VISTA ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION (Vad)

VISTA ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION (vad)

New York Campus Compact – AmeriCorps VISTA VISTA Assignment Description (VAD)

Host Hobart and William Smith Colleges Institution: Host Office: Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning Program Year: 4 Community One in four children in Geneva lives in poverty, which is twice the county average. Geneva Needs High School is in its 5th year as a “School in Need of Improvement” and the youth that Statement: attend Geneva Middle School and Geneva High School are in need of a high quality after school programming that can address issues related to literacy, school success and environmental sustainability awareness. Goal Statement: The VISTA will assist the Geneva City School District, the Geneva Community Center and the Geneva Reads literacy coalition in efforts to alleviate child poverty.

GOAL 1 VISTA will work to institutionalize Geneva Reads program. Community ACTIVITY 1 VISTA will assist with strategic planning process for Geneva TIMELINE Reads in collaboration with a facilitator from the Rochester Ad Council VISTA will continue with strategic planning process. VISTA will support Geneva Reads plan and facilitate the execution of Q1-Q3 action steps that lead to a sustainable coalition. VISTA will review 5 literacy coalitions to determine how structure impacts success (tax exempt status, grant funding, etc. Q1 will be examined). VISTA will attend 3rd annual Upstate New York Literacy Q2 Coalition workshop VISTA will recruit a campus or community member to serve as key liaison between Geneva Reads sub-committees including Q1-Q4 ACTION STEPS the Community Reads, Annual Book Fest, and Book Distribution Committees VISTA will recruit and train a campus or community member to maintain Geneva Reads membership roster, schedule and Q1-Q4 facilitate monthly Geneva Read meetings VISTA will complete a community agency inventory to ensure all appropriate child serving, poverty relief related agencies are Q4 represented in the Geneva Reads distribution list prior to departure Geneva Reads manual will be made accessible to general Q4 membership MILESTONES: GOAL 1 INDICATOR TARGET INSTRUMENT PERIOD Geneva Reads Strategic Plan Coalition members completed from Geneva Reads 1 Strategic Plan Q1 work to develop plan Key advisory and facilitator Community partners positions with Geneva Reads are take on key roles 2 leaders Sustainability Q2-Q3 assigned to campus/community assigned Plan partners GOAL 2 The VISTA will continue working with the Community Center to formalize and Community institutionalize programming partnerships ACTIVITY 1 VISTA will formalize partnership plan for sustainability of TIMELINE Geneva Community Center’s Youth Garden VISTA will meet with Middle School Teachers or administration to present program and explore avenues for integrating the gardens with relevant curriculum and learning Q1 objectives to promote additional youth awareness and involvement ACTION STEPS VISTA will coordinate a fundraising effort to assist with maintenance of the garden after the VISTA’s departure (grant Q3 or community fundraiser) VISTA will design a volunteer engagement plan for the Youth Community Garden so that key community members are invested in the success and longevity of the project (ex. Q3-Q4 Cornell’s Master Gardner program, Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center) ACTIVITY 2 VISTA and Finger Lakes Institute (FLI) Community Outreach TIMELINE Coordinator collaborate to improve energy efficiency and water conservation in youth program participants ACTION STEPS VISTA receives training related to energy education Q1 (NYSERDA workshop, participates in existing FLI programs) VISTA will interview City Planner/Executive Director of the Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center to learn about outreach and education efforts related to energy efficiency of Geneva’s Q1 aging housing stock. VISTA will interview Director of Geneva Housing Authority to determine correlation between demographics of families in economic distress. VISTA assists FLI Community Outreach Coordinator with marketing, recruitment and training of Geneva Middle School Q1-Q2 teachers, Community Center staff, and community members on energy education VISTA and FLI Community Outreach Coordinator obtain NEED energy kits (National Energy Development Project: Promotes energy awareness through education and networks of Q1-Q2 students, educators, business, government and community leaders http://www.need.org/) VISTA works with Community Center staff to develop Q3-Q4 incentive plan to encourage students to complete mini energy audits of their homes (sample syllabus from Earth Care) VISTA will determine if there is a possibility for HWS student involvement with energy education programming (ie. Campus Q2-Q3 Greens Club) and recruit accordingly Improve energy efficiency and water conservation in youth Q4 program participants’ homes MILESTONES: GOAL 2 INDICATOR TARGET INSTRUMENT PERIOD Successful fundraiser held or Successful fundraiser 1 grant sought to maintain Youth or grant successful Event/grant Q3 Garden grant or fundraiser VISTA assists FLI Community GCSD teachers, Outreach Coordinator with Community Center training Staff, and interested 6 training community members sessions Sign-in Sheet Q1-Q2 informed of energy held consumption habits and conservation strategies Youth participate in energy Youth demonstrate NYSERDA efficiency workshop and learn awareness of energy Energy audits 60 youth Q1-Q4 importance of utilizing the kits efficiency and kits are and utilized in the home. Pre-post survey

GOAL 3 Utilize HWS resources to institutionalize partnerships that build capacity for Campus community center/community partnerships ACTIVITY 1 VISTA will assist with capacity building for the Community TIMELINE Center through formalizing HWS volunteer engagement ACTION STEPS Meet with Community Center staff to determine one-time and Q1 on-going opportunities for HWS students to participate Recruit students from service-learning classes, residents from the Community Service House, and members of social justice Q1 themed clubs to respond to one-time and on-going volunteer opportunities Develop training agenda and with assistance from Community Q1 Center staff, facilitate volunteer orientation Facilitate volunteer placement and support by matching volunteer availability and interest with corresponding Q1 and Q3 Community Center program. Create “Faces of Volunteerism” Board to display at Community Center so that staff are aware of names and Q1-Q4 responsibilities of student volunteers Join Community Center Staff at weekly meetings to assess Q1-Q4 strengths of volunteer engagement strategy and make adjustments where necessary Train Civic Leader for Community Center Engagement on Q3-4 Volunteer Recruitment and Training Plan ACTIVITY 2 Assist HWS Center for Community Engagement and Service- TIMELINE Learning Staff with outreach and engagement capabilities Lead workshop to be determined on strengths of VISTA Q1 Participate as panelist for AmeriCorps outreach event Q2 and Q4 ACTION STEPS (“Appetizers with AmeriCorps”) Assist with Honorary Board Leadership program service Q1 and Q3 activities MILESTONES: GOAL 3 INDICATOR TARGET INSTRUMENT PERIOD HWS Volunteer Recruitment Timeline developed, and Training Plan formalized Student Civic Leader 1 Manual Q3 position created and transition plan arranged HWS volunteers recruited and Garner interest through Flyers, 15 trained targeted recruitment Volunteer Q1 volunteers Application HWS students involved in HWS participation in 2500 supporting efforts related to fundraisers, tutoring, hours spreadsheet Q2 - Q4 poverty relief in the Geneva mentoring, research, served Community and general service