OXFORD, Miss. – The North Mississippi VISTA Project at the University of Mississippi is looking for dynamic individuals with a passion for helping others to serve as Volunteers in Service to America, commonly known as VISTAs.
Each of these full-time, one-year placements is supported by AmeriCorps with a modest living allowance, health benefits and an education award, which can be used for graduate school or to repay qualified student loans. The positions, starting in February 2015, will be based in Columbus, Sardis, Oxford and on the UM campus.
The North Mississippi VISTA Project works in 23 counties to build sustainable systems that connect the university and its resources to low-income communities in the region. VISTAs are deployed to nonprofit organizations and schools seeking to develop or expand educational programs that serve low-income children and adults.
“Those who take these positions will make real contributions to the people of Mississippi and gain valuable experience in education,” said Stephen Monroe, UM project director.
Founded in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to combat poverty. Across the country, VISTA members build programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty by fighting illiteracy, improving health services, strengthening community groups and much more.
Serving with United Way of Oxford and Lafayette County, VISTA member Sylvia Stewart works to inform people of what United Way and its partners are doing for the community and how they can get involved to help make Oxford a better place.
“United Way not only mobilizes volunteers and donors within the community, they also unite nonprofits and other actors to solve big-picture issues facing Oxford and Lafayette County,” Stewart said. “United Way recently partnered with the Lafayette County Literacy Council, Horizons, the school districts and others to create the LOU Reads Coalition, a group dedicated to tackling the issues of literacy and reading readiness. I’m grateful that AmeriCorps VISTA gives me the opportunity to work on such worthy projects.”
“VISTAs like Sylvia Stewart are highly motivated Americans who serve with dedication and energy,” Monroe said. “We are seeking more great people to join our project and to make a difference in Mississippi.”
See the list of open positions below. For more information, see the North Mississippi VISTA website at http://vista.olemiss.edu/ or contact project coordinator Susan Nicholas at nicholas@olemiss.edu.
Luckyday Program at UM: The VISTA will report to the director of the Luckyday Program and work to strengthen partnerships with local poverty-fighting organizations. The VISTA will develop service projects and recruit Luckyday alumni to volunteer alongside Luckyday scholars, providing opportunities for service learning.
School of Education at UM: The VISTA will connect UM resources and expertise to educators in underperforming schools across Mississippi. The VISTA will strengthen existing programs, including service learning opportunities such as the School of Education service field trip. The VISTA will also support the Jumpstart pilot, which enhances pre-K learning for low-income children.
Volunteer Oxford: The VISTA will serve under the director of Volunteer Oxford to establish connections with community service agencies, recruit volunteers and utilize social media to expand outreach to agencies and volunteers in the Lafayette-Oxford-University community. The VISTA will help coordinate, on a community level, two national days of service.
North Panola High School, Sardis: The VISTA will develop programs and activities to increase student opportunities to interact with the community and to strengthen student exposure to college and career opportunities. The VISTA will also explore and pursue grant opportunities to provide additional program funding.
Center for Mathematics and Science Education at UM: The VISTA will work with CMSE staff to help develop and expand the Mississippi FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics program, particularly in low-income communities. The VISTA will work to recruit teams, educate the public and develop support personnel in these communities, building capacity so that the programs will function independently. The VISTA will help strengthen CMSE partnerships with businesses, educational institutions and communities to provide K-12 STEM outreach programming for students and teachers.
University of Mississippi Museum: The VISTA will report to the curator of education and work to expand the museum’s educational and outreach programming by creating teaching materials for the traveling trunk program that will be deployed to 23 counties in the NMVP area. The VISTA will also expand the schedule for program implementation, giving priority to underperforming schools. The VISTA will pursue program sponsors and partnerships to build the museum’s capacity, applying for additional funding and managing awarded grants.