NEW YORK CAMPUS COMPACT AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM

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1 NEW YORK CAMPUS COMPACT AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM Educating Citizens, Building Communities

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3 New York Campus Compact (NYCC) is a statewide, membership association of college and university presidents committed to promoting active citizenship as an aim of higher education. It is one of the 34 state and regional affiliates of Campus Compact, a national coalition of nearly 1,100 colleges and universities nationwide committed to the public purposes of higher education. In New York State, two-year and four year campuses, public and independent institutions, from Buffalo to New York City, Southern Tier to the North Country, have joined to promote civic engagement, campus/community partnerships and service-learning. NYCC provides statewide leadership in advocating for, supporting, and increasing student involvement in academic and co-curricular based public service, in order to strengthen the capacity of member institutions to serve society; to enhance student learning; and to develop in individual students the knowledge, values, skills, and habits of civic responsibility and democratic participation. NYCC advances the public purpose of higher education in multiple ways by providing: Professional development for faculty and staff involved in community engagement Campus consultations and other practical assistance Community partnership development resources Support for students committed to public service Connections to national initiatives and resources In 2009, NYCC was instrumental in the development of the New York State Higher Education Community Service Act (HECSA). HECSA established an infrastructure for promoting and recognizing volunteer service completed by NYS college and university students, to help campuses establish and expand service-learning, and to strengthen institutional and community connections. VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) was founded in 1965 as a national service program to fight poverty in America. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs under the umbrella of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). For over 40 years, it has been at the forefront of building capacity of communities to fight poverty. VISTA members challenge poverty s root causes by mobilizing volunteers and local resources and by increasing the capacity of individuals in low-income neighborhoods to rely on themselves to make positive changes. Today, more than 46 million Americans live in poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA taps the skills, talents and passion of more than 7,000 Americans annually to support community efforts to overcome poverty. VISTA members devote a year of their lives to serve in some of the nation s poorest urban and rural areas and earn a modest living allowance set at the poverty level of the region they serve in. VISTA members come from all walks of life, from being recent college graduates to individuals who have retired from their careers. With passion, commitment, and hard work, they create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Anti-Poverty Focus Sustainable Solutions Capacity Building Core Principals of AmeriCorps VISTA Community Empowerment 2

4 Although nationwide most VISTAs serve in human service agencies, Campus Compact has pioneered the use of this resource to leverage higher education s resources to strengthen communities and enhance civic engagement in higher education. Since 2003, NYCC VISTA members have served as resources to member campuses to increase the number of students, faculty and community members who make a difference through volunteer service and service learning. A primary goal for the NYCC VISTA program is to provide resources to support campus-community partnerships. The investment in developing community partnerships not only advances community priorities, but develops deep and meaningful learning opportunities for students and increased scholarship opportunities for faculty. VISTA members generally do not provide direct services, such as tutoring children or building homes. Instead, they focus their efforts on building the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development, and otherwise assist low-income communities. VISTAs develop programs to meet a need, write grants, and recruit and train volunteers. NYCC VISTAs broadly engage campus-community resources to develop long-term sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty. By improving the quality and building capacity of college/university service programs, NYCC VISTAs have enabled higher education institutions to better respond to pressing issues faced by low-income communities and high-needs students. Some examples of NYCC VISTA projects are: Establishing a new mentoring program for college students to help at-risk high school students to investigate and apply for college or other post-secondary opportunities. Enhancing a campus-community garden project to increase access of low-income individuals and families to fresh, nutritious food and education. Developing a well-being program at assisted living centers, focusing on creation of a volunteerbased tenant advocacy board aimed at ensuring appropriate housing. Education Healthy Futures Economic Opportunity School Readiness: School readiness for economically disadvantaged young children with an emphasis on pre- K literacy programming. K-12 Success: Educational and behavioral outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools with an emphasis on STEM education programming. Post-secondary Success: Preparation for and prospects of success in post-secondary education institutions for economically disadvantaged students. Obesity and Food/Food Resources: Improving access to nutritious food. Access to Health Care: Connecting economically disadvantaged individuals to preventative and primary health care services. Financial Literacy: Improving access to services and benefits aimed at contributing to enhanced financial literacy Employment: Improving employability that leads to increased success in becoming employed. NYCC has been progressively successful in matching the work of VISTAs to that of existing community work conducted by faculty members. Nearly 50% of the current NYCC VISTA focus on STEM education outreach programming to low-income/high need P-12 schools, pre-k literacy programming to lowincome/high need pre-schools, climate sustainability/resiliency education etc. 3

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6 NYCC VISTA members are recruited nationally and have varying backgrounds, abilities, and professional goals. The members have Bachelors degrees, have had significant experience in collegelevel community service, have an interest in working with diverse populations, and possess passion and dedication to service and the alleviation of poverty. 5

7 Bridget Baker Onondaga Community College Focus Area: Education Bridget hails from a small town just outside of Syracuse, NY, and is the first year AmeriCorps VISTA at her alma mater, Onondaga Community College (OCC). Bridget is working to develop a Single Stop model on campus that will effectively link economically disadvantaged students to wrap-around services and benefits available through public and nonprofit partners to help students overcome financial and other barriers to college enrollment and completion. By reducing these barriers, Onondaga aims to close the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and non-disadvantaged students, enabling more individuals to successfully earn a college credential and prepare for transfer, career entry, or advancement. Some of the services provided by the Single Stop include SNAP enrollment assistance, legal services, emergency fund services and many more. Since July 2015, Bridget has reported over 700 students utilizing the many free services offered on the OCC campus. Kerry Bunyan Stony Brook University Focus Area: Education (STEM) Year of Service: 2 Kerry is from Queens, NY, and currently serves at Stony Brook University (SBU) where she graduated with a Bachelor s of Science in Chemistry. At her site, Kerry works to promote STEM outreach to highneeds school districts on Long Island. SBU has made significant impacts in STEM education, both on campus and in the region, through its sustained commitment to improving undergraduate STEM education, the education to K-12 teachers of science, and broader impacts achieved through science education research. The primary goal of Kerry s project at SBU is to develop, enhance, and maintain sustainable community partnerships between the university and educational institutions to address issues in STEM access and participation among low-income K-12 students. 6

8 Perdita Das AmeriCorps VISTA Leader New York Campus Compact Perdita joined New York Campus Compact in November 2015, and supports the cohort of 16 NYCC AmeriCorps VISTA members. Perdita is based at the NYCC headquarters at Cornell University and is responsible for coordinating professional development for the VISTAs, collecting and disseminating information about NYCC VISTA projects and assisting in enhancing VISTA project stability and sustainability. Perdita has previously served as a VISTA Leader for North Carolina Campus Compact and a VISTA for Connecticut Campus Compact. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Perdita moved to the United States with her family in 2008 and received her B.S. and M.B.A degrees in International Business from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Hayley Davis Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus Focus Area: Education Hayley is from Buffalo, NY, and graduated this past year from SUNY Potsdam. She is the first-year VISTA at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University (LIU) which has formed a partnership to open the doors of higher education to students who have historically been left behind because of socio-economic considerations. This partnership aims to nurture student development and prepare students to enter the workforce to contribute to the global economy. Hayley is tasked with developing these campus community partnerships through creating an outreach plan of communications, developing processes to implement the project, and developing an educational plan for high school students participating in the project. She works with anywhere between students participating in the program. 7

9 Stanley Dorsainville Schools for Sustainability, Inc. Focus Area: Education and Healthy Futures Stanley grew up in Rockland County, NY, and graduated from Arcadia University in Philadelphia, PA, with a B.A. in International Studies in Stanley is a first year VISTA for Schools for Sustainability, Inc., and is focusing on their outreach in the Bronx. The goal of his VISTA projects is to provide students in under-resourced areas with the tools necessary to make healthy nutrition an option through the development of a Meal Plan and Guidebook to local farmers markets and vegetable stands. In the future, Stanley intends to use his experience as an AmeriCorps VISTA to address the gender and racial inequalities in sustainable development by increasing the input and output of women, women of color, and men of color. Laurie Dutton SUNY Fredonia Focus Area: Education (STEM) Year of Service: 2 Laurie, a mother of four, is a second-year VISTA at her alma-mater, SUNY Fredonia, working on STEM education initiatives. Her VISTA project focuses on enhancing and expanding the partnerships with sixteen (16) component school districts in the E2CC BOCES service region. The focus of these partnership centers on the development of place-based STEM instruction that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). To date, over 600 K-12 students have completed programming through the efforts of VISTA. Laurie is planning on continuing her journey as an AmeriCorps VISTA next year for a third year of service. 8

10 Leanne Evans Cornell Cooperative Extension Focus Area: Economic Opportunity Leanne recently joined the NYCC VISTA team at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County (CCE Oneida). She is originally from Ilion, NY, and also currently lives there as she completes her year of service nearby in Utica, NY. She graduated from St. Lawrence University located in Canton, NY where she earned a B.A. in government and English in CCE Oneida and its Rust to Green (R2G) Utica Urban Studio hosts two (2) AmeriCorps VISTAs to implement two priority projects identified in Utica s HUD Community Needs Assessment Plan. Leanne serves as their Economic Opportunity VISTA and works to improve employment among refugee, immigrant, and disenfranchised populations, which is overseen by R2G. In the short period she has been a VISTA, Leanne has already formed meaningful connections and partnerships with her community and is moving the project forward effectively at a brisk pace. Ava Foudeh St. John's University Focus Area: Healthy Futures Ava is currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA for St. John s University s Bread & Life Promoting Access to Healthy Eating and Lifestyles Program. This project addresses the issues of hunger and poverty in New York City through a Brooklyn, NY, facility and a Mobile Soup Kitchen. Ava helps to develop programs that will promote and improve access to nutritious foods and information on healthy eating and lifestyles while supporting individual and household food security. This includes targeting nutrition education and the integration of healthy food choices from additional sources (e.g., SNAP, CSA, NYC Green Carts, and Farmer s Markets). She is currently overseeing a needs assessment survey, data collection, and analysis. Ava also coordinates project implementation, and recruits, trains and manages volunteers. She graduated from the University of California San Diego with degrees in Public Health and Psychology. 9

11 Tunya Griffin Rochester Institute of Technology Focus Area: Healthy Futures Tunya serves as a VISTA in the same community she has lived in for over 10 years, the Marketview Heights (MVH) District in Rochester, which is historically one of the most challenged neighborhoods in the state. Rochester Institute of Technology s University/Community Partnerships (RIT-UCP) has remained consistently committed to this community. It supports and propels resident-led projects, provides opportunities for faculty, staff and students to work on community-based participatory research and engagement projects, and coordinates Neighborhood Leadership Institutes. Tunya is tasked with strengthening the efforts of the Marketview Heights Collective Action Project Beautification Committee, removing barriers for residents to access healthy fresh food, and developing opportunities for youth and adults to become gardeners and gain knowledge of healthy food choices and nutrition practices. Tunya has worked for over eight years in the neighborhood as a community organizer. She has assisted in the revitalization efforts of the neighborhoods in the MVH area and helped develop community outreach programs to move towards sustainable change. Cristian Guzman Columbia University Focus Area: Education (STEM) Cristian was born in Cali, Colombia, and is an Industrial Engineer with experience in Marketing and Environment and is enjoying his first year in the United States as he serves with his co-vista at Columbia University. Cristian s VISTA project is hosted in Columbia s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. His project aims to advance Columbia s STEM outreach efforts. Cristian serves as the primary contact for events with the local K-12 schools, and he also develops marketing strategies for the program. He left his former paid employment to pursue VISTA because he believes there is no better way to know a place beyond helping people there. 10

12 Katherine Hill Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County Focus Area: Healthy Futures Katherine is originally from Lake Oswego, Oregon, and graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in NY with degrees in Environmental Studies and Sociology. She serves as one of the dynamic duo of VISTAs at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County in Utica focusing on Healthy Futures. Katherine hit the ground running as she works to increase fresh food access and demand for Pre-K children and youth from low-income families in Utica by developing nutrition education programs based in community gardens and farmer's markets. Katherine has effectively formed partnerships, has made multiple presentations about her work to various community members, and is already considering a second year of service at the Extension. Mary Frances Kosinski Niagara University Focus Area: Economic Opportunity Mary Fran is a native of Rochester, NY. She chose to serve in Niagara Falls, N.Y. because of her experience with many different local agencies while completing her undergraduate degree in Social Work at Niagara University. Niagara Falls and Niagara County have no paid staff, agency or location solely dedicated to homelessness and its elimination. A one-stop center is being developed by the Niagara County Coalition to End Homelessness. The center will serve as a centralized location for comprehensive services which aim to ease the burden and barriers associated with navigating the system and accessing needed services. Mary Fran is assisting with the design and development of this day center, creating strategies for improvement of personal life management of one-stop clients, and developing employment and coordinated health and nutrition programming. 11

13 Abeer Mishal Wagner College Focus Area: Education Abeer is serving as a VISTA at the Port Richmond Partnership Leadership Academy (PRPLA), which operates as a collaboration between Port Richmond High School and Wagner College in Staten Island, NY. Abeer is an alum of Wagner College, where she double majored in History and Spanish, and minored in Management. As a VISTA, she works to build the capacity of PRPLA, which is an educational initiative established in the fall of 2013 by Wagner College. It embeds selected students on the Wagner College campus to provide a real life liberal arts college experience. The initiative offers participants added support to achieve high school graduation, college readiness, and tools for post-secondary success. Upon completion, four candidates from each cohort is eligible to apply for a full-tuition scholarship to Wagner College. Abeer is responsible for developing an awareness of the role of the individual in the community and the impact s/he can have by providing local examples in Port Richmond. She helps to enhance college readiness through literacy development, and to provide internships and community service opportunities in Port Richmond while fostering leadership skills development. Alyssa Penn SUNY Geneseo Focus Area: Healthy Futures and Economic Opportunity Alyssa is also an alum of SUNY Geneseo, where she graduated in May, 2015 with degrees in Psychology and Anthropology. She is originally from Long Island, NY. Her VISTA project is working to provide respite resources to individuals with dementia and Alzheimer s disease and their caregivers in Livingston County. This program is unique because the care will be provided by students who will be trained by the Alzheimer s Association. The project also involves an academic research component through SUNY Geneseo s sociology department and a financial literacy component that will work to aid the elderly in Livingston County protect their finances. In February, 2016, Alyssa reported that the Home Away from Home Respite Center has opened and has 3 full time clients! 12

14 Emily Rhoades Alfred State College Focus Area: Healthy Futures Year of Service: 2 Emily was born and raised in Buckley, Washington, and then spent college and one additional year in South Carolina where she taught High School English and coached both girls' soccer teams. The goal of her AmeriCorps VISTA project at Alfred State College is to leverage the power of community based gardening and collaborative programming to promote health literacy and access to nutritious, local, and affordable produce for low-income individuals and families. Emily is responsible for developing and enhancing the capacity of Alfred Community Garden to deliver educational opportunities as a living laboratory. She hopes to develop a model that can be replicated for other communities. Emily also works to inspire and mobilize the campus community to lend support and expertise to community based gardening and nutritional literacy campaign designed to combat challenges around local issues of food security and poverty. Natalie Smith SUNY Oswego Focus Area: Education (STEM) Year of Service:1 Natalie was born in Brooklyn, NY, but was raised in Fayetteville, NC. She holds a Bachelor s of Science in Biology and Health Science from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. Her current VISTA assignment is with SUNY Oswego in Oswego, NY, where she serves as the program coordinator for the college's STEM Mentoring Program. The goal of Natalie s VISTA project is to increase 7-8th grade school children from underrepresented groups access to innovative STEM curriculum, leading to increased academic performance and retention. She also works to create a network of relationships that will strengthen the STEM pipeline from two-year colleges to four-year institutions continuing into graduate programs. The program pairs undergraduates with middle school students to focus on strengthening the latter s STEM abilities. It aims to engage the students in hands-on and inquiry based stem curriculum in order to spark interest in pursuing STEM careers and higher education. 13

15 Erik Zorn Columbia University Focus Area: Education (STEM) Erik serves as a VISTA at Columbia University s Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science and completed the duo of VISTAs serving there as mentioned previously. Erik is working to improve STEM education in the surrounding communities. He received his B.A. in biology at Northwestern University in 2015, and is originally from Roanoke, Virginia. Erik recruits and manages volunteers for the VISTA project, works with on-campus student groups and helps coordinate events with local high and middle schools. After completing his term as a VISTA, he plans to continue working in higher education and pursue an MBA. Laurie Worrall, Ed.D. Executive Director Marianne Ridley Administrative Assistant 14

16 Coordinated more than 53,631 volunteers Mobilized over 500,000 hours of community service Generated over $2 million in cash and in-kind contributions 15

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