and I am looking forward to the future of this program. The conversation gave me different aspects of service to reflect upon and it made me proud to be a part of the AmeriCorps VISTA family. Thank you Mr. Monteiro!

North Carolina Celebrates VISTA's 50th Anniversary!

The Corporation for National and Community Service North Carolina State Office, in partnership with VISTA programs and alumni, invite you to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of AmeriCorps VISTA!

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2015

Location: LIFESPAN Creative Campus

908 McClellan Place, Greensboro, NC 27409

Time: 11:00 am- 2:30 pm

Join VISTA Alums, currently serving VISTA Members, VISTA supporters, and friends to celebrate the impact that the program has had in the state for the last 50 years. This will be a celebratory event highlighting projects both past and present. There will be an opportunity to participate in a service project, connect with current and past VISTAs, and remarks by distinguished VISTA alums from over the decades! 



We are pleased to announce Joseph Bathanti, North Carolina Poet Laureate 2012-2014, as our keynote speaker. Mr. Bathanti came to North Carolina in 1976 to serve as a VISTA volunteer. As a VISTA Mr. Bathanti worked with prison inmates. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, he has BA & MA degrees in English Literature from the University of  Pittsburgh, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College.Professor of Creative Writing at Appalachian State University, he is also Writer-in-Residence and Director of Writing in the Field for the University’s Watauga Residential College.





There is no cost to attend this event.

REGISTER NOW!

Please note that registration closed Monday, June 15th. If you are interested in attending please contact Catherine Casteel at ccasteel@elon.edu

The day at a glance:

11:00 am to 12:30 pm: Service Project (wear comfortable clothes and shoes)
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm: Lunch and Networking
1:30 pm to 2:30: Remarks by Keynote Speaker, Joseph Bathanti, and Distinguished Alums

Stay tuned for more details regarding service projects and speakers!

Directions to Lifespan Creative Campus.

To learn about other events throughout the country, please visit the VISTA 50th Anniversary Website.

Please contact for questions regarding:
Registration: Catherine Casteel at ccasteel(@)elon.edu
Service Project and Location of Event: Leah Parks at lparks(@)lifespanservices.org

"I am honored to celebrate this milestone with you, in part because I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for the service of others. Or the purpose that service gave my own life...Happy Birthday AmeriCorps VISTA!"- President Barack Obama (See full message below)

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of AmeriCorps VISTA on February 25th!

AmeriCorps VISTA's 50th Anniversary National Solutions Summit will take place at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC on February 25, 2015.

The National Solutions Summit salutes AmeriCorps VISTA’s legacy of strengthening communities and creating opportunities that lift individuals out of poverty. This event features a retrospective look at VISTA’s achievements through the voices of those who have served and been served, and spotlights the innovative solutions and ideas of tomorrow through social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, policymakers, and grassroots agents of change.

The event will take place from 1:00-5:30 PM in the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. In order to live stream the event please register here. 

Agenda:

12:00 p.m. Registration Begins

1:00 p.m. Welcome - Paul Monteiro, Director, AmeriCorps VISTA

1:15 p.m. Wendy Spencer, CEO, Corporation for National & Community Service

1:30 p.m. Poverty in America

1:45 p.m. Voices of VISTA Panel - Then and Now

3:00 p.m. Break / Networking

3:45 p.m. Solutions Worth Sharing - Speaker Spotlights

5:30 p.m. Closing

Make Poverty History!

Ready to learn and lead: New VISTA Leaders reflect on their time at PSO

Catherine and I are extremely excited to join the North Carolina Campus Compact VISTA family. We feel as if there has not been a moment to breathe! Moving, trying to get settled and getting oriented to our new positions all seemed to happen in a flash and before we knew it, we were packing to head to Dallas for VISTA Leader Pre-Service orientation.

Catherine and I both directly came into this position from our VISTA year without taking a break, so we are still pumped up with energy and all that we have experienced in the past year. My service year was in Bridgeport, CT and Catherine's in Cincinnati, OH and you can read our full bios on the VISTA Annex.

So Catherine and I were not able to be roommates and we were assigned to different facilitators which meant we had the opportunity to experience different styles of presentation and different groups of people which was perfect. It was really interesting to meet so many different VISTA Leaders from all walks of life: from Florida to Alaska, from six months into their service to those who have barely started and Leaders in their 20's to leaders in their 70's. I always encourage everyone to derive from the experience of those around us. People are your best resource and just listening to their stories can provide a whole different aspect to our viewpoint.

Over the three days, our facilitators threw a ton of information at us. The days whizzed by talking about leadership, connecting with members spread out over a large regional distance and serving as a resource. Something I paid attention to this time around is not only the content, but the style of facilitation as well. All of us at some point at a conference often feel as if the information is not pertinent to us. I learned that a lot can be gained from just watching these presenters. What did they do? How did they create a safe space? How did they engage those who were less vocal than others? These are all important cues I picked up that I hope we will be able to deliver to all the VISTA members over the year.

One thing I learned that I will forever utilize is the ability to look at the positives. Yes, it is important to improve upon ourselves and our projects but we often forget to look at what is going right and what can go right. We did several activities that asked us to focus just on the positives and I realized how much I have to look forward to this year.

Our theme for the training was to connect with the heart and lead with the mind. We are all leaders, even if we don't realize it. At home for younger siblings or other family members, among our friends or at school and work- we all fulfill some kind of leadership role. A good leader is able to inspire a shared vision and model the way for those they lead. We all can make a difference and it is important to focus on not only the goals, but also the people that are part of the process.

Catherine and I can go on for hours about all the specific training on diversity, distance leadership, leadership models, icebreakers and the countless conversations we had. We were also able to connect with several other Campus Compact VISTA leaders and it was interesting to see how similar we were in structure and function. We will put together a resource folder with all that we learned for future reference. For now, we are glad that we were able to attend this PSO and we know that this is only the beginning of a knowledge packed year. I will leave you with these strong words from Catherine, who has perfectly summarized our experience:

Last week at the VISTA Leader PSO I spent 4 days being inundated with information about my role as leader. Learning and sharing experiences with my fellow VISTA leaders was a powerful lesson in the creation of community. Almost instantly, a group of 60 strangers was united by our passion for service and for ensuring our VISTAs have the best possible experience.

I encourage all of you to find and create communities during your service term, both personally and professionally. If you’re looking to connect with other VISTAs in your area, use the VISTA map. Try using your college’s alumni network to make local connections with your alma mater. Use websites like idealist.org and meetup.com to find events that interest you.  Find communities that enrich your personal life. For me, that’s finding a local book club, a knitting circle and a masters swim team.  Putting down roots in your community, whether you’re a native North Carolinian or from out of state, will make your VISTA year more fulfilling.  

Your VISTA term will fly by- you’re almost half way done!  The holiday break provides an excellent opportunity for reflection. Reflect on the connections you’ve already made, the ones you want to deepen, and the ones you have yet to make!-Catherine

Getting Things Done for America

Carla's big goodbye: A year in view as your VISTA Leader

I started off my year by writing a blog post introducing myself, so it seems only fitting that I close with one as well. It seems like such a long time ago that I sat in a UNC Greensboro conference room (on my first night on the job I might add. Chad wasn’t shy about getting my feet wet.) listening to the Executive Director of the Interactive Resource Center speak about homelessness. I still remember what she said that day when a student asked, “but what can we do?”

She replied, “you might think you can’t do anything now, because you don’t have any money to donate, or any time to volunteer, but there are lots of people to do those things.” She told us a story about a group of people sitting by a river and suddenly they see babies starting to float by.

Immediately, they jump into the strong current and form a chain to pull the babies out of the river. It is tiring and the babies just keep coming. But these people are so busy and caught up in getting the babies to safety, that no one has the time or the thought to go upstream and see who is throwing the babies in the river in the first place (no babies were harmed in the making of this analogy).”

This is what a system of oppression looks like. It is so insidious that you can’t see it, and you are so caught up in it, that you don’t realize that your actions aren’t creating sustainable change. She went on to say that what we can do is learn. Keep learning about these systems, grow your passion and thirst for knowledge; get to know people and their stories. And above all, never stop asking why. Because ultimately, “we’re a community of people, not a community of systems.”

That’s hard for me sometimes, because I’m a numbers person. Here are some of those numbers from the past year:

• Counted 5,678 volunteers
• Reviewed 288 timesheets
• Wrote 50 Tuesday mails
• Wrote and edited 30 blog posts
• Sent over 3000 emails
• Put in 1,800 of work

Those numbers mean I accomplished something right? Maybe, but as much as I love bulleted lists and data, it can never tell the full story, because it isn't really the core of the work I did or helped support. The numbers are only a small glimpse at trying to quantify the immeasurable. How can you really count how much community you had a part in building?

I feel confident in saying that not a single one of these NC Campus Compact VISTAs enjoyed my phone calls to remind them of a deadline, or to guide them through editing reports or blog posts, but they humored me, spending hours trying to get it right.

Each of these VISTAs wants to get it right, and that’s what is really at the core. I may have called with critiques, but as I spent hours reading  reports, and signing off on timesheets, I didn’t see the numbers. I saw each of them spending day-in and day-out, weekends and nights, and over-nights, in pursuit of their passions and in pursuit of the change they know is possible.

I saw them worrying about how events would go, or how much volunteers would like them or if they would even show up, or finding the best way to communicate with their supervisors or community partners, or running out of time. And I saw them on the other side of it all, having met new people and gained new experiences, ultimately invigorated by the work that not only they achieved, but by the guidance they facilitated in others to realize their own passions and goals and purpose.

So VISTAs, maybe your accomplishments aren’t the most quantifiable right now. Maybe you feel like a single disconnected cog, or a footnote under someone else’s name. But just because you are only the spark of an idea, that spark brings a light. It has illuminated a way of doing and being present in the world that either wasn’t there before or wasn’t noticed.

We can invent new technology, review spreadsheets, come up with outcomes and improvements, algorithms and quantifiable impact, but each of those numbers is a person and each of those people has a story that is meaningful. Gather them together and share them with others. After all, we’re not a community of systems, we’re a community of people.

I’ve lived in Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Kentucky, North Carolina again, and now I’m off to Virginia to serve as the Operations Associate for the D.C. region Teach for America team. The people I have met along the way have helped shape my path to this point, and it’s much easier to see what it looks like looking backward, than looking ahead, but I suppose that’s part of the journey.

I am so excited to join the TFA team and continue to learn and grow and meet new people. The climate of education in the country is over the burner right now, and education reform is taking lots of different avenues. I am excited to get into the thick of things in the nation’s capital to continue my own education of social justice. I expect that some people will touch my life with meaning, and others will confirm what I dislike about society and stoke my passion for change.

Someone wrote me a letter once, with the best advice I’ve ever gotten. I’d like to share it with you here, because as I wrap up this year of VISTA service, and this period in my life, I am struck by how many people I have met along the way who have reached out when they didn’t have to, or spoken up when they witnessed injustice, or taken initiative to start something new, whether or not they thought it would be successful.  These people continue to inspire me to pursue not just my own passions, but the ability for everyone to have the same opportunity of their own pursuits.

“You don’t have to get a job that makes others feel comfortable about what they perceive as your success. You don’t have to explain what you plan to do with your life. You don’t have to justify your education by demonstrating its financial rewards. You don’t have to maintain an impeccable credit score. 

You do have to be kind. You have to give it all you’ve got. You have to find people who love you truly and love them back with the same truth. 

But that’s all.”

It takes two: be part of a dynamic VISTA LEADER duo supporting 20 members across NC!

NC Campus Compact is seeking qualified candidates to fill 2 VISTA LEADER positions in our main office, located at Elon University. These LEADERS will support a 20-member VISTA cohort serving across the state.

Our VISTA program places members at campus or community non-profit host sites to support programs that benefit low-income people and create pathways for higher ed community engagement. Projects address 1 of 3 focus areas: Economic Opportunity (for low-income adults), Education (for at-risk PK-12 youth), or Healthy Food and Nutrition. VISTA members work to develop partnerships that address these issues by mobilizing campus resources, including student volunteers, faculty and staff expertise, or financial/in-kind contributions.

If you're interested in teaching, advising, or career development, apply to be our VISTA LEADER – Professional Development Specialist. You will help our team of VISTAs get the most out of their service experience by designing and implementing a professional development plan to foster members' career-ready skills. This position will also support child/youth development projects. Key duties include:

1. Advise VISTAs to ensure success, focusing on projects serving children/youth
2. Plan professional development to foster "career-ready" skills
3. Engage VISTA alums through e-newsletters, events, alumni connections, social media
4. Assess success of VISTA PD supports   

Apply online here.

If you're a systems-oriented person who seeks to develop data analysis skills, apply to our VISTA Leader - Performance Measurement Specialist. You will also work to develop and refine performance measurement systems to assess project progress, implement monthly progress reports for all members, build a  portfolio of assessments for use by sites, analyze reports, and communicate impact. This position will also support projects serving low-income adults. Key duties include:

1. Advise members to ensure success, focusing on projects serving low-income adults
2. Develop performance measurement and reporting systems
3. Analyze and collate data and prepare impact summaries
4. Monitor VISTA time logs

Apply online here.

Duties shared among the 2 positions include: 1. Enhance member communication with online and face-to-face meetings and social media, 2. Coordinate new VISTA recruitment/selection, 3. Assist with site visits and project monitoring, 4. Support community engagement of member campuses.

QUALIFICATIONS: YOU MUST HAVE COMPLETED 1 FULL YEAR OF PRIOR VISTA SERVICE TO APPLY! Strong candidates will have: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree; experience with college service programs and programs serving low-income adults and/or youth; strong writing and organizational skills; knowledge of social media platforms and MS Office products. Role demands passion for the VISTA mission of fighting poverty and for the Campus Compact vision of higher education as a path to active citizenship. Must be U.S. Citizen or have permanent legal resident status. The VISTA Leader will serve at the Compact’s office in Elon, NC, on the campus of Elon University. Elon University is a selective, independent university renowned as a national model for engaged learning. Learn more at www.nccampuscompact.org.


BENEFITS: Education award upon successful completion of service,  Modest Housing support,  Health Coverage,  Living Allowance,  Training,  Relocation Allowance,  Childcare assistance if eligible.

The start date for these positions are flexible but we expect to fill both by mid-November.

To apply please send a letter of interest and a current resume to Program Coordinator Chad Fogleman (cfogleman2@elon.edu).

New VISTA Leader, Carla Davis, joins NC Campus Compact Community!

I've jumped into the thick of things here at North Carolina Campus Compact! Since Tuesday the 19th, my first day, I've already gotten to attend a Hunger and Homelessness Awareness event at UNCG put on by NC Campus Compact VISTA Devin Corrigan with the Interactive Resource Center and Office of Leadership and Service-Learning, listened in on a VISTA-led webinar, and gotten to talk one-on-one with almost all of our VISTAs! I am so excited to join the Campus Compact team and am soaking up all of this knowledge like a sponge (that roughly translates into spending most of my time readingreadingreading!).

"How did I get here?" you ask. Great question! Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

I grew up in Decatur, Georgia, with my two sisters, Rose and Maya, and my Mom. My younger sister Maya is still close to home in Athens, GA, and my older sister now works in Washington DC at the Environmental Investigation Agency. If you're in the area, also check out her band! My two younger brothers, Ed and Nico, live with my Dad in Greenville, NC. As of right now, Ed (15) wants to be an aerospace engineer, but is first learning the magic of operating regular cars, and Nico (12) is seriously considering zoology and currently is running his own massage business around the house.

I grew up wanting to be a three-way tie between professional soccer player, car mechanic, or librarian, but also always really enjoyed being on a team. My love of team sports evolved into a passion for volunteering, fostered both by my family, and my close-knit community of Decatur. I started out my volunteering stint because my older sister was doing it, and so it must be the coolest, right? My older sister went on a mission trip every summer to work for the Appalachia Service Project, spending a week in Appalachia repairing the homes of low-income families. I tried it out, not thinking I would like it, but I kept coming back year after year, not because it was cool, but because of the people; the people who volunteered beside me, yes, but more especially the families I met. Sure we came for a week and repaired a leaky roof, but I left with a strong sense of community. These families lived without adequate access to so many things, but they were rich in the bonds they had with each other, and together they got by. I started to think more deeply about what community meant, and how I could live my own life to engage in a bigger community. What did it mean that I could go back to my warm bed after a week working on a home far less safe than mine, and then say I lived in community with those people? The answer for me was that I couldn't. I wanted to learn more about the inequalities that pervade our society and what it meant to stand beside someone in their struggles, and yet not make them out as my own.

So, I started college at Montclair State University in New Jersey where I played lacrosse, was an Academic Assistant, and acted as Vice President of my Residence Hall Student Council. I finished up with a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, joining the ultimate frisbee team and working with the Student Power Union to engage students in their school governance. Every summer in between my college terms though, I worked on staff for the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) in Kentucky, where I oversaw volunteer groups just like mine and got to know the families for which we worked for a whole summer, instead of just a week. After graduating from UNCG, I went back to Kentucky and worked as an AmeriCorps Office of Surface Mining/VISTA with the Housing Development Alliance (HDA), which builds and repairs homes for low-incomes families and teaches financial literacy.

While I believe that providing quality housing to low-income families (and everyone) is important, what drew me to these organizations was their over-arching missions of building a stronger communities. ASP is often referred to as a relational ministry with construction on the side, while HDA seeks to strengthen communities by creating quality homes. While ASP and HDA have laid their foundations with housing, NC Campus Compact works through education to build these strong communities. I believe the causes of poverty and inequality overlap in so many different ways, from lack of access to quality housing, or education, or healthy food, but I believe that that core of the solution lies in connecting people with one another and strengthening the ties between them.

These NC Campus Compact VISTAs are building the systems that help non-profits sustain communities, but more than that, they are breaking down the systems that challenge our communities by connecting people with one another. As Liz Seymour, the Executive Director of the Interactive Resource Center of Greensboro, so aptly said last Tuesday night at a "Faces of Homelessness" Panel, "After all, we're a community of people, not a community of systems."

I am so excited to see how Campus Compact VISTAS are working with and within their communities across North Carolina to engage volunteers in their local non-profits, and how I can best support each of our VISTAS in a successful year of service!

Now recruiting for our next VISTA Leader!

NC Campus Compact seeks a dynamic, creative VISTA Leader to begin service in late October, 2013. Our VISTA Leader supports a cohort of 20 VISTA members serving at campus and community-based sites across North Carolina. All members work to strengthen a partnership between a campus and a key community organization serving low-income people. Projects address K-12 education, food security, or economic opportunity. Join the North Carolina Campus Compact VISTA team and fight poverty with the power of higher education!

The VISTA Leader will serve at the Compact’s office in Elon, NC, on the campus of Elon University. NC Campus Compact is an association of 40 colleges and universities committed to being “engaged campuses” that develop a student’s sense of citizenship, leadership, and civic responsibility, and impact the community by partnering with local organizations to address real needs.

LEADER DUTIES: The VISTA Leader will work with the Program Coordinator to: 1. Enhance member communication, 2. Develop and present trainings and resources, 3. Coordinate new VISTA recruitment and selection, 4. Collect and analyze member progress reports and performance evaluations, 5. Conduct site visits and project monitoring, 6. Advise members to ensure project success, 7. Engage VISTA alumni, and 8. Expand an alumni mentoring program. As a key part of the NC Campus Compact staff, the Leader will also support professional development for students, faculty, and community partners, and will have primary responsibility for managing the Compact’s social media outreach.

QUALIFICATIONS: Must have ONE YEAR OF PRIOR VISTA SERVICE and a Bachelor's or Master's degree to apply! Must be U.S. Citizen or have permanent legal resident status. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of higher education community engagement, strong writing and organizational skills, knowledge of Adobe products including InDesign, comfort using Twitter and other social media platforms, and full proficiency in MS Office programs.

BENEFITS: Living allowance, Health benefits, Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend upon completion of year of service, Childcare assistance if eligible, Relocation allowance, Training & professional development, Housing support

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Send a current resume and letter of interest to Chad Fogleman, Program Coordinator, NC Campus Compact (cfogleman2(@)elon.edu.) Questions? Email or call 336-278-7197.

2. Submit your updated AmeriCorps application through AmeriCorps.gov to our VISTA Leader position listing: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=51898

Learn more about our VISTA program by checking out the rest of our blog!

VISTAs join the Civic Engagemnet Institute & PACE

North Carolina Campus Compact hosts two back-to-back conferences at Elon University in February. The first is the Civic Engagement Institute, a members-only, day-long conference that brings together multidisciplinary faculty, staff, student, and community partner teams from NC Campus Compact member campuses. This year's theme was: Becoming Citizens, Becoming Community and participants discussed community development and engaged citizenship. The second conference, PACE, is open to all and provides workshops on research, theory, and practice of community engagement and service-learning. More than 450 people from 50 institutions in 10 states participated over the course of the two days.

Top (L to R): A. Mitchell, A. O'Connor, W. Taylor, J. Trillo, R. Rogers
Bottom (L to R): S. Abdul-Rauf, M. Palmeira, J. Beckens, A. Piotrowski

North Carolina Campus Compact VISTAs were invited to attend and participate in both conferences. During one session, VISTAs got a chance to sit down together, share stories, trade trips, and bond as a cohort.

One VISTA commented, "The PACE conference was a great opportunity for VISTA bonding. At lunch we all crowded around one table rather than separate because it is so rare that more than two or three of us get together at a time. When it was suggested that we make our own fourth session and call it VISTA Pow-Wow, everyone that could, was on board. During our fourth session it was nice to have time to just enjoy each other’s company, hear funny stories, give each other advice on issues and just relax in a group of our peers."

Farewell Anya and good luck as a VISTA Leader!

Anya and her UNCG supervisor Joe Frey.

NC Campus Compact VISTA member Anya Piotrowski will end her year of service this month. (Most of our VISTAs serve August - August terms, but Anya's placement began in February 2012.) Anya has made a great impact at her host site, UNC-Greensboro, and community partner, the Interactive Resource Center (IRC). Throughout her year, Anya has worked to help the IRC, in partnership with local grassroots organization Transition Greensboro, build a sustainable community garden at the IRC day shelter. Anya's made herself an amateur expert on organic and permaculture gardening through classes at the local Cooperative Extension office; organized over 400 volunteers for workdays throughout the year; and raised over $5000 in cash, grants, and in-kind donations to support the garden. She helped create internship positions that will support the IRC's housing department and the garden, and will leave behind a comprehensive garden manual to guide the intern and other volunteers managing the project.

On campus, she spear-headed the university's first campus-wide Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week and advised a group of students who organized themselves to sustain the event and continue engaging UNCG with these issues. Check out the Prezi Anya created to sum up her work.

Anya will take what she's learned about building community partnerships and higher ed engagement to her new position as the first VISTA Leader at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. She'll lead a project that places VISTA members at local community-based organizations to build capacity and engage college and community volunteers. Good luck, Anya!

#cultureshock

In this post Rachel, NC Campus Compact VISTA Leader , reflects on her experiences attending two consecutive Pre-Service Orientation events.

Every AmeriCorps volunteer goes through a week of off-site training called Pre-Service Orientation, or PSO. The Corporation sends you to a hotel where you spend twenty-four hours a day surrounded by fellow VISTAs.

In my case, I attended regular PSO and then VISTA Leader training. I spent two weeks in Lombard, IL (a suburb of Chicago) surrounded by some of the most dedicated, hardworking, selfless people I've ever met.

During PSO we talked about what it means to be a VISTA. What it looks and feels like to be on call as a volunteer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We looked at what we’re giving up, what we’re gaining, and why we’re all taking a year (or more) of our lives to engage in service.

We discussed our projects, exchanged ideas, and connected with our fellow volunteers. Those of us doing a second, third, or even fourth year of service traded war stories, and passed along techniques for living on an extremely restricted budget.

We examined our privilege, our prejudices, and our biases. We had difficult conversations about race, gender, and poverty. We were honest. We learned and grew, and then we all went our separate ways.

I came back the next week for VISTA Leader Orientation. The group was smaller this time, 40 people instead of the almost 200 of the previous training. Most of the leaders I met had already started their service, many had already encountered some of the challenges we would later discuss in small groups. It was a quieter session, less like a pep rally and more like being part of a highly motivated think tank.

Sessions were dedicated to problem solving, mediating conflict, and addressing specific scenarios common to the VISTA Leader experience. In one group we spent several hours constructing a year-long communications plan to be used by leaders who worked with VISTAs at a distance (much like the Campus Compact model).

Once again, on a chilly Friday afternoon, we all went our separate ways. Then, a few days later I was reading the enthusiastic tweets and facebook status messages from my new friends and one of them posted simply, “#cultureshock.”

That’s when I realized how hard it can be coming back to the “real world” after a week or two of AmeriCorps immersion. The world we come back to is full of the very real, seemingly insurmountable problems we discussed at training. It’s uncomfortable. But that feeling of discomfort is important. It is that feeling which pushes us to make change. It motivates us to serve.

I came away from training with new friends, new resources, and a renewed sense of purpose. Training reminded me why I’m doing this and that I’m not alone. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to serve.