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NC Campus Compact VISTA Current Issue - December 2007
2008-2009 VISTA Host Site Applications Available in January! Would you like a VISTA to work on program development and sustainability efforts for service at your campus for the 2008-2009 academic year? Now is the time to start planning to apply! The 2008-2009 VISTA Host Site applications will be distributed at the NC Campus Compact regional meetings in January. Applications will be due on February 15, 2008. If a representative from your campus is unable to attend your region’s meeting, please contact VISTA Leader Kristen Carter after January 22nd to obtain an application (kcarter12@elon.edu). Please note: While the application process will be very similar to last year, there will be some additional expectations for 2008-09 host sites, as well as some slight changes to the application form. Most notably, there will be two different cost share levels, depending on the number of years your campus has hosted a VISTA: For campuses who will only be in their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year hosting a VISTA in ’08-‘09, there will be an administrative fee of $1,500. For campuses going into their fourth year and beyond, the VISTA administrative fee is now $2,000. If you are not currently a member of North Carolina Campus Compact, but are considering joining and would like to apply for a VISTA to serve at your campus, please be aware that you must join the Compact by January 15, 2008 to be eligible as a VISTA Host Site for the 2008-2009 year. VISTA December Regional Meetings The VISTAs attended their professional developments regionally on December 11th. Each region participated in workshops facilitated by staff from our member campuses, and included meeting time for the VISTAs to discuss upcoming service events and possibilities of collaboration, share ideas and best practices, and brainstorm plans for the spring semester. The host VISTAs reported on the details and “lessons” from their region’s meeting: Western/Charlotte Region Marisa Wheeling, Director of Career Services at Pfeiffer University, spoke about working with non-profits, writing grants, and finding the balance between a job you are passionate about and a job that “pays the bills.” Next, the VISTAs met to discuss goals for Spring 2008, personal & professional highs, as well as VISTA’s plans for after his or her service year. The day concluded with Alyssa Williams, Student Life and Career Services Coordinator at CPCC, speaking on building a professional portfolio and collecting documents that will show future employers the work we are doing now, including promotional items, news publications, certifications, and pictures from events we plan. The meeting allowed VISTAs to start thinking about early preparation for after his or her service year, especially regarding building a professional portfolio (including press on our programs and events) to give potential employers a visual of the work we are doing as VISTAs, and how to market the transferrable skills we are acquiring.
The morning portion of the regional meeting was a Community Asset Mapping workshop and simulation presented by Leslie Garvin of NC Campus Compact. We learned how to identify and utilize the strengths, tools, and resources in communities to address social issues and make the communities better. We did a brief mapping exercise in the Smith Homes area of Greensboro to get an understanding of the process, and did some activities to help clarify the goals of the approach and its history in social services. In the afternoon we met to discuss and plan collaborative projects. We decided that in order to bring our campuses together and to create energy around social justice and service work in general, we would like to plan and implement a benefit concert in early April. Details to come! This meeting gave all of us a new way of understanding community issues by focusing on the available resources rather than the perceived deficits. In this way, we are able to focus on the strengths of the community and the potential for positive outcomes rather than the weaknesses, stereotypes, or problems. Approaching situations using this method allows people to better collaborate with community leaders and plan sustainable, well-supported projects. Eastern/Triangle Region Host: John Vance at North Carolina State University) We had a morning session on Grant Writing led by Sherry Dutton, the Director for External Relations at the NCSU Institute for Nonprofits. In the afternoon Leslie Garvin led a session on Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), which involved completing a windshield assessment of a community in southeast Raleigh. We had some good discussions of the activity afterwards about the resources and assets available in the community. It is always good to learn about new skills and techniques that can help us do our jobs more effectively. During the grant writing session we learned of various resources to find grants (specifically in NC) and how to write them. Many thanks to Leslie for an interactive ABCD session and for getting us out into the community. I feel like we need to do a lot more of that. We also enjoy just getting to hang out and have fun among the VISTA team. Seeking VISTA Alumni! NC Campus Compact is in the process of creating its AmeriCorps*VISTA Alumni Network. We would like to maintain contact with alumni about their post-VISTA endeavors, as well as provide opportunities to stay connected with the Compact and other VISTAs, and create a forum for the exchange of professional and volunteer information. It is our hope to have several of our alums attend the VISTA Recognition Banquet in June 2008. NC Campus Compact VISTA Alumni can join the network by visiting our website: www.nccampuscompact.org/VISTA and going the “VISTA Alumni” section. We are asking you to help spread the word and encourage any VISTA alums you are in contact with to sign up! Digest Homepage and Table of Contents
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