Vermont Campus Compact Seeks VISTA Volunteers for 2015-2016

Re-Post from www.vtcampuscompact.org/2015-2016-vista-program-recruitment.html:

We are looking for passionate people to fight poverty as AmeriCorps*VISTA members by increasing college aspirations among K-12 youth in Vermont. Each member will serve at a college for a one-year term. At your site, you will develop and coordinate programs that will increase the capacity of campuses to provide student volunteers to serve low-income K-12 students; and/or develop programming to support at-risk college students. This could include: creating or coordinating mentoring, tutoring, or advising programs; providing training for college students to serve as volunteers; working with faculty and staff to support service initiatives focused on college aspirations, access, and success; writing grants and proposals to support service on campus and in communities; and recruiting and supporting college student volunteers.

Requirements: Must be 18-years-old and a college graduate; additionally, some of our VISTA positions require the volunteer to have their own reliable transportation

Benefits: Living stipend (between $11,676-$13,296/year), Loan Deferment, Interest Accrual, Non-Competitive Eligibility, Healthcare, Childcare (if eligible) Choice of Education Award or stipend upon successful completion of service term ($5,740)

Note: Before submitting, please review our application process below. You only need to submit an application for one position below in order to be considered for multiple.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Our Application Process:

1. Complete and submit an application by clicking each job title (you will be directed to the AmeriCorps Job Portal)

2. Submit a cover letter and resume to Marie Hebert, Vermont Campus Compact VISTA Leader at mghebert@uvm.edu

3. Application Screening: Our office will review your application and then contact you to let you know your status (you will always hear from us, even if you do not pass this initial review).

4. Interview #1: Applicants who pass the application screening will be contacted by Vermont Campus Compact to schedule an initial screening conversation.

5. Host Site Review: Interviewees who are a good fit for this work and would be a great addition to our statewide VISTA team will have their applications passed on to the host site(s) of their interest.

6. Final Interview: After reviewing application information, host site(s) will hold interviews with those applicants whom they feel are best suited for their environment and the important work to be carried out.

Hiring decisions will be made no later than June 5, 2015: However, this entire process can sometimes happen in as quickly as one week

AVAILABLE POSITIONS
**Click on the position title to apply!

University of Vermont: Dewey House for Community Engagement
This position will work with the University of Vermont’s Dewey House for Community Engagement, a residential learning community dedicated to creating socially just change through service, learning and leadership. The VISTA will complement the Dewey House’s socially driven mission by supporting first-year college students’ successful transition to campus life as they explore social issues of interest and assimilate into their new community through civic engagement. They will act as a primary adviser for Community Service Scholarship students, a scholarship that uses socioeconomic, first generation and underrepresented status’ as part of the selection process. The VISTA will also work closely with student leaders to foster and maintain community partnerships while implementing monthly programming that connects students with diverse non-profit agencies, local schools, and campus service organizations.

University of Vermont: Think College
Think College Vermont at the University of Vermont is an innovative, inclusive, academic, social, and vocational program for students with intellectual disabilities seeking a college experience and career path. Participants earn a 12-credit Certificate of College Studies for non-matriculated students designed to include: Academic Enrichment, Socialization & Recreation, Independent Living & Self-Advocacy Skills, and Career Skills & Work Experience. Think College Vermont incorporates student-centered planning, academic advising, and peer mentoring for an inclusive, supportive college experience. Think College Vermont serves students who have already graduated from high school as well as current high school students as they transition from high school.

Champlain College: Office of Diversity and Inclusion
The VISTA will work on Access and Success initiatives at Champlain College as well as research best practices to improve on current programs. The Access and Success initiatives at Champlain College include the CARE Program and Imagine College. The CARE program focuses on transitioning underrepresented students to college and helping them succeed in their first year. Imagine College is a week-long immersion program for Vermonters and students from the region who will be first generation college students. Additionally, the ODI convenes stakeholders along the K-12 pipeline and facilitates affinity groups for men and women of color.


Bridport Central School
:
Bridport Central School (BCS) is a small elementary school located in a rural, low-income community near Middlebury, VT. BCS serves a total of 90 students Pre-K – 6th, 67% of which qualify for free or reduced school lunch. The VISTA will collaborate with teachers and staff to support students and families towards their continued growth and aspirations for lifelong learning. The role of the VISTA will include developing a long term growth and sustainability plan for our Adopt- A –Class and Career Cafe programs. Adopt-A Class partners BCS classrooms with Vermont colleges to foster interest and exposure to higher education, while the Career Café program allows them to explore various employments through speakers, crafts and activities.

Lyndon State College:
Lyndon State College Upward Bound is a federally funded TRiO program helping first in family and low income students from the Northern Vermont and New Hampshire access higher education since 1980. Upward Bound works with 75 students in 9 high schools to achieve their postsecondary goals. Students spend 6 weeks each summer living on the LSC campus taking college preparatory classes and volunteering in the community. Throughout the academic year students visit colleges, attend leadership conferences, complete community service, have workshops on financial aid and the college process, and receive guidance on rigor in high school courses, college applications, financial aid forms, and scholarships. Upward Bound’s VISTA member is an integral part of preparing for and carrying out all aspects of this college preparatory programming.

Green Mountain College:
The Lead Student Access and Success Coordinator position will coordinate targeted efforts to support financially disadvantaged students in local high schools, elementary schools, and on-campus. These efforts will primarily be geared toward financially disadvantages students, and the content of the mentoring will primarily address financial literacy and college planning through topics such as educational goal setting, college preparations, and financial planning, including navigation through student loans, scholarships, and work-study positions. Off-campus efforts will cover the southern Vermont region, with a special focus on SIG schools of nearby Fair Haven Union High School, Poultney High School, and Rutland Senior High School.

Sterling College:
Sterling College seeks a VISTA member to serve as the campus College Access Coordinator (CAC.) The VISTA will focus on providing admission and financial aid counseling to Vermont residents who are Pell Eligible and aspire to be the first person in their family to earn a college degree. In collaboration with the Director of Admissions, the Director of Financial Aid, and the Dean’s Council, the CAC will counsel high school students about the college application process, financial aid, and career planning while coordinating on-campus support and programming for at risk, first generation college students.

Champlain College: Center for Service and Civic Engagement:
Champlain College’s Center for Service and Civic Engagement offers an exciting, challenging VISTA position working as a liaison between the college and Burlington’s education organizations. The VISTA will work with college students to create a student organization focused on education- service initiatives. Many of these initiatives provide Burlington’s elementary students with college mentors that attempt to build emotional capacity through structured lunchtime and recess activities. The VISTA will also work toward creating additional partnerships with Burlington’s middle and high schools, as well as other organizations that provide afterschool programming. While working on specific tasks to expand service-education programs, the VISTA will also function as a member of the Center for Service and Civic Engagement team. The VISTA is expected to plan, or assist in Center programs, steering, and vision.


Vermont State Colleges GEAR UP/ Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
:
Education is the path out of poverty. Work to improve the educational outcomes for low-income students in Vermont. This VISTA position will help design sustainable programming that supports students at the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) in their transition to college and continuation into second year. Working autonomously and understanding the nuances of college culture, including student social and academic adjustment, is preferred. The position will be housed at VSAC (Vermont Student Assistance Corporation), a non-profit organization that provides educational resources for higher education and financial aid. The position will focus on identified students enrolled at the Vermont State Colleges. This position is designed to work collaboratively with GEAR UP staff, VSC staff, and other community partners as identified. Experience and/or interest in education, advising, social justice and social media are desirable.


Vermont Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
:
The Vermont Campus Compact (VCC) VISTA Team leader will work with a team of 8-10 VISTA volunteers serving on campuses across the state of Vermont. The team leader will support VISTAs through regular team meetings, trainings, and professional development. He or she will be responsible for maintaining regular communications with VISTAs and their supervisors, including site visits, and for integrating VISTAs into the broader work of VCC. The Team Leader will help VISTAs to address challenges and to improve their programming by serving as a sounding board and advisor on issues related to access and success. Finally, the VISTA Team Leader will serve as a valuable member of the VCC staff and will support network programming and communications (especially social media outreach) throughout his or her term.