Exciting VISTA position available in Maine!!!

Apologies for cross-postings...

The following posting for a VISTA member at Unity College in Maine is
being forwarded by request.  Please contact Dave Ogrodowczyk if you have
any questions.  His contact information is given at the end of this
message.

Maine Campus Compact VISTA 2000 Fact Sheet

Introduction    The Maine Campus Compact VISTA program was created
through a
partnership with the Maine Corporation for National Service state
office.
This member service was instituted as a response to the identification
of
common needs of member campuses and a recognition of the importance of
expanding and strengthening state-wide collaboration. By enhancing the
quality of campus community service, service-learning, America Reads and

America Counts programs, improving student leadership, increasing the
number
of students coordinating programs and students in direct service in the
community, the Maine Campus Compact VISTA program helps colleges and
universities respond to pressing issues facing low-income communities.

        AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers are selected and trained throughout
the year by
MCC and placed on member host campuses to serve as mentors, trainers and

resource gatherers.  MCC AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers provide students,
staff
and faculty with on-site training and technical assistance focused on
the
specific needs of the campus and the local community. Additionally, the
MCC
VISTA corps model allows each campus to benefit from a network of 12
VISTA
volunteers and the best practices from their campuses.  Each
participating
campus designs the activities of their MCC VISTA from these options:

America Reads and America Counts:  The America Reads Challenge mobilizes

tutors to ensure that every child can read well and independently by the
end
of the third grade. As part of the Challenge, President Clinton called
upon
colleges and universities to dedicate a significant portion of the new
increases in Federal Work-Study funds to America Reads tutoring
positions.
As an incentive, the federal government instituted a 100% waiver for
such
placements.  America Counts is a new federal initiative focusing energy
on
setting up math tutoring programs.  All campuses sponsoring MCC VISTAs
must
have programs that:

* recruit students and sites for America Reads/Counts placements;
* disseminate program information within the college and community:
* maintain or increase the number of Federal Work Study America Reads
tutors;
* collaborate with Financial Aid Office/Student Employment Office,
Community
Service Office and Literacy organizations;
* provide ongoing updates on models and America Reads/Counts initiatives

from the state and national levels;
* coordinate a comprehensive training program for tutors;
* strengthen and encourage the sustained involvement of students and
community members in all levels of the program.

 Student Leadership:

* improve the quality of student leadership through training of students
to
coordinate and implement service programs such as alternative breaks,
one-day and on-going service projects and America Reads initiatives;
* enhance student voice in community service learning programs through
faculty/curriculum committees and public education;
* identify, select and train MCC Leaders;
* and support and facilitate collaboration of student activities with
significant service components (i.e. Greek life, student government,
multicultural organizations, etc.).

 Campus and Community Collaboration:  MCC VISTAs help campuses meet the
challenge of integrating and streamlining service initiatives on campus
and
in the community. With their support, campus departments and
institutions of
higher education can collaborate on recruitment, training, placement,
evaluation, documentation and reflection practices. MCC VISTAs also work

with community organizations to establish new placement sites and work
toward the creation of a forum for community voice. Priority is
established
for proposals in which the MCC VISTA will:
* increase the total number of Federal Work Study community service
placements
* increase the number of quality community partnerships in the local
campus
community including training in volunteer management
* create or maintain a stakeholder group to oversee programming
* increase student awareness of communities in which they serve through
diversity training and/or a formal community inventory
* collaborate between campuses with the same projects and/or partners

  Community Service Learning: Through service learning, students engage
in
organized service experiences as part of a for-credit curricular course.
The
MCC VISTA program strives to aid colleges and universities in the
development of curricula that respond to pressing issues facing
low-income
communities and create long-term service opportunities for students.
Priority is established for proposals in which the MCC VISTA will:
* assess college community's knowledge of and participation in service
learning programming
* increase knowledge of service learning among faculty and the student
body
throughout the year
* support community and student participation in the design and
implementation of service learning courses
* leverage academic support and expertise for other campus service
initiatives including America Reads
* expand the number of courses with service learning components
* diversify and expand a campus-based service learning resource library
* design or improve evaluation mechanisms for service learning courses

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"it is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is
because we do not dare that they are difficult"

seneca

dave ogrodowczyk
nova coordinator
unity college
hc 78 box 1
unity, me 04988
207-948-3131 ext. 293
daveo@unity.unity.edu