SIENAcollege. AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows Program. Host Site Application Guidelines. The Office of Academic Community Engagement

Transcription

1 SIENAcollege The Office of Academic Community Engagement AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows Program Host Site Application Guidelines Year Contact Phone Yalitza Negron Assistant Director /Website

2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1A: AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows B: ACE VISTA Partnership C: Value of VISTA Resource... 3 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT 2A: Three-Year Development B: Returning Sites C: VISTA Assignment Description D: Writing the VAD E: Community vs. Campus Goals... 5 VISTA FELLOW GUIDELINES 3A: VISTA Fellow Qualifications B: VISTA Fellow Benefits C: VISTA Fellow Recruitment & Description D: Limitations on VISTA Fellow Service... 7 HOST SITE GUIDELINES 4A: Host Site & Site Supervisor Responsibilities...7 4B: Cost Share Payment...8 APPENDICES Appendix A: Host Site Contributions Appendix B: Sample VISTA Assignment Description Appendix C: Sample VISTA Budget August to December 2011 By the Numbers 24 VISTAs Serving 1632 Volunteers Recruited 6366 Volunteer Hours Served $112,988 Event- Based Fundraising $3,500 Grant Dollars Received $5,906 In-Kind Donations Received $2,503 Out-Kind Donations Received 330 Transferable Resources created estimated at $3, Community Partnerships Started 1

3 I. Introduction 1A: About AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is one of five national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). For more than 40 years, VISTA has been at the forefront of building capacity to fight poverty in American communities. VISTA Fellows devote a year of their lives to challenge poverty s root causes. They achieve this by mobilizing community volunteers and local resources and by increasing the capacity of individuals in lowincome neighborhoods to make positive change. To achieve this program purpose, VISTA Fellows operate under the following core principles. Anti-Poverty Focus: The purpose of VISTA is to support efforts to fight poverty. The goal of every project must be to help lift individuals and communities out of poverty, not simply make poverty more tolerable. The project should focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term services. Community Empowerment: Potential and current VISTA sites must ensure that their project engages residents of the low-income community in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating the project. The project must be responsive and relevant to the lives of the community residents, and should tap into inherent community assets, strengths, and resources. Sustainable Solutions: VISTA members are a short-term resource for building the long-term sustainability of anti-poverty programs. All VISTA projects should be developed with a goal to phase-out the need for VISTA members and strengthen the ability of the project to continue without them. Capacity-Building: One way to achieve sustainable solutions is to strengthen the ability of local organizations to fight poverty. Through activities such as fundraising, establishment of volunteer recruitment and management systems, community outreach, and partnership development, VISTAs help sponsors achieve lasting solutions to poverty. In order to build capacity, VISTAs do not perform direct service. 2

4 1B: ACE & AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows The Office of Academic Community Engagement (ACE) has been partnering with the Corporation for National and Community Service since 2008 in order to develop engaging, educational partnerships with local low-income communities facing pressing social justice issues. The Siena College AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows Program was established to help ACE build a model of engagement that focuses on improving the quality and capacity of!campus-community partnerships through long-term indirect service work in local community partner organizations and departments on Siena College's campus. 1C: Value of VISTA Resource The ACE VISTA Fellows program is designed to provide host institutions with human resources who work to develop the capacity and enhance the infrastructure of community partner organizations. VISTA Fellows focus on poverty-related needs in local communities, while forging partnerships on Siena campus with students and faculty to foster service-learning opportunities. Moreover, VISTA members are worth budget dollars. The most recent value of volunteer time in New York State, set by the Independent Sector, is $28.04/hr, making the estimated value of a full-time volunteer equivalent to approximately $56,000 per year. II. Program Development Three Year Plan & VISTA Fellow Assignment Description 2A: Three-Year Plan VISTA Fellow projects have an average life cycle of three years. From the beginning to the end of the project planning process, the host site and community partners must think about sustainability and ways in which the VISTA project can be utilized to phase in other resources and systems that will eventually replace the VISTA resource. As such, we require that each year of VISTA Fellow programming have a clear focus on the aspects listed below: Year 1: Assessment & Program Planning! Become familiar with culture of service site and community at large! Develop relationships with community partners! Assess the feasibility of program development and assessment! Pilot a program or program enhancement tool 3

5 (continued from Year 1)! Preliminary research and assessment, program planning for VISTA placement! Begin to explore DEEP Service Connections Year 2: Program Implementation & Evaluation! Continue to implement the program that was developed in Year 1! Evaluate the program! Deepen relationships between host site and community partners! Develop additional tools for building organizational capacity! Further the sustainability of DEEP connections Year 3: Program Development & Sustainability! Continue implementation of program developed in Year 1 & 2! Make program modifications if necessary! Develop transferable resources and tools for making the program sustainable! Develop additional tools for building organizational capacity! Incorporate systems to further sustain DEEP connections past the VISTA Fellow s term Year 4: Program Development & Sustainability Under extenuating circumstances, some programs are eligible for a 4 th year of program funding. Extenuating circumstances may include, but are not limited to: loss of a VISTA during previous program years, shifting community partner goals/leadership, or new opportunities for sustainability. If a host site is applying for 4 th year of programming, Year 3 focus areas are utilized. 2B: Returning Sites If you have already had a VISTA placement at your site, then you will be asked to submit an essay showcasing the growth your non-profit experienced as a result. Please explain what sustainability and capacity your VISTA developed during the past year. A complete answer will give both narrative explanations and data from the year. For instance, if your VISTA Fellow developed an after-school program at your site, give statistics for how many children attended, a narrative describing the program and its impact on meeting anti-poverty initiatives, and finally how your site plans to ensure this program continues after the VISTA is gone. 4

6 2C: VISTA Assignment Description (VAD) The VISTA Assignment Description (VAD) identifies key activities for VISTA members during their service year. While VADs may vary significantly from site to site, the basic structure remains the same."in order to be approved for continuation of your VISTA project, you will need to write a new VAD each year. The goal statement and community needs statement developed during the first year can span the entire project length and do not need to change. However, campus-community goals, activities, and performance milestones must show evolution each project year, with the ultimate goal of program sustainability. An acceptable VAD must have, at least, the following components: Host site information 4 Activities (each activity should Community needs statement have at least three steps) Goal statement Five Performance Milestones 1 Community-Based Goal DEEP Service Section Final End of Year Wrap-Up *Most successful VISTA projects will easily exceed this minimum. Always keep in mind the 12-month timeline when writing activities, steps, and milestones. *Include enough detail in the VISTA assignment description to guide the VISTA Fellow while still allowing for flexibility in carrying out day-to-day tasks and activities. 2D: Writing the VAD 1. Define community need, and identify a focus area from the Corporation for National Community Service s Strategic Plan. The focus areas are Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures, Environmental Stewardship, Veterans & Military, or Families. 2. Narrow your focus area to one or several specific issues (e.g. financial literacy, access to higher education, food access/nutrition, bridging the digital divide, youth program development, etc.). Preference will be given to sites that concentrate on one of the Corporation s focus areas mentioned above. 3. Develop an overarching goal statement that will describe the impact your project will have in addressing community need. 4. Develop goals, activities, action steps, and timelines that will help to achieve the goal statement. 5

7 (continued from 2D: Writing the VAD) 5. Develop milestones, indicators, instruments, target, and period that will help measure the success of each goal. 2E: DEEP Partnerships: Community vs. Campus Goals In order to achieve intended capacity-building goals, your project may specify campus-based goals that will help leverage resources and relationships to have a greater impact on campus-community partnerships and meet community need. Community Partner Title of your organization. Host Office The office that will be hosting the VISTA. Describe the specific need that will be addressed by the project. Community Need t the need should be quantifiable and include a reliable source to Statement t establish the compelling nature of the need. Describe the impact your project will have in addressing the Goal Statement 5community need identified above. This is a broad goal statement, 5and should cover the entire three-year project period. Your community-based goal(s) are the primary focus and relates to t the identified community need stated in the application narrative Goal 1 Community 6(summarized above) and has milestones that measure direct impact 6on beneficiaries in your focus area (education, health, homelessness, 6etc.). What broad activities will your VSTA perform to accomplish the Activity 1 ggoal? What are the specific tasks the VISTA needs in order to accomplish Action Steps 6the specified activity? These should be detailed enough to guide the 6VISTA Fellow s quarterly activity. What is the time frame for accomplishing each specific step? These kshould be listed as specific months in order to help the VISTA Timeline kknow how much time to spend on each step. January-June or kseptember-november, etc. Your campus-based goal(s) is secondary and relates to identified DEEP Connection pneed for site-specific strategy enhancement in order to achieve kcommunity-based goal(s) and milestones. 6

8 Milestones Indicator Instrument ACE AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows Host Site Application Guidelines Describe the specific results you hope to achieve in a particular dactivity area over the course of a 12-month period. These dmilestones should be directly related to the action steps, showing dthat actions lead to tangible results. What are you tracking or measuring to determine if this result has wbeen achieved? These should be written as a number or percentage that measures kthe milestone. Method by which accomplishment of target milestone will be udetermined. These instruments should be tangible and able to be ksent in with reporting documents (curriculum, program flyers, kattendance sheets, etc.) 3A: VISTA Fellow Qualifications III. VISTA Member Guidelines Siena s requirements for VISTA Fellow eligibility differ slightly from the Corporation for National Community Service. One notable difference is that Siena requires candidates to have a Bachelor s Degree while CNCS requires candidates to have a high school diploma. Siena has found that the following requirements for VISTA Fellow eligibility best serve the community partners in the Albany area. Bachelor s degree in any area or commensurate experience. Demonstrated commitment to an experience in community service. Strong written and verbal communication, conflict resolution, public speaking skills, and computer skills. Strong skills in leadership, event planning, multi-tasking and time management. Individual host sites may establish other requirements as needed, such as access to personal vehicle, driver s license, computer application experience, coursework in a particular field, etc. 3B: VISTA Fellow Benefits $927 Monthly Stipend $5,550 Education Award (for qualified student loans) or $1,500 end-of-service cash stipend Health benefits including prescription drug coverage $550 relocation allowance (if eligible) Relocation travel expenses (if eligible) $400/month childcare allowance (if eligible) 7

9 Life Insurance Worker s Compensation Federal Student Loan Forbearance (if receiving education award) Repayment of interest accrued on qualified student loans (if receiving education award) Access to the Siena gym, cafeteria, and library Siena staff parking pass Monthly Professional Development trainings Academic Enrichment Program 3C: VISTA Fellow Recruitment and Selection AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows are recruited nationally through the AmeriCorps website. All candidates participate in a multi-tiered selection process. First, applicants submit a general online application through Americorps.gov which includes a resume, cover letter, and essay questions. Staff will screen applicants to ensure all have met minimum qualification requirements. Qualified candidates are then sent to preliminary interviews with the ACE office either by phone, in-person, or via Skype. Once ACE has selected the VISTA Fellow cohort, sites will have a chance to interview the VISTA Fellows with speed networking interviews and rank their favorites. Sites are not guaranteed to receive a VISTA, as there may be more sites than VISTAs. 3D: Limitations on VISTA Service Federal law and the Corporation for National and Community Service policy prohibit AmeriCorps programs and their members from engaging in certain activities. VISTA Fellows are prohibited from the following: Providing direct service to the community Receiving supplemental allowances or monetary contributions Full or part-time employment during service year Enrolling as a student during their term of service without approval from OACE Supervising full or part-time staff or any other AmeriCorps member Taking on responsibilities at their host campus outside of their VAD Involvement in any partisan/nonpartisan political activity while identifiable as a VISTA member Registering people to vote or driving people to the voting polls Engaging in any pro-labor or anti-labor organizing activities 8

10 (Continued from 3D: Limitations of VISTA Fellow Service) Involvement in lobbying, including any direct or indirect attempt to influence legislation Conducting religious instruction, worship, proselytizing, or any other religious activity IV. Host Site Responsibilities 4A: Site Supervisor Responsibilities Interview VISTA Fellows Attend Site Supervisor Orientation - 2 days for new site supervisors, 1 day for returning Attend Supervisor Training every month Provide daily support, monitoring, mentoring, and supervision to the VISTA Fellow Provide VISTA Fellow with a thorough on-site orientation to service site Provide all required Host Site Contributions for the VISTA program Reimburse VISTA Fellow for work-related travel and expenses Assure VISTA Fellow attendance at all ACE VISTA program requirements, including bi-monthly staff meetings (a typical weekly ratio is 35 hours at the service site, 5 hours at Siena) Monitor progress towards goals and milestones Complete and submit required VISTA reports and evaluations by stated deadlines Pay cost-share payment as outlined below Comply with all CNCS guidelines Certificate of Insurance Board of Directors Flextime Policy or Handbook Memorandum of Understanding Site Supervisor Agreement By-laws Review and approve VISTA Monthly Progress Report (impr) 9

11 4B: Cost-Share Payment In order to help offset the costs of recruiting, supporting, and training VISTA Fellows, host sites pay a costshare OACE for each VISTA position. Program fees may change annually, in order to account for changes in funding available through the Corporation for National and Community Service. The New Host Site VISTA Cost-Share Payment is $11, MOU Contract Timeline: 7/26/12-7/28/13 First Quarter Payment due 7/26/12 Second Quarter Payment due 10/15/12 Third Quarter Payment due 2/15/13 Fourth Quarter Payment due 7/5/13 *Please note, this schedule is a forecast. Our administrative staff is currently examining this schedule. You will be notified in advance if any changes are made. We appreciate your flexibility with this process. Thank you! siena.edu/ace ynegron@siena.edu (518)

12 Appendix A: Host Site Contributions On-Site Mentoring and Supervision ACE and CNCS require that a full-time, year-round staff member accept supervisory duties for the VISTA Fellow. This person should be prepared to donate at least 10% of his/her time to the VISTA project, including both formal and informal meetings, program assistance, and professional mentoring. This individual should have previous experience, willingness, and the ability to serve as both a mentor and supervisor. In the event that the designated supervisor is no longer able to hold the position, the host site is responsible for designating a replacement supervisor. Office Space and Equipment Sites are required to provide the VISTA Fellow with a computer, internet access, phone, voic , and other necessary office supplies. Ideally, the VISTA Fellow should have his/her own office within the department supervising the project. The VISTA project should also have a reasonable budget for supplies. Mileage Reimbursement and Transportation Assistance Sites that require VISTA members to travel as part of the position must reimburse them for all work-related travel or provide a campus vehicle or other reasonable means of transportation. VISTAs are encouraged to carpool with other VISTAs in the program. Professional Development Opportunities Please list any notable professional development opportunities that will be offered to your VISTA Fellow. Other If there are any other contributions your site can provide the VISTA Fellow, whether it be access to resources, training on specific software, or travel opportunities, please include it in your application. 11

13 ! Appendix B: VAD Worksheet Community Partner Name: Host Office/Department Name: VISTA Fellow Name: VISTA Fellow Title: Project Name: Supervisor Name: CNCS Focus Area: Assignment Area: Service Year: July 2012-July 2013 Duties: VISTA Fellow Activities and Steps Checklist Goal Statement: Activity 1: Community Goal 1: Action Steps: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Timeline Activity 1 Milestones: Activity 1 Completed Activity 1 Indicator/Instrument: Activity 2: Community Goal 2: Action Steps: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Activity 2 Milestones: Activity 2 Completed 12

14 Activity 2 Indicator/Instrument: Activity 3: Community Goal 3: Action Steps: Step 1: Step 2 Step 3: Step 4: Step 5. Activity 3 Milestones: Activity 3 Completed Activity 3 Indicator/Instrument: Activity 4 Community Goal 4: Action Steps: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Milestones: Activity 4 Completed Indicator/Instrument: Activity 5: Community Goal 5: Action Steps: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Milestones: Activity 5 Completed Indicator/Instrument: Activity 6: Community Goal 6: 13

15 Action Steps: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Milestones: Activity 6 Completed Indicator/Instrument: Activity 7: Build DEEP Community Partnership with Siena College. Community Goal 7: Action Steps: Step 1: Explore and pursue ASL/CBR partnerships with Siena College. Step 2: Explore and pursue student volunteer partnerships with Siena College. Step 3: Explore and pursue other forms of collaboration with Siena College. Milestones: Activity 7 Completed Indicator/Instrument: Activity 8: End of Service Year Wrap-up. Community Goal 8: Action Steps: Step 1: Write a final report documenting accomplishments and challenges faced in the above activities Step 2: Prepared knowledge transfer mechanisms for the next VISTA in this position. Milestones: Activity 8 Completed Indicator/Instrument 14

16 Appendix C: Host Site Contributions Example Budget Remember, VISTA Fellows are worth budget dollars. The most recent value of volunteer time in New York State, set by the Independent Sector, is $28.04/hr, making the estimated value of a full-time volunteer equivalent to approximately $56,000 per year. Host Site Contributions !"#$%&"#'($%)*"+, Item Description Amount #$%&'($)"*+,-$./ Cost-share payment Standard Fee $11, Supervision Percentage of $4,750 (Suggested 10% of Salary) Supervisor s Salary Computer/Telephone/ Estimated equivalent $1,000 Required In-Kind Internet Benefits Office Space Estimated equivalent $7,500 Transportation Allowance Reimbursement for $300 conferences/project travel Operating Budget for Site- To be used for VISTA $1,250 Based Professional programming Development 011$($)"23"24+'5+65$ Opportunities Parking Permit Donated Staff Pass for 1 $60 year 0/7$( 15