PA Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Project Information & Abstracts

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1 PA Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Project Information & Abstracts In conjunction with the PA State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Pennsylvania Campus Compact (PACC) is pleased to announce the following AmeriCorps*VISTA opportunities. With the main goal of eradicating poverty and long-term capacity for communities, PACC*VISTA members serve across Pennsylvania at institutions of higher education and respective community partners. Twenty four positions are available in the program year in four main focus areas: Economic Development; Education through K-12 Success, Post-Secondary Success; Healthy Futures through Obesity, Food Resources, and Access to Health Care; and Veterans and Military Families. For additional information about PACC or the overarching PACC*VISTA program, please visit our website at or contact For more information about specific service opportunities, please see the project abstracts listed in ABC order by focus area. Interested in Applying? PACC*VISTA term of service: July 20, July 24, 2015 which includes a mandatory Pre Service Orientation led by PACC and CNCS. To apply for a PACC*VISTA position, please perform an Advanced Search at the AmeriCorps website (or click here: and search for AmeriCorps*VISTA projects in Pennsylvania. Include PACC in the program name or search by individual program names outlined below PACC*VISTA benefits include: Annual living allowance of $11,352 or $12,312 End of Service Award - Education Award of $5,550 or Cash Stipend of $1,500. Health Coverage provided by Seven Corners Relocation support and Child Care Benefits, if eligible Professional development and support from PA Campus Compact (3 overnight retreats, regular conference calls, site visits) Additional resources may be provided by specific institution or project such as housing, meal plan, parking pass

2 PACC *VISTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ABSTRACTS: Financial Literacy Institution Name: Cabrini College Project Description: Montgomery Co. Asset Building Coalition Host Site Supervisor Name: Tom Southard; Cabrini College is partnering with the Montgomery County Asset Building Coalition to understand the needs of low-to-moderate income individuals and families in Montgomery County, PA, and to begin providing more in-depth financial and asset-building services. The AmeriCorps VISTA member will assess current programs and needs, recruit and train a corps of volunteers to work in asset building programs, and create lasting relationships between members of the community and community organizations. Engaging residents and members of the community will be crucial, so the Asset Building Coalition will be responsive to actual rather than just perceived community needs. These programs will likely address savings and investment opportunities, housing, and other areas of concern as brought up in the assetbuilding assessment completed earlier. The member will also work to ensure these programs are sustainable, including finding funding, volunteer support, and other resources as required for success PACC *VISTA EDUCATION ABSTRACTS: K-12 Success Institution Name: Albright College Project Description: Migrant Education Program & Albright Early Learning Center Host Site Supervisor Name: Dorothea Miller; dmiller@alb.edu Albright College is offering an opportunity for a varied and unique experience. The AmeriCorps VISTA will work with college tutors at 13 th and Union Elementary School to expand the wellestablished Ready. Set. Read! program (an affiliate of the United Way), the Homework Center, and classroom tutoring experiences. The VISTA will also work with the Albright Early Learning Center (AELC) while it transitions back to campus by meeting with the Director, community groups and building strong ties in the neighborhood. The Migrant Education Program will be a part of that transition and the VISTA will also work with them. The PACC /VISTA member will be responsible for developing an infrastructure and plan to increase strong community relations that will eventually be self-sustaining and self-governing. Fluency in Spanish would be preferred! Knowledge of marketing and or communications would help in the design of literature as the AELC prepares to move back to campus. The ideal candidate would be flexible and organized. Institution Name: Bryn Mawr College Project Description: Adelante Host Site Supervisor Name: Nell Anderson; nanderso@brynmawr.edu

3 To address the academic and college focused needs of the vulnerable youth of Norristown, Bryn Mawr College and ACLAMO Family Centers developed Adelante, a college-access program for Spanish speaking Norristown youth in grades 7 & 8. Through college preparatory based workshops and activities, college student panels and other campus connections, students enrolled in the program will begin to understand and conceptualize a viable pathway to college. For the 14-'15 school year, Adelante will serve Spanish speaking Norristown youth in grades 7-9. Students will be exposed to college preparatory work through Adelante enrichment workshops. Students will benefit from themed workshops, college exploration sessions with outside presenters and on and off site exploration activities. The program team, including Bryn Mawr College volunteers, will also work to strengthen parent involvement, focusing on how parents can help support dedication to learning and commitment to post-secondary education. Institution Name: Drexel University Project Description: Alain Locke Elementary School Host Site Supervisor Name: Jennifer Johnson Kebea; jpj38@drexel.edu Drexel University has created a dynamic partnership with Alain Locke Elementary School to assist students with the transition to high school and then onto college. The goal of this program is to develop partnerships, referral systems, and advising processes that will contribute to the successful completion of 8 th grade, aid in the transition to high school, and ultimately provide ongoing 9-12 mentoring as part of a comprehensive college access strategy. The program will be administered both afterschool at Locke Elementary and also on select Saturdays on Drexel University s campus. Institution Name: Duquesne University Project Description: Center of Life Host Site Supervisor Name: Mr. Daniel Getkin; getkind@duq.edu The PACC*VISTA member will work directly with key community leaders and Duquesne University stakeholders to research, design, and implement a comprehensive communications strategy for Center of Life. The PACC*VISTA will investigate best practices and community needs with regards to social media, web-based communication, and traditional forms of communication so as to package a set of recommendations that will systematize Center of Life's work in this regard. The communications strategy emerges as a recommendation from the PACC*VISTA Year 1 Center of Life evaluation project and builds the centers capacity to reach its community. Institution Name: East Stroudsburg University Project Description: JM Hill A with B Host Site Supervisor Name: Beth Sockman and Rhonda Sutton; bsockman@esu.edu; rhondas@esu.edu East Stroudsburg University has created a dynamic partnership with J. M. Hill Elementary School for supplemental educational programming. The goal of this partnership is to address

4 the academic achievement of at-risk students in grades 3-5 by having the students participate in the A with B project. This project focuses on working with the students to improve their achievements in reading and math through afterschool tutoring, mentor days on East Stroudsburg University s campus and community activities. The VISTA will be engaged in: Shaping the existing program for positive sustainability Working with a team to discover innovative and effective ways to encourage involvement Assisting with curriculum development Improving program evaluation process Researching best practices and implementation strategies for incorporating the use of data for increasing the quality of services provided Overseeing the supervision of volunteers Developing a plan for volunteer recruitment, volunteers service, and leadership Working with team members to identify needs and continue building a cohesive partnership Institution Name: Messiah College Project Description: Downey Elementary, Together for Tomorrow Host Site Supervisor Name: Chad Frey; CFrey@messiah.edu The Messiah College PACC-VISTA will build capacity within the Harrisburg School district to plan and design service-learning experiences that improve the academic achievement of at-risk K-12 students with a focus on the Downey Elementary School. The PACC-VISTA will leverage an established and institutionalized service-learning program at Messiah College as well as a growing network of local community partners to empower the local community to marshal their resources and respond to urgent student achievement issues related to poverty and academic achievement. Institution Name: Millersville University Project Description: Wrap Around Services for Academic Success Host Site Supervisor Name: Melissa Wardwell; melissa.wardwell@millersville.edu The PACC*VISTA Project Cygnet Coordinator will work with existing and new community partners on a project to enhance wrap-around services and increase the academic success of at-risk K-12 students. The PACC*VISTA will build the capacity of community partners to serve K-12 students by recruiting, training and managing Millersville University student volunteers to serve as mentors, tutors and music instructors. The PACC*VISTA will work with Scaling Walls a Note at a Time (SWAN), an organization which provides music lessons and performance opportunities to children of incarcerated parents, by recruiting University students to serve as music instructors and mentors. The PACC*VISTA will help Scaling Walls a Note at a Time (SWAN) implement the program evaluation process, develop marketing materials to promote awareness and encourage increased involvement from the community.

5 The PACC*VISTA will assist with overall program management, volunteer training, recruitment and sustainability of the project. Institution Name: Philadelphia University Project Description: Philadelphia University Mentoring Program (P.U.M.P.-up) Host Site Supervisor Name: Mary Ann Ernesto; The AmeriCorps *VISTA will be responsible for the continued development of improved cocurricular & after school programs, working with partner sites as well as the Advisory Council to identify issues to impact areas to be served through our Philadelphia University Mentoring Program (P.U.M.P.-up). The goal will be to increase academic achievement for at-risk K-12 students. P.U.M.P.-up is a two-fold program; the first component is to solidify our relationships with local agencies to create specific programs to meet their needs using a sustainable model. This is currently being met in the second year of our program & the second component is to continue to assist the university s office of community service in the placement of community service work study students & other volunteer opportunities with P.U.M.P.-up. This position will continue to recruit new volunteers but also utilize existing program volunteers to assist with that recruitment and training of new volunteers. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member will help with ongoing project development, project assessment, implementation & recruitment of volunteers. A main focus for this VISTA will be to implement sustainable practices for this program to exist when a VISTA is no longer leading P.U.M.P. up. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member will recruit college students to serve as consistent tutors and mentors for this project. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member will train volunteers about the tutoring/mentoring relationship & community partner. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member will serve as the primary liaison between the community partners, Philadelphia University & the Advisory Council in the sustainability of P.U.M.P.-up. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member will work with the community partners to assess project results & make modifications as needed to present to the Advisory Council. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member will increase volunteers for the project after the fall semester and train student civic engagement leaders for P.U.M.P.- up. The AmeriCorps *VISTA member, along with community partners & the Advisory Council will finalize and maintain a strategic plan for the project PACC *VISTA EDUCATION ABSTRACTS: Post-Secondary Success Institution Name: Alvernia University Post-Secondary Success Project Description: Reading Collegiate Scholars Program Host Site Supervisor Name: Jessica Umbenhauer ;jessica.umbenhauer@alvernia.edu The VISTA member will be responsible for the design and implementation of the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program, a college access opportunity for high school students at several Olivet Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the City of Reading. The VISTA member will act as a liaison between Alvernia University and the Olivet Boys & Girls Club and will spend time interacting with Club Directors, program participants and families to get a sense of the topics that need to

6 be addressed to adequately prepare high school students to achieve their post-secondary education goals. In addition, the VISTA member will focus on creating a college-positive volunteer training program for Alvernia University students, faculty and staff involved in the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program. The VISTA member will also be responsible for data collection and tracking to analyze for future program improvements and to ensure the sustainability of the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program. Institution Name: College Access Center of Delaware County/Swarthmore College Project Description: College Access Center Host Site Supervisor Name: Juliani Ghana; juliani@collegeaccessdelco.org Our Vista Member will serve as our CHEC Partnership & Development Coordinator (CPDC), and will work almost exclusively on several activities created and executed to ensure the possibility of ongoing and sustainable participation by CHEC institutional representatives (administrators, staff, and students). Among them will be (a) exploring the new data collection system (ETO) and working with institutional research experts from CHEC partners, (b) collaborating with institutional research representatives from each partner to assist in the development of best practices for data input, collection, and evaluation, (b) creating visible and reliable undergraduate, graduate, or service learning student pipelines from each institution for participation at the CACDC programs, (c) generating a wish list of CACDC support and resource needs that can be provided to CHEC institutional representatives to consider, (d) tapping into CHEC partners expertise in leadership development training, grant writing, marketing, and other professional development to be shared with CACDC staff, volunteers, and students. Institution Name:n University Project Description: Post-secondary Access and Success Host Site Supervisor Name: Lauren Wright; law3363@lhup.edu The central region of Pennsylvania would benefit from the resource of a PACC*VISTA to combat poverty through creating self-sustaining programming for post-secondary access and success for economically at-risk students who are in high school, returning from military service, and/or veterans in the region. The PACC* VISTA would help strengthen the communities of Clinton, Lycoming, and Clearfield Counties over a three year cycle to create and expand services for obtaining higher education goals for economically disadvantaged youth, military, and veterans. The PACC* VISTA would be a vital member of the community in providing the needed community resources of: bridging area school districts and college partnerships, creating selfsustaining outreach workshops, recruiting and mentoring volunteers for a remote on-line tutoring and mentoring program, and connecting with nonprofit resources and agencies to expand support for building the regional services to combat barriers to higher education access and success. Institution Name: Northampton Community College-Monroe Campus Project Description: Get Ready, Get Set for College

7 Host Site Supervisor Name: Belinda Austin; The Northampton Community College-Monroe Campus PACC*VISTA will continue the work of the VISTA to further develop, implement, and enhance the Get Ready, Get Set for College program. The primary focus of this program is to continue a long established partnership with East Stroudsburg Area School District High Schools (ESHS-South and ESHS- North) located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania to work on providing post-secondary access and success for 10 th and, 11th grade high school students. Monroe County consistently tops the Commonwealth in growth, however continues to experience low levels of postsecondary degree attainment. With this in mind, the focus of the Get Ready, Get Set for College program will also provide participating ESASD students with the knowledge, skills and support needed to: a) navigate the college enrollment and financial aid process; b) develop an awareness of college expectations and prepare for college life; and c) make well informed decisions regarding their high school curriculum and subsequent college major. The VISTA will help to mobilize Northampton Community College (NCC) student clubs and service learners to increase college success for students at ESHS-South and ESHS-North high schools. The VISTA, with assistance from (NCC) administrators, the campus community, as well as key members at ESHS-South and ESHS-North high schools will also work on sustaining the post-secondary access and success program based on best practices in the field. Institution Name: Temple University Project Description: College Access Host Site Supervisor Name: Barbara Ferman; bferman@temple.edu The University Community Collaborative (the Collaborative) seeks to increase college access for Philadelphia students through deepening its partnerships with select high schools. Housed at Temple University, the Collaborative provides a continuum of youth leadership programming for high school aged students, and technical assistance for organizations on a wide range of youth related issues. Temple is seeking a PACC VISTA to serve as the College Access Coordinator. This person will continue our work with leadership development through Student Government at Pickett, Gratz and Shoemaker high schools. Since we are in our third year, a major focus will be sustainability of these initiatives. To this end, the VISTA will provide professional development support activities for the students and the relevant school personnel that focus on what student leadership can look like in a school, how it can be connected to the curriculum, resources available and how to leverage them, and best practices drawn from our work to date as well as from the research. The PACC*VISTA will also work with staff at the Collaborative to identify professional development activities that the Collaborative can continue to provide to the schools but on a much lighter schedule. The PACC VISTA will be fully integrated into the Collaborative Team, a group of very energetic, dynamic and creative staff dedicated to the empowerment and achievement of all high school students.

8 PACC *VISTA HEALTHY FUTURES ABSTRACTS: Obesity and Food Resources Institution Name: Alvernia University Project Description: Alvernia Sustainable Food Access Project Host Site Supervisor Name: Alicia Sprow; The Alvernia University PACC*VISTA member will build on existing community partnerships associated with the Alvernia Sustainable Food Access Project and key students, faculty, and staff to promote increased food access for individuals in underserved communities in the City of Reading. This will be accomplished by: 1) promoting community gardens in areas where residents do not have reasonable access to fresh produce, 2) developing and facilitating educational workshops that focus on food security and the importance of fresh, healthy food options, 3) training volunteers and community members to provide them with preparation and guidance in working on the project, and 4) collecting, assessing, and reporting on data specific to the improvement and sustainability of the Alvernia Sustainable Food Access Project. Institution Name: Bucknell University Project Description: Food Program Host Site Supervisor Name: Stacey Sommerfield; Do issues of hunger, sustainability, and food justice interest you? Located in beautiful central Pennsylvania, the University Food Program Coordinator at Bucknell University will work with an established community garden, hot meal program, and snack pack program. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who is motivated to make substantial change to the welfare of community members. Institution Name: Gettysburg College Project Description: Adams County Food Policy Council Host Site Supervisor Name: Kim Davidson; The Gettysburg College PACC*VISTA will work with the Adams County Food Policy Council (ACFPC), a coalition of individuals, organizations, businesses, and government representatives committed to ensuring that there is a healthy, sustainable and affordable food system for Adams County Pennsylvania. The PACC*VISTA member will work to increase lowincome access to fresh fruits and vegetables, build and coalesce a diverse constituency of stakeholders to increase the capacity of the ACFPC, and support college-community activities focused on food security and local food systems. Institution Name: Susquehanna University Project Description: Food Justice/Healthy Futures Host Site Supervisor Name: Jay Helmer; helmer@susqu.edu

9 Susquehanna University seeks an energetic, creative leader to serve as the Food Justice/Healthy Futures PACC AmeriCorps*VISTA. The AmeriCorps*VISTA will work with students, faculty, staff, and community members to develop infrastructure at the Campus Garden and through that strengthen the University s partnership with Community partners including soup kitchens and homeless shelters. In addition, The VISTA will have significant opportunities to help shape direction for the garden, and to work with students in coordinating food distribution through the food recovery program PACC *VISTA HEALTHY FUTURES ABSTRACTS: Access to Health Care Institution Name: Northampton Community College (Main) Project Description: Benefits Access for College Completion Host Site Supervisor Name: Debra Bohr; dbohr@northampton.edu The VISTA will build the capacity of campus partner Northampton Community College s (NCC) Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC) program, and community partners Planned Parenthood and Casa Guadelupe by developing and overseeing an Affordable Care Act (ACA) outreach campaign focused on year olds on campus and out in the community. The PACC*VISTA will develop and implement INFO ACA (Information Affordable Care Act) a coordinated, concerted, and wide-reaching effort to disseminate accurate and culturally appropriate information about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to the Northampton Community College (NCC) campus and the community at large. The VISTA will mobilize NCC student clubs and service learners to target young adults, both on and off campus, with information about the importance of health insurance to their future physical and financial health and available options through the new Affordable Care Act marketplace. Institution Name: Washington & Jefferson College Project Description: Volunteer Community Health Coach Program Host Site Supervisor Name: Justin P. Dandoy; jdandoy@washjeff.edu The Washington & Jefferson College PACC*VISTA will be responsible for designing, developing and implementing the Volunteer Community Health Coach Program (VCHCP). This in-home care program will be coordinated at Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) and the Community Health Coaches will be W&J student volunteers, trained and supported by Jefferson Hospital (and partnering medical centers) physicians, and administrators. The goal of the VCHCP is to support individuals in local communities with personal health and wellness plans upon their dismissal from the hospital. These plans would prevent avoidable and costly hospital readmissions for the patients. The patients who are discharged from hospital services are continually readmitted at high costs to the individuals and those providing care to the patients. There is a community need to improve the health of the local population while at the same time diminishing the costs of healthcare related expenses for the community members who need it most. The VISTA will be able to put a system into place that provides the student volunteers with additional education, procedures, and support to ensure that the program is a success.

10 Institution Name: University of Pennsylvania, Netter Center for Community Partnerships Project Description: University-Assisted Coordinated School Health Program Host Site Supervisor Name: Elizabeth Powers; The University of Pennsylvania s Netter Center for Community Partnerships VISTA will assist two West Philadelphia public schools as they implement a University-Assisted Coordinated School Health Program. The Netter Center has over twenty years of experience in supporting University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) and has replicated this model nationally. UACS are public schools and universities working together in a way that advances community development and the teaching, learning, research, service, and civic engagement of students of all ages. The University-Assisted Coordinated School Health Program is designed to implement the Centers for Disease Control s program for improving health outcomes for students by aligning the health programs that may already exist in a school to create a comprehensive school health program that serves the needs of the school community. Our VISTA will support the implementation of a University-Assisted Coordinated School Health Program by addressing the following objectives: 1) developing an asset map and resource recruitment plan, 2) recruiting undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students to support the program, 3) establishing systems for effective professional development and evaluation, and 4) creating a communication system that will provide information to and gather feedback from all stakeholder groups, as well as help institutionalize program activities PACC *VISTA VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES ABSTRACTS: Institution: Keystone College Project Description: Dog Tags to Desk Tops Host Site Supervisor Name: Wendy Kramer; wendy.kramer@keystone.edu This exciting new program Dog Tags to Desk Tops is our way of assisting local veterans and their families with transitioning into civilian life and maximizing use of current services within their community. We believe that the key to ending poverty is through college access. Helping our local veterans utilize their existing benefits to take this next step will ease this critical transition period. Together with our community partners, our AmeriCorps VISTA will be establishing a program within each community, creating marketing materials, coordinating workshops, recruiting volunteers, and assisting community partners with identifying potential participants for this program. Institution Name: Marywood University Project Description: Renewal - Veteran Education and Transition Services program Host Site Supervisor Name: Lauren A. Williams; lwilliams@marywood.edu The Marywood University PACC*VISTA will continue to develop and coordinate an innovative, education-focused initiative to fight poverty. The Renewal - Veteran Education and

11 Transition Services program (R-VETS) is focused on providing college access to community veterans interested in post-secondary education. The project provides free introductory courses in the areas of Math and Academic Writing to military, veterans and their spouses in the local community through the use of current and former Marywood University faculty, graduate education students, and teachers from local school districts. In addition to remedial education, transition services are also be provided. R-VETS provides a certificate of satisfactory completion to students who successfully complete the program, which can then be submitted to Marywood University upon application for admission. The PACC*VISTA member will play an important role in our effort to maximize relationships with community veterans interested in post-secondary education. Institution Name: Wilkes University Project Description: Inter-Organizational Veteran Educational Support Team Host Site Supervisor Name: Megan Boone Valkenburg; megan.boone@wilkes.edu The Wilkes University s Inter-Organizational Veteran Educational Support Team (INVEST) project is a collaborative effort between Wilkes University veteran serving departments and community partners. INVEST is designed specifically to mitigate risk factors that hinder veteran persistence in higher education. INVEST will help veterans succeed at their post-secondary educational goals through a supportive social and therapeutic safety net, veteran-to-veteran assistance programs, and educational forums about VA entitlements. This exciting program strengthens current partnerships via a more established advisory team, informs veterans of their Veteran Administration benefits through the development of a comprehensive VA Benefits and Job Fair, and creates a family support program though a week-long celebration in November.