HANCEVILLE -The Wallace State Community College AmeriCorps VISTA program is currently taking applications for anyone interested in working one of its outreach programs, earning an allowance and, upon completion, receiving funds for further schooling, to pay off student loans, or a cash award.
There are four full-time positions opening for the 2018-2019 year with Wallace State’s Future Foundation, Community Garden, Career Closet and Food Pantry programs.
The Future Foundation AmeriCorps VISTA members are responsible for assisting with the Future Foundation’s capital campaign, which raises funds for student scholarships, educational technology and student/graduate entrepreneurship to support the hopes of the community. Duties include: blogging; funding research; developing marketing materials; drafting emails and designing social media campaigns; creating the scholarship recipients network; assisting with data collection; student tracking and reporting; collecting output and outcome data from activities for reporting to internal and external audiences.
Wallace State’ Planting Seeds Community Garden addresses the College’s mission to transform lives and communities by teaching food awareness and providing food security to Wallace State’s students, employees, and area residents through developing a community garden. AmeriCorps VISTA members are responsible for building the program, establishing partnerships with area businesses to provide the necessary materials, creating a volunteer network to build the beds and work the gardens, marketing the program, coordinating the monthly educational events, and developing the infrastructure for sustainability.
The Career Closet VISTA will work with the Job Placement Coordinator to further develop this new program. The VISTA’s activities include developing policies and procedures, drafting operating manuals, designing communications systems (traditional and through social media), forging business and industry partnerships, securing donations, and establishing a staffing plan.
The Food Pantry VISTA will work with the Dean of Student Services to develop a Student Food Pantry. The VISTA’s activities will include developing policies and procedures, drafting operating manuals, designing communications systems (traditional and through social media), forging business and industry partnerships, and establishing a staffing plan.
Minimum requirements have been established for each position. Some college experience is required in all of the positions, though it varies by program. Information about each program is available at www.wsccalumni.org/vista18, including a link on how to apply for the VISTA positions.
The VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program is a national program in which volunteers apply their skills by designing sustainable, anti-poverty programs in low-income communities. In order to understand the needs of their constituents and anti-poverty work, VISTAs receive a monthly subsistence living allowance set slightly above poverty level. VISTAs at Wallace State work 40-hour weeks for a full year. Upon completion of their year of service, the VISTAs will receive either an Educational Award of $5,815 to go towards further schooling or paying off student loans or a cash award of $1,500.
For more information, contact VISTA Supervisor Kristi Barnett at 256-352-8231 or kristi.barnett@wallacestate.edu, or visit the Wallace State AmeriCorps VISTA page at www.wsccalumni.org/vista18, or the VISTA website, www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorpsvista.
Image courtesy of Wallace State
