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Final newsletter for the 2012-2013 VYT A*VISTA Team.
Citation preview
Dear Readers,
Summer is here, and the Vermont Youth Tomorrow VISTA members of 2012-2013 are nearing the end of their service. We are so very proud of the anti-poverty service that they have provided to communities, youth, and
families all across Vermont. Well done, VYT team!
In this issue, members were asked to reflect on their VISTA service and the positive impact they had on their communities. We are also welcoming a new VYT member to the team, and she takes this opportunity to reflect on what she has done already, and what she hopes to do for the rest of her service year.
I hope you find the final newsletter of the 2012-2013 service
year informative, inspiring, motivating, and so much more.
In Service,
Cara Melbourne
VYT VISTA Leader, 2012-2013
Kate Piniewski 2-3
Marcella Houghton 4
Jenny Peterson 5
Alaina Wermers 6
Lillian Shields 7
Britt Wedenoja 8
Anna Houston 9
Sarah Rice 10-11
Rachel Mason 11
Ryan Stratton 12
Alison Siegel 13
Jenny Montagne 14
Valerie Woodhouse 14
Brian Fullerton 15
Jenna Geery 16
Anna Finklestein 17
Training and End of
Service Photos
18-19
Contact Information 20
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Vermont Youth Tomorrow
A*VISTA Program
VYT Voices
DREAM is primarily designed to serve
youth, ages 5-18, living in project-
based affordable housing neighbor-
hoods. Each of the communities we
serve is designated as Section 8 Public
Housing, where 100 percent of the
youth are living in families classified as
either low or very-low income. The
youth we serve are exposed to fre-
quent family turmoil, instability, and
begin caring for themselves, without
parental supervision, at a younger age
than their wealthier peers. This leads
to an increased risk for harmful out-
comes. DREAM’s exclusive focus is on
this high-need, yet hard-to-reach, pop-
ulation.
DREAM mentors are all college stu-
dents who volunteer their time to
work with children and teenagers in
affordable housing communities. Men-
tors independently plan and execute
constructive and enriching activities for
their mentees and the neighborhood
they work with. During the 2012-2013
academic year, DREAM mentors in
Vermont volunteered over 20,130
hours.
Central to The DREAM Program and
its mission is its Village Mentoring
model, which gives volunteers and
participants ownership of the program
and group culture. DREAM takes the
passion and energy of college students
and creates a unique partnership with
a housing neighborhood. Like more
traditional mentoring models, the
heart of village mentoring is the sup-
portive one-on-one relationship be-
tween the college student volunteer
and the youth, which has a significant
impact on both participants. The rela-
tionship cultivates self-confidence and
helps establish new norms through
role modeling, loving attention, and
positive messaging. The second level of
Village Mentoring is group program-
ming; mentoring pairs spend time to-
gether to generate a broader network
of caring, educated adults actively
involved in each child’s life. A group
identity allows children to safely push
their comfort zones, build teamwork
skills, and practice healthy peer inter-
actions. The third level is neighbor-
hood support, where mentors engage
as a group to integrate them-
selves into the children’s neigh-
borhood. They visit the housing
community frequently and regu-
larly engage with the parents and
other residents. This active in-
volvement with neighborhood
stakeholders is intended to
boost the neighborhood in its
own work of supporting its chil-
dren and taking collective action
on behalf of the children.
As a DREAM Program Empow-
erment VISTA, my main role is
to support mentors at Dart-
mouth College. A talented, intel-
ligent, motivated group of col-
lege students, the 65 mentors
make my days thoroughly enjoy-
able. By empowering and en-
couraging mentors to dream
big, youth in the program see
the potential for follow through
on large ideas. For example, Hol-
low Drive, one of the Local Programs
I support, was concerned that their
youth were disengaging from weekly
programming. Mentors and youth
began to plan a large event for the
end of the spring term that would
celebrate the end of a great year and
send senior mentors off with a highly
rewarding experience. On their last
day together, twelve youth and ten
mentors traveled to an amusement
park where they tested their comfort
zones on roller coasters and water
slides. Several youth have told me that
it was their favorite day of DREAM.
Local Programs are the heart of
DREAM, but we strive to provide
additional opportunities for youth
beyond their weekly programming. As
an organization DREAM runs an an-
nual mentor retreat, two Teen Re-
treats, four Winter Adventure
Camps, and a fully subsidized summer
camp for all eligible youth in the Ver-
mont programs. AmeriCorps VISTAs
serving with DREAM are integral in
the development and execution of
such events. We recruited volun-
teers, invited youth and mentors, led
activities, and supported participants
as they challenged themselves during
these DREAM experiences.
This was the first year that DREAM
has placed a Program Empowerment
Director in White River Junction.
One of my projects was to spread
awareness of DREAM and build part-
nerships for individuals, businesses,
Kate with a DREAM Youth at
her high school graduation.
Page 2
Kate Piniewski, VYT A*VISTA member
The DREAM Program
White River Junction, VT
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE
and organizations in the Upper Val-
ley. The three neighborhoods I col-
laborate with are
all paired with
Dartmouth Col-
lege. DREAM’s
presence is wide-
spread on cam-
pus, but mentors
and I were able
to expand that
awareness to
local businesses
which donated
goods and ser-
vices, to family
and friends
across the coun-
try who sent
monetary contri-
butions, and to
other mentoring
organizations in
the area. One of our most successful
events this year developed out of a
partnership with Literacy in the Up-
per Valley, a group of Dartmouth
graduate students who are passion-
ate about developing a love of read-
ing for low-income youth at an early
age. After a large book drive, men-
toring pairs met for an afternoon of
reading and ice cream and then each
youth took books home with them.
Many mentoring programs struggle
with retention. Volunteers are re-
cruited, screened, and trained, but
often end their participation for one
reason or another. This year we
have implemented volunteer manage-
ment strategies to keep mentors
engaged. This includes one-on-one
check-ins, mentor-bonding events,
and reevaluation of pairings several
weeks after the match is made.
DREAM operates under an
“Empowerment through Ownership”
model, which encourages mentors to
take charge of their own Local Pro-
gram. This distribution of responsi-
bility allocates resources effectively
and creates a
shared enthusiasm
for DREAM. Charg-
ing co-chairs,
DREAM’s program
leaders, with the
responsibility of
mentor retention
creates sustainabil-
ity for their own
Local Program, as
well as the organi-
zation as a whole.
Shared accountabil-
ity creates capacity
as mentors gradu-
ate, VISTAs end
their service, and
youth transition in
and out of the pro-
gram.
Additionally, as more mentors par-
ticipate with excitement and enjoy-
ment, youth are encouraged to at-
tend weekly programming and re-
cruit other youth to join. The three
programs I engage with have seen an
increase in the size of their pro-
grams over the year and they are on
track to continue growing in the
coming years. This year mentoring
matches have participated in weekly
Friday activities, community dinners,
culminating experiences, winter and
summer camp sessions, fundraisers,
and teen retreats, which all encour-
age and inspire DREAM youth to live
healthy, productive, fulfilling lives.
To end with heartbreaking, yet in-
spiring, story from one DREAM fam-
ily seems appropriate to summarize
my year with DREAM. In early
March two DREAM youth from one
of my programs and their father
were in a serious car accident on
their way to school. Their father was
killed upon impact and the 17-year-
old girl was critically injured. Her
brother, a 16-year-old, sustained minor
injuries, but major psychological dam-
age. It was a horrific day for all and
DREAM reached out to the family with
full intentions of supporting the two
teens in any way possible. Both youth
have been in DREAM since they were
young; six years ago they lost their
mother and DREAM was there for
them. Two mentors and I launched a
fundraising campaign to support the
two teens as they struggled physically
and emotionally. We were able to raise
a significant amount that is available for
present basic needs, as well as future
education expenses. Additionally, we
worked closely with local high school
to support them. The 17-year-old re-
cently graduated from high school after
a very tough spring semester and I have
never heard a crowd cheer so loudly as
she crossed that stage.
Recently I received a phone call from a
teacher of the young man to express
his sincere gratitude for all of the hard
work DREAM has done with this fami-
ly. Throughout this whole ordeal, he
never missed a day of school or a
DREAM Friday. He attended a Camp
DREAM session, landed a summer ap-
prenticeship, and will soon depart for a
weeklong sailing trip. It has not been an
easy road, but the experiences with
this family are ones that I will never
forget. The ups outweighed the downs,
the smiles beat the tears, the successes
of this year prevailed over the hard-
ships. As I sadly leave my service site, I
know it will not be the last time I am
involved with DREAM youth and their
families.
Page 3
Kate and DREAM
mentoring pair from
Dartmouth College.
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 4
“Hmm. Tastes like cabbage.” I looked
over with surprise at the quietest kid in
my garden group, who stood cautiously
munching a leaf of kale, and realized that
those were the first words I heard him
speak aloud. It was a special moment for
me. Since the beginning of my VISTA year
just a few months ago (I started in late
April), I’ve become a primary point per-
son for upkeep and planning of the fledg-
ling, quarter-acre garden at Laraway
Youth and Family Services (LYFS). This
summer, I’m facilitating
garden groups twice a
week.
LYFS supports youth and
families from all over the
state through highly
specialized educational,
therapeutic, and
behavioral support
programs. Many kids
here have experienced
poverty, trauma, and
other life stresses, and
their behavioral patterns
often reflect those chal-
lenges. I’m becoming
attuned to the distinct
dynamics in each of my
groups, so I was sur-
prised when this particu-
lar student, normally
withdrawn and distant
from the group, seemed
to get suddenly engaged.
Plus, I was happy to tell
him that his observation
was right on: kale and cabbage happen to
be two versions of the same exact spe-
cies.
It was a small moment, but somehow
seemed like an indicator of positive im-
pact. LYFS broadly envisions a future
where their land offers both tangi-
ble resources (like food for the caf-
eteria) and important therapeutic
and/or educational benefits for
youth. The first part is palpable. For
example, in the past month I’ve
been able to set up a schedule for
harvesting for the cafeteria—
meaning we can see and taste the
results, like the red romaine in the
salad at lunchtime. But the process
of structuring mechanisms for the
land to teach and provide therapy is
less straightforward, with subtler
indicators about whether it’s work-
ing. So to observe a student en-
gaged and giving feedback seems
like a hint that the garden is already
working to facilitate hands-on learn-
ing and engage kids in new and/or
varied experiences.
With or without hints that my ser-
vice is making an impact, I hope
that as I continue to build LYFS’s
capacity for providing land-based
educational programming and ther-
apeutic resources over the upcom-
ing year, some of those intangible
benefits can (eventually) be har-
vested. PS: I would be remiss if I didn’t tell
a bit about the other
key piece of my
upcoming service
year. It’ll be shared
between LYFS and
another organization
concerned with the
healthy future of low-
income Vermonters:
Salvation Farms. Sal-
vation Farms is com-
mitted to strengthen-
ing Vermont’s food
system by increasing
the state’s capacity to
capture and distribute
agricultural surplus to
those in need. My
focus for this year is
building the Vermont
Gleaning Collective –
Salvation Farms’ initi-
ative to strengthen
the network of
regional agencies
concerned with
community food
security, and specifically, to
increase their capacity to capture
and distribute edible farm surplus
through gleaning. The work I’ve
done so far is incredibly motivating,
and I’m looking forward to sharing
more about Salvation Farms next
time!
Marcella Houghton, VYT A*VISTA Member
Laraway Youth & Family Services and
Salvation Farms
Johnson, VT
Marcella and chef Lisa Rock with garlic scapes
harvested by youth in summer programs at Laraway
Youth and Family Services.
“I’m going to make a difference. I will do
something to change the lives of children.
I will get things done for America!” As
college graduation approached last
year, this idealistic voice inside me
resounded and I signed up to become
an AmeriCorps VISTA serving at
Community Friends Mentoring for a
year. I smiled and pictured the stu-
dents in my program
lifted out of poverty,
like a giant hot air bal-
loon that stops at hous-
es and plucks them up
into the sunny air and
they float away into a
world without hard-
ships. I packed my bags,
flew across the country
and set out to accom-
plish this mission. Soon
I would learn how dif-
ferent this vision
looked from reality.
In the quaint city of
Burlington, poverty is
hidden, quietly consum-
ing the lives of those
not seen shopping in
the boutiques on
Church Street. Many of
the children in these
homes have a strong
need for education.
Not necessarily educa-
tion in the form of traditional school
or subject matter, but life education
and individual support. Kids learn
from the role models they have in
their life. When these role models
don’t exist or are too busy with other
things (such as working multiple jobs),
part of their education is lacking.
Community Friends Mentoring aims
to fill this need, with a mission of
matching youth age 6-12 with a fun,
nurturing adult who will provide indi-
vidual attention and community en-
gagement.
The purpose of the service I do is to
directly support the mentor pairs.
During my year serving as an Ameri-
Corps VISTA, I developed activities
and programs for the mentor pairs to
participate in throughout the year,
including an apple picking event, a
Halloween dance, volunteering for gift
wrapping, and a cross-country skiing
program. I helped to build partner-
ships between community organiza-
tions and increased financial resources
to ensure program viability. I have had
the fortunate opportunity to see the
immediate impact of my service by
becoming, on my own time, a mentor
in the fall. From this perspective, I can
see the importance of the activities,
events, and fundraising efforts. What I
don’t see though, is the long lasting
effect of our efforts. One way for us
to glimpse the impact on the individu-
als in our program is through the
feedback from surveys we send out
each year. From our mentor surveys,
59% responded that their mentee had
improved self confidence since spend-
ing time together and 50% re-
ported their mentee had more
positive expectations for the
future. One parent reported in
the survey that “[her] daughter
has blossomed into a young
lady with confidence and good
self-esteem since working with
her mentor.” In addition, we
have three mentees heading off
to college in the fall and one of
them received a $1,000 grant
for her involvement in a men-
toring organization. While we
will never know how their lives
would turn out without men-
tors, we believe that our volun-
teers positively affect the youth
in our program and help them
lead happier lives.
This year, I did not float from
house to house in a hot air
balloon, lifting kids out of pov-
erty. Instead, I made small
changes in a mentoring pro-
gram and continued supporting
every match that helps shape the life
of one individual. It’s difficult to see
these changes happen in just a year,
but I have faith
in the work I do
and in a positive
future for the
youth in our
community.
Jenny Peterson, VYT A*VISTA Member
Community Friends Mentoring
Burlington, VT
Page 5
Jenny and her mentee attend a VT
Lake Monsters baseball game, an
annual mentoring event.
My biggest contribution to the
Winooski community this year came
from a very unlikely place. I have men-
tioned in past newsletters that the
Community Gardens was a program
that I was not looking forward to co-
ordinating. I had never gardened be-
fore, and I had very little interest in
gardening. This changed once I partici-
pated in the fall workday at the O’Bri-
en Community Center Garden. I got
to know some of the gardeners and
began to understand the care and
management that the gardens needed.
I knew that I could not give the atten-
tion to the gardens and the gardeners
that they deserved nor was the infra-
structure physically there for the
O’Brien Community Center (OCC)
Garden to function sustainably.
The Gardens are extremely important
resources for many of Winooski’s
residents. The one grocery store in
the city closed several years ago, leav-
ing parts of the city to become what is
known by the USDA as a Food De-
sert. Many of Winooski’s residents
walk to the nearest grocery store
which is a 20 minute walk along a busy
road with no sidewalk for part of the
way. There is also the matter of the
economic resources of the communi-
ty; according to the 2010 Census, 23%
of Winooski residents live below the
poverty line. The cost of fresh pro-
duce can be cost prohibitive for many
residents.
Knowing that the current manage-
ment structure was failing the gardens
and the gardeners, I felt that some-
thing needed to change. For several
months I wrote grant proposals to
support the stipends for the two Gar-
den Manager positions we created and
for the rebuilding of the O’Brien
Community Center Garden. I also
wrote a Garden Plan with the help of
several gardeners’ input. The Garden
Plan outlined the vision we have for
the program as well as the manage-
ment structure. It will be there to
help future VISTAs and staff under-
stand the direction we hope to take
the gardens.
I was successful in securing two grants
for the gardens: one to support the
stipends and the other to rebuild the
OCC Garden. The rebuild was a long
process, but the finished product
makes it all worth it. I got to know
some great community members from
Nepal; and even though we could not
always communicate clearly verbally,
we managed to work well together
and get a lot done. They were great
to have around not just because they
were hard workers but because they
shared my enthusiasm for building the
garden.
We now have two Garden Managers,
one for each garden, and a Garden
Team comprised of several gardeners.
Having both the team and the Garden
Managers has been a boost for the
program. I now have a better under-
standing of what the gardeners want
and need as well as people on the
ground to communicate issues and be
resources for gardeners. I am excited
to see where the program goes and
how it flourishes over the next year.
As the Garden Team and Garden
Managers become more established, I
believe that this program will become
self-sustaining and a vibrant communi-
ty resource.
I am truly excited that I will be con-
tinuing on in my role for a second
service year. This will give me the
opportunity to continue to grow the
program and to provide more con-
sistency for the gardeners. Now that I
have had a year to get to know the
City and establish some practices, I
believe that I will be able to do some
really great work next year including
providing more service and civic en-
gagement opportunities for youth as
well as providing continued support
to the community gardens and other
programs.
See you all next year!
Alaina Wermers VYT A*VISTA Member
Winooski Community Services Department
Winooski, VT
Page 6
The O’Brien Community Center Garden in Winooski
“I may be a youth but I have a lot of
good things to say.” Month after
month at Youth Development Com-
mittee meetings—Vermont’s advisory
board for youth in foster care—young
men and women share their thoughts
and feelings on Vermont’s foster care
system.
There are approximately 400,000
youth in foster care in the United
States. There are roughly 1,000 youth
in the custody of the state of Vermont.
Although the reasons that children and
youth enter foster care vary, the great-
est percentage enters custody because
of abuse or neglect. The largest repre-
sentations of youth in custody are be-
tween the ages of 12 and 17. These
youth are also at the highest risk of
aging out of foster care without perma-
nent connections with caring adults.
Although when they reach the age of
18, very few youth are ready and able
to support themselves financially and
emotionally at that age. Many have ex-
perienced traumatic histories and upon
reaching their 18th birthday, are ex-
pected to behave like adults without
resolving their feelings as a result of
those histories. The Vermont Youth
Development Program (YDP) serves as
an extended care program, providing
youth with resources, supports and
assistance building permanent connec-
tions with caring adults until their 22nd
birthday.
Last fall I began as an AmeriCorps
VISTA member at the Vermont De-
partment for Children and Families,
Family Services Division (DCF-FSD).
At midyear, I was given the privilege of
working with the Youth Development
Committee as their Youth Leadership
Coordinator, also. As a VISTA in both
of these capacities, I attempted to
merge both roles into one, asserting
youth voice into policy and practice
development on the state level. In
the process of doing so, it became
clear to the Committee that in order
to advocate for what they believe,
they need to effectively articulate
what those beliefs are.
Recognizing this need to develop a
concrete foundation for the Com-
mittee to advocate from, members
began redeveloping the Committee’s
mission statement, values and pur-
pose statements. Youth on the
Committee also defined what nor-
malcy is, to them, what they believe
can make the lives of foster youth
more normative. The Committee
also developed some goals and pro-
jects for the future.
All of the work that the Committee
did to put these foundational pieces
together have left them with a
strong base for the Committee to
stand on in the future. With a solid
mission statement and focus, the
Youth Development Committee can
now articulate what it does and why
it does it. Further, the Committee
will also be able to better serve as
its own liaison between the Family
Services Division and the Youth De-
velopment Committee.
AmeriCorps VISTAs are tasked with
building capacity or, in other words,
helping an organization function
without the help of a VISTA. I hope
that the service I have done with the
Youth Development Committee can
get them one step closer to serving
as key stakeholders in future plan-
ning for the child welfare system.
Lillian Shields, VYT A*VISTA Member
VT Department for Children and Families &
Youth Development Program
Essex, VT
Projects the Youth Development Committee
members have been working on.
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 7
Page 8
Going into my second year of service
as a VYT AmeriCorps VISTA serving
with The DREAM Program, I was excit-
ed to take on a new challenge. I moved
from being the Bennington area Pro-
gram Empowerment VISTA to being
the Burlington area Program Empower-
ment VISTA and with that location
change came a wealth of new responsi-
bilities and opportunities. Last year I
supported 32 mentor pairs with youth
from two low-income housing commu-
nities while this year, in my new role, I
supported over 140 pairs with youth
from four different low-income housing
communities. The location change also
introduced me to a whole new com-
munity of youth with a unique dynamic;
a large number of them are new Amer-
icans. In the beginning I struggled with
adapting the strategies I used last year
to my larger programs and my new
community. Eventually I was able to
feel confident and comfortable in my
new role and had a very successful year
of service.
When I began serving in my new
area it was apparent that the youth
in the low-income housing communi-
ties in Burlington had many of the
same needs as youth in DREAM’s
southern Vermont programs. The
youth lacked structured out-of-
school time activities as well as the
benefits that a strong mentoring rela-
tionship can provide. Also, the Bur-
lington area communities are so
large that it is almost impossible to
recruit enough mentors to accom-
modate every youth who wants to join DREAM. For instance, our
Franklin Square community has
twelve youth currently on the wait-
ing list and more youth age into our
program every year. In order to
meet this need I implemented a lot
of new volunteer management tech-
niques so that volunteer mentors felt
supported and empowered to design
better activities and serve more chil-
dren in the community.
One of the biggest steps I took was
in implementing new mentor check-
ins throughout the year. Program co
-chairs would meet with the new
mentors one-on-one to discuss how
their experiences were going and
figure out what support they still
needed. I also helped mentors feel
more ownership over their pro-
grams by empowering them to make
decisions and encouraging them to
have high expectations for new men-
tors. This year was the first year
where a trial period was instituted
for new mentors. This allowed co-
chairs to determine if new mentors
were a good fit for the program and
also make better mentoring match-
es. The stronger the connection
between the mentor and the youth,
the more dedicated the mentor vol-
unteer! Even though the co-chairs
decided that a few mentors weren’t
right for the program, I think that
this was better for the long run than
letting them continue in the pro-
gram.
In total, this year, the new volunteer
management practices that I institut-
ed at DREAM led to a 14% increase
in mentor numbers which in turn
allowed us to serve 29 additional
youth in the Burlington area. Hope-
fully, as these effective volunteer
management strategies are employed
in the rest of DREAM’s programs,
mentor numbers will continue to
increase and more youth can experi-
ence the benefit of a one-on-one
mentoring relationship.
Britt Wedenoja, VYT A*VISTA Member
The DREAM Program
Burlington, VT
DREAM summer interns, camp staff, and VISTAs
enjoy a week of orientation at Camp DREAM
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 9
As I write this, the children’s librarian is
helping a young man search for a book
at the circulation desk. Downstairs,
patrons sit quietly in the reading room,
taking in the day’s news and browsing
the newest books in the collection. At
the computers, people from all walks of
life search job databases. Behind me, an
outreach volunteer and the outreach
coordinator talk about a boy at the
local daycare she recently visited who
immediately wanted to read a story
upon the volunteer’s arrival. Tonight
the Children’s Library will be trans-
formed into a meditation space and
tomorrow the Hayes Room will host a
speaker from Gaza.
In small and varied ways, my ser-
vice as an AmeriCorps VISTA
makes all of this possible. From
the planning and implementation
of large scale fundraisers such as
An Evening at the Library and the
Onion River Century Ride to the
comparably smaller book sales and
raffles and (new this year!) the
Cabin Fever Spelling Bee, my con-
tributions to the development side
of the library have helped keep it
afloat during a difficult time. With-
out a steady stream of funding, the
library would be unable to offer
free, educational programs each
year for youth and adults. Folks
came as far as Plymouth, Vermont
to attend a Vermont Humanities
Council First Wednesdays lecture
on Calvin Coolidge in February and
locals in Washington County attended
a Timebanking 101 program in May to
learn how this unique concept of using
time as currency works in real life.
In April, an annual celebration of Na-
tional Poetry Month co-created by the
Kellogg-Hubbard Library and Montpel-
ier Alive, filled downtown Montpelier’s
windows with the poetry of Vermont-
ers. A variety of readings and work-
shops were available to the public
throughout April. This is an event
that is wholeheartedly embraced by
the entire community and I feel for-
tunate to have been a part of it.
Montpelier Alive and the Vermont
Humanities Council are just two
examples out of the twelve different
community organizations that I was
fortunate enough to develop rela-
tionships with as a regular facilitator
and attendee of programs. Two-
thirds of the collaborations between
the library and the community were
new, as I imagine they are every
year. Community Cinema was a new
addition this year. A collaboration
between Vermont Public Television
and the library, Community Cinema
is a national civic engagement initia-
tive featuring free screenings of films
from the PBS series Independent Lens.
Each month we would show a new
film and follow with a panel discus-
sion featuring community leaders and
experts in whatever topic the film
happened to be addressing. June’s
film was Love Free or Die, a docu-
mentary about Gene Robinson, the
first openly gay bishop in the Epis-
copal Church. The discussion that
followed, with the panelists and
audience, was thought-provoking
and powerful, just like many of the
conversations that happened fol-
lowing Community Cinema screen-
ings. For this reason, Community
Cinema was probably one of my
favorite program series.
The VISTA serving the library is
responsible for program publicity in
print and online, reaching out to
new audiences, and preparing for
and attending library programs.
With the assistance of the
VISTA member, fundraising,
programming, and outreach
are able to happen simultane-
ously and successfully. During
my time here, the library host-
ed over seventy programs,
with an average of thirty-five
people attending each pro-
gram. I’ve helped raise
$26,431, not including the
Onion River Century Ride
which, at the time of writing, is
happening in just over a week.
Our goal is to raise $15,000
this year. This library is
well-loved and I have no doubt
that we will reach that goal.
Although I have given a great
deal of my time and energy to the
library over the past eleven
months, I can’t help but feel that I
have gained far more. The Kellogg-
Hubbard Library is an organization
that is deserving of and has benefit-
ted tremendously from VISTA ser-
vice in the past and will continue to
do so in the future.
Anna Houston, VYT A*VISTA Member
Kellogg-Hubbard Library
Montpelier, VT
Bikers participating in the Century
Ride fundraiser take a break at the
Sugar Mill Farm food stop in Barton.
Something peculiar happened at the
Swanton Public Library this year: the
Bookmobile held a Stuffed Animal
Sleepover. Over thirty children came
to the library to listen to stories and
tuck their stuffed animals in for the
night amidst stacks of books. After the
kids went home to their own beds,
their furry friends had a night full of
(meticulously photographed) mischief
in the library. We arranged the photos
into a slideshow, which the kids
watched with awe and only a little
incredulity when they returned the
next morning to pick up their stuffed
animals. Toward the end of the event,
I saw something that was as magical
for me as the stuffed animals’ exploits
were for the kids: one of the parents
took her child by the hand and led him
over to the circulation desk to get his
first library card. He left carrying the
first book he had ever checked out for
himself.
A book is an extraordinary thing – a
library card even more so. Research
shows that “children who grow up in
homes where books are plentiful go
further in school than those who
don't.”* Books can serve as a leveling
force for children in poverty, who
often face barriers to educational suc-
cess: “Children with low-education
families can do as well as children with
high-education families if they have
access to books at home.” Poverty
runs high in the service region of the
Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile,
where I have served as an Ameri-
Corps VISTA for the last year. In the
2011-2012 academic year, 41% of pub-
lic school children in Franklin County
and 47% in Grand Isle County were
approved for free or reduced lunch.
Conversely, educational access and
quality often run low. When my fellow
Bookmobile VISTA and I interviewed
community members about how to
address local poverty, our interview-
ees were in consensus that the great-
est contributing factor was poor edu-
cation.
The Bookmobile achieves a vital im-
pact on education and on
the struggle against poverty
through targeting early liter-
acy, which can be a deter-
mining factor in later educa-
tional success. According to
the Annie E. Casey Founda-
tion, “Students who don't
read proficiently by third
grade are four times more
likely to leave school with-
out a diploma when com-
pared to proficient readers.
The number rises when
those kids also come from
poverty.” As a VISTA, I
served to ensure that under-
privileged children had the
educational resources to
succeed from a young age so
that they could reach their
full potential and break the
cycle of generational pov-
erty.
I helped my organization thrive
through a combination of capacity
building and direct service. I created
and implemented new programs such
as a replicable curriculum for an after-
school Grossology class that taught
elementary school children chemistry
and biology through icky experiments.
To help the Bookmobile develop a
more robust public relations strategy,
I created our first ever annual report
and arranged for our organization to
be featured on Channel 3 News. The
St. Albans Messenger printed seven
articles about Bookmobile programs
and events during my service term,
reflecting on our efforts to bolster the
Bookmobile’s presence in local print
media. I worked with the Bookmobile
team to plan and/or implement eleven
events, including fundraisers and
free/low-cost family events like the
Stuffed Animal Sleepover. One of
those events, our 10th Birthday Bash,
drew over 300 people to celebrate
literacy with the Bookmobile. Almost
all of our events raised more money
than those same events had generat-
ed in previous years. In total, my fel-
low Bookmobile VISTA and I were
able to raise $19,000 in in-kind dona-
tions and $8,000 from events, as well
as editing grants that awarded the
Bookmobile a total of nearly $50,000.
We brought the year to a close by
helping to successfully launch the
Bookmobile’s first ever summer
camp. The camp served as a means of
raising additional funds for the Book
Continued on next page
Sarah Rice, VYT A*VISTA Member
Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile
Swanton, VT
Sarah helps a camper build an animal
out of marshmallows during arts &
crafts at the Dig into Reading camp.
Page 10
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE
mobile while also engaging kids in
the environment, reading, and LOTS
of fun. All told, our VISTA service
supported the Bookmobile in serv-
ing more than 1,500 youth and 486
adults over the course of the year,
kindling the joy of learning and
bringing literacy services to those
who might not otherwise have had
access to them.
Some accomplishments are easier to
gauge than others, however. One of
my favorite aspects of my position
was getting to ride along on the
Bookmobile’s circulation route once
a week. Over the course of the
year, I checked out hundreds of
books to children along that route
and supported the Bookmobile in
reaching a circulation of more than
8,000 books. I read Knuffle Bunny
aloud so many times that the book
felt like an old friend, and I finally
mastered the tune of “Open Shut
Them,” which initially made me
sound as off-key as my grandfather
singing in church. But I was still frus-
trated by not being able to see
firsthand the change that I was
working to create – that miraculous
transformation of a child into a read-
er.
That is why I was inordinately proud
as I watched the boy go up to get his
first library card at our Stuffed Ani-
mal Sleepover. I saw, for the first
time, that moment of transfor-
mation. I began to realize that I had
been seeing that transformation all
along on the Bookmobile, but in
slow motion. I wanted the super-
speed version you see on the Dis-
covery Channel, where it takes a
caterpillar 1.5 seconds to spin a
chrysalis and even less to break free
from it as a butterfly. The metamor-
phosis that happened on the Bookmo-
bile was more subtle, more constant,
and more goofy – but just as beautiful.
I have learned that, just like a book, a
year of service is an extraordinary
thing. It can change 1,500 lives, and
mine among them.
*Evans, M.D.R., et al. Family scholarly
culture and educational success:
Books and schooling in 27 nations.
Research in Social Stratification and Mo-
bility (2010), doi:
10.1016/j.rssm.2010.01.002
**Hernandez, Donald J. Double Jeop-
ardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills
and Poverty Influence High School
Graduation. Annie E. Casey Foundation
(2012).
Page 11
Since I have started my service with
the Vermont Migrant Education Pro-
gram in August 2012, I have served to
build the foundation of a strong volun-
teer program. The point of this volun-
teer program is to expand the amount
of educational service VMEP can pro-
vide to migrant farmworker youth. The
volunteer program specifically targets
Latino Out-of-School Youth, who have
discontinued their education to pursue
a career in agriculture. Prior to having
a Volunteer Coordinator, VMEP did
not have the capacity to recruit, train,
and manage large groups of volunteers.
This VISTA position is the first full-time
Volunteer Coordinator position at the
Vermont Migrant Education Program.
By having a Volunteer Coordinator,
VMEP is able to focus more time and
energy on dispersing volunteer educa-
Rachel Mason, VYT A*VISTA Member
UVM Extension: Migrant Education Program
Berlin, VT
tors into the field. As a result, there
have been sixteen volunteers this year,
who have served approximately 180
hours in total. The majority of these
volunteers taught English to Spanish-
speaking migrant youth in Vermont.
In addition to teaching English,
volunteers have participated in pick-up
soccer games and organizing vegetable
gardens with their students.
Both volunteers and students have
expressed enthusiasm for the program.
When I interviewed volunteers, they
stated what a positive and impactful
experience it was for both them. One
example of a very positive experience
is with two volunteers from the Uni-
versity of Vermont, who worked with
a student from October to May.
When I first met this student, he spoke
very little English. When I came to a
goodbye dinner for the volunteers and
this student, we had almost the entire
dinner conversation in English! I was
amazed by how much the student had
advanced. Beyond learning English, it
was clear that this student and the
volunteers had formed a friendship.
While I value the educational services
volunteers are providing, I also believe
this volunteer program is building a
more inclusive and understanding
community through connecting
migrant youth to community members.
During my two years of service at the
In-Sight Photography Project in Brat-
tleboro, I have done much to help my
organization achieve its mission of
providing affordable afterschool pho-
tography education to youth ages 11-
18 throughout southeastern Vermont.
Brattleboro youth have a need for
structured out-of-school activities, and
the multi-level photography education
classes that we offer provide
many young people with their
only opportunity to learn
digital or analog photography.
All equipment and materials
are provided to students, and
no interested student is
turned away if unable to con-
tribute financially based on a
suggested sliding fee scale.
As part of my service, I have
helped In-Sight to improve its
existing photography educa-
tion programming and devel-
op a few new programs, as
well. Programs that I have
worked on include developing
a course on animation and
reviving interest in our Open
Lab sessions, where students
are welcome to work inde-
pendently outside of their regular
class times. In addition to program
design, I have helped In-Sight establish
a solid group of dedicated volunteers
who teach classes and provide extra
programming support. Through volun-
teer appreciation events and improved
communications and expectations, our
volunteers are happier at In-Sight and
more eager to teach, improving the
class experience for our students.
Of course, an important factor in
maintaining and improving that effec-
tiveness of In-Sight’s programming is
the financial health of the organiza-
tion. Through the efforts of the staff
and my support in donor relations,
marketing, and exhibition installation,
last year’s annual benefit photography
auction was our most successful yet. I
have also begun an effort to sell less-
than-useful donated photography
equipment, which has both raised a
significant amount of money and has
helped to improve the usability of our
cramped space.
During my second year of service, I
made an effort to improve the enroll-
ment in our programs. While the past
few class sessions had classes with less
-than-full numbers, I am proud to say
that our summer classes were all filled
to capacity. These students benefitted
from a more lively classroom environ-
ment, as well as all classes having two
volunteer instructors, making the stu-
dent-to-teacher ratio at 4:1 or better.
Many of our students take their first
pictures in our classes; most do not
have any other access to analog dark-
room facilities. For some students, In-
Sight classes provide their most con-
sistent access to computers and spe-
cific computer programs. Participants
learn countless indirect skills, as well,
such as visual literacy, developing a
critical vocabulary, teambuilding and
communication, and, especially in the
darkroom, patience. The foundation
of In-Sight’s curriculum is a multi-level
approach to photography, so classes
are treated as a place to im-
prove skills through succes-
sive courses. In-Sight has also
been able to reach new popu-
lations due to new and re-
kindled partnerships with or-
ganizations such as the Brat-
tleboro Retreat Meadows
School, Northeast Family In-
stitute, and Brattleboro En-
richment Activities for Middle
Schoolers.
While In-Sight, in its next
stage of growth, will expand
its systems of data collecting
and statistical reporting, quali-
tative feedback suggests that
In-Sight’s programming has
left an extremely positive im-
pact on youth participants.
Take, for example, a moment
at In-Sight’s recent Annual Student
Exhibition—the mother of a partici-
pant expressed her appreciation for a
volunteer instructor who made a
favorable impression on her teenage
daughter, and the class that the stu-
dent was taking provided a safe space
for the difficult time that she was hav-
ing. I was glad to hear this story and
to know that I played some small part
in welcoming this volunteer to In-
Sight and encouraging her to stay
involved, and I am pleased and as-
sured to know that this volunteer will
be serving as In-Sight’s AmeriCorps
VISTA member after me.
Ryan Stratton VYT A*VISTA Member
In-Sight Photography Project
Brattleboro, VT
Page 12
Ryan at In-Sight
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 13
The primary need DREAM works to
address is education. In our Local Pro-
grams, DREAM mentors serve as posi-
tive role models for DREAM youth
and provide constructive out-of-
school activities, to which youth might
not otherwise have access. In each
Local Program, the mentors, activities,
and families are unique, but they all
work toward the same goal through
mentoring.
As a Program Empowerment VISTA, I
manage volunteer mentors from two
of our Local Programs to ensure they
are meeting the needs of their com-
munities. For both programs, I pro-
cessed paperwork, attended meetings,
and worked with mentors to address
any questions or concerns about
DREAM. Over the course of the year,
I screened and trained 15 new men-
tors across the two Local
Programs, and I welcomed 10
new youth to DREAM. I also
supported the returning men-
tors as they took on new
leadership roles and dreamed
bigger and better for their
programs.
Because each of the mentors
and families brings unique
energy and excitement to
DREAM, I got to know each
program in order to support
mentors most effectively. I
supported Bennington College
mentors in planning a retreat,
holding more effective meet-
ings, and figuring out trans-
portation for events and trips.
At Green Mountain College, I
trained mentors on behavior
management techniques, sup-
ported co-chairs in sharing
responsibilities among men-
tors, and coordinated with
community partners to re-
cruit several new families to DREAM.
Through my AmeriCorps service, I
have built strong relationships with
mentors and families. At a celebration
for graduating mentors, everyone
shared their favorite DREAM mo-
ments. Hearing how much DREAM
meant to them was inspiring, and I
took pride in knowing I was a part of
their experiences. Children may not
have the vocabulary to express what
DREAM means to them, but they
show their appreciation in other ways.
Their faces showed their excitement
during a trip to the Montshire Muse-
um of Science where they learned
about scientific principles. New
mentees showed up to DREAM in
their bright yellow t-shirts, bursting
with energy. Youth revealed big ideas
while brainstorming possible summer
activities.
I wish I had one story that perfectly
sums up the impact I have had on the
community, but over the course of
this year, I have realized that it has
been the little moments that let me
know I have made an impact. A 10-
year-old boy realized that “the men-
tors are like our friends.” A parent
was excited to learn about the photos
section of the DREAM website be-
cause she could see how her son has
grown up with DREAM. A mentor
exclaimed, “I wish we had more time
with the kids.” Moments like these
result from building supportive rela-
tionships with mentors and with
DREAM families. The impact of my
service has been in helping these mo-
ments happen.
Ali Siegel, VYT A*VISTA Member
DREAM Program
Burlington, VT
Ali poses with the graduating DREAM mentors from
Bennington College.
While serving as the Joint Communica-
tions and Outreach Coordinator VISTA
at the Vermont Coalition to End
Homelessness and the Vermont Afford-able Housing Coalition, I was tasked
with helping to build capacity for both
organizations. Housing insecurity and lack of safe and affordable housing are
serious issues in Vermont. Both the
VCEH & VAHC work to increase af-
fordable housing and confront home-lessness, here in Vermont and nation-
wide.
My role within the coalitions is to in-crease communication between our
members, promote their work through
social media and publicity events, and provide up-to-date and timely infor-
mation concerning their work. Distrib-
uting accurate information is important
because developing stronger relation-ships among partners hinges on the
sharing of resources and best practices.
monters. Not only do people grapple
to find a safe and stable home, but
they fight against stigmas and misun-
derstandings. My role at the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC)
is to meet with residents in public
housing to encourage them to gain the skills and knowledge needed to
have a stronger voice in their housing
and community. Residents joining
associations discuss issues that their community is facing, and work togeth-
er to improve the place they live in.
This year, VAHC’s Resident Organizing
program saw the residents of several
affordable housing properties in Burling-
ton began to meet with their neighbors and make a difference in their buildings.
Not only did I work with residents on
issues specific to their buildings, but watched residents get involved in the
larger problems that low-income Ver-
monters face. There is still a long way to
go before the housing needs of Ver-monters are met, but I believe that with
residents involved, we can make real
change and faster.
For many people, public housing is a top-
ic that politicians argue over for a part of
town they don’t know much about. Until
my VISTA year, I had no idea how the process of applying for or receiving pub-
lic housing worked, let alone how much
was available. However, it seems like “Section 8” evokes images of high-rises
full of crime, unemployment, and people
getting handouts.
Available and affordable housing is an
everyday struggle for low-income Ver-
Page 14
Over the past year, I challenged myself
to learn and use new systems in order
to more effectively disseminate infor-
mation. I was initially very intimidated by all there was to absorb; up until this
year, my experience with communica-
tions had been focused primarily on writing and theory. From the start of
my VISTA year at the VCEH and
VAHC, I have been pushed out of my
communications comfort zone and feel lucky for it. I have become familiar
with two listserves, written policies to
ensure their continuance, created and distributed press releases to news me-
dia, given presentations to individuals
working in the field, and helped organ-ize monthly coalition-wide meetings. I
have promoted the work of the VAHC
through our Facebook and Twitter
pages as well as our newsfeed blog. In doing so, I have helped to provide ac-
curate and relevant information to
members from both coalitions so that they may serve their communities
more effectively.
I feel that I have made a difference
when members come to events that I
have helped organize, when individuals comment on articles or reports that I
have distributed, and when I have a
grasp on a new housing concept that
once eluded me. I believe that when you’re working for organizations that
are fighting poverty and increasing
quality of life for individuals every-where, it reinforces the idea that we
are all in this together. My sense of
accomplishment at both coalitions comes from seeing more and more
people become part of the conversa-
tion, more involved, and more aware
of the important issues that we face.
Jenny Montagne, VYT A*VISTA Member
VT Coalition to End Homelessness & VT
Affordable Housing Coalition
Burlington, VT
Jenny and Valerie show a poster on
affordable housing in VT
Valerie Woodhouse, VYT
A*VISTA Member
VT Affordable Housing Coalition
There are about a dozen services and
initiatives run or co-run by Essex
CHIPS for youth in the Essex, Ver-
mont area. Most notably, the organi-
zation runs a drop-in after school
center for 5-8th graders, drug/alcohol
abuse prevention initiatives, and runs
a program that helps students transi-
tion from middle school to high
school in the form of an 18 mile hike
through the woods.
Last year Essex CHIPS
started the FriendCHIPS
mentoring program. Until
FriendCHIPS came along,
there were no programs
that offered any sort of
mentoring. This year
FriendCHIPS expanded
from only serving the
schools in Essex Town to
also schools in Essex Junc-
tion.
With 24% of the kids in
the Essex Town and Junc-
tion areas on free or re-
duced lunch, the kids need
one-on-one youth-adult
partnerships to supple-
ment the fantastic work
the schools and other or-
ganizations here are al-
ready doing.
Back in 2002, the study "Mentoring:
A Promising Strategy for Youth De-
velopment" by Susan M. Jekielek,
M.A., Kristin A. Moore, Ph.D., Eliza-
beth C. Hair, Ph.D., and Harriet
Scarupa, M.S, argues that youth who
are a part of mentoring programs—
have fewer unexcused absences from
school than youth not participating in
these programs; a better chance of
going on to higher education, better
attitudes towards school; and are less
likely to try drugs. Mentoring also
promotes positive social attitudes and
the mentoring program. Perhaps
most importantly, I documented
what was working and what wasn’t
through surveys with the current
mentors and monitoring the ana-
lytics of the social media and web-
site traffic.
Someone taking a step back and
trying to assess the outreach strat-
egies for a specific program at Es-
sex CHIPS has never really been
done before. Essex
CHIPS now has a good
look at where their
outreach efforts should
be used for the expan-
sion and sustainability
of the program.
And the outreach sys-
tem I created isn’t
unique to just the
FriendCHIPS program;
it is applicable to most
everything else Essex
CHIPS does. None of
this existed before for
any of the programs.
So, I pass the Commu-
nications Coordinator
reigns to the next
AmeriCorps VISTA in
August. I have met her.
She seems neat. I am
fully confident that she
will build upon the projects I have
already started in the past year
while adding unique touches to
take it in places I wouldn’t have
ever thought about.
My service has expanded the
FriendCHIPS mentoring program’s
capacity as well as the number of
youth it serves. I have worked on
essential, targeted and effective
outreach strategies in place.
relationships.
In other words, youth mentoring pro-
grams like FriendCHIPS helps kids do
better in school which is the best signifi-
er we have about whether or not a kid
will succeed in life later.
The activities the mentor and mentee
participate in aren't super structured. In
my case (I volunteered as a mentor),
when I met with my mentee eve-
ry Wednesday we would just chat about
Pokémon, walk around, and take our
Uno games way too seriously. Some
mentors and mentees just play basket-
ball, some do arts and crafts, and some
go on a Frog Hunting Adventure (FHA).
The expansion of the program into the
Essex Junction school doubled the num-
ber of students served by the one-on-
one mentoring. My role in this process
was to collaborate with the
FriendCHIPS coordinator, and reach out
to the community to let them know of
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 15
Brian Fullerton, VYT A*VISTA Member
Essex CHIPS
Essex Junction, VT
A FriendCHIPS mentor pair go on a frog
hunting adventure.
Page 16
Creating economic opportunity for
students through job training and
internships has proved to make a
difference in the life of many youth in
Vermont. By preparing students to
enter the working world, we are
better equipping them to lead ful-
filling lives. As an AmeriCorps
VISTA
serving at
Navicate
(formerly
Linking
Learning to
Life) I had
the chance
to help
students discover their interests and
learn about job opportunities right
here in Vermont.
The Training Interns and Partnering
for Success (TIPS) program and
Learn to Earn Career exploration
events were platforms for me to
build partnerships with many local
businesses and organizations.
between school and work.
I know that during my year of
service I created many new part-
nerships with businesses that will
last long after I leave. Both stu-
dents and businesses benefited
from my service at Navicate. As
Thomas Ward, Colchester High
School Student and Heritage
Toyota Intern said at TIPS exhibi-
tion night “This class (TIPS) is
probably what I will take most
away from high school, It gave
me so much real world experi-
ence, I feel like I will use it every
day. “ Thomas is now employed
full time at Heritage Toyota.
Through community outreach I discov-
ered the amount of dedicated community
members that exist in Chittenden Coun-
ty. By acting as an intermediary between
schools and business I was able to create
opportunities for students to realize the
connection between what they are learn-
ing in the classroom and the “real world.”
I helped re-
cruit over 40
businesses to
host high
school in-
terns, recruit-
ed and
trained 62
professionals to facilitate career explora-
tion workshops, and reached over 1,400
students. The impact I had was immedi-
ately apparent with some students, while
with others it will become more apparent
as they make choices throughout their
lives. Whether it was telling a student
that anything is possible or simply expos-
ing a student to a career they didn’t
know existed I was able to bridge the gap
Spring Semester TIPS students and Governor Peter Shumlin pose at TIPS internship night.
Jenna Geery, VYT A*VISTA Member
Navicate
Burlington, VT
Big Picture South Burlington serves 27
students of diverse socio-economic
backgrounds in grades eight through
twelve. To contrast a portion of our
students who come from middle and
upper-class families, there are others
who have experienced or will experi-
ence homelessness this year. The
community of South Burlington, how-
ever, is not one that readily confronts
inequities like this one within its own
community. Meaningful service learn-
ing opportunities
allow for an in-
crease in the
awareness and
sensitivity of
youth to the so-
cial issues that
exist both locally
and globally,
which ideally re-
sult in increased
civic and social
participation.
In order to ad-
dress the need
for more mean-
ingful and in-
depth service
learning opportu-
nities, I designed
and co-led a
month-long expe-
ditionary learning
course called
“Storytelling for
Social Change,”
which examined issues of race, immi-
gration, and identity through the arts.
Students gained an understanding of
the importance of personal storytell-
ing to engaging in conversation and
problem-solving across differences.
Students examined photographs that
told the stories of African refugees in
Vermont, collected the stories of resi-
dents at a local elderly housing com-
munity, and wrote poetry that de-
scribed their own personal connec-
tion to this place, Vermont. The term
culminated in a five day trip to New
York City, where we learned from
organizations (Urban Bush Woman
dance troupe, Voices UnBroken, El
Puente) that use the arts to facilitate
social change on a large scale.
Participants learned about key con-
cepts like “privilege” and
“gentrification” and received a founda-
tional understanding of how the arts
can be used as a vehicle for personal
storytelling and understand across
differences. Anecdotal evidence from
the experience leads me to hope and
believe that participants will be more
likely to take into account the unique
stories of individuals as they approach
a community or personal issue.
When we stepped off the subway in
Brooklyn, New York City, a wave of
discomfort immediately swept
through the group. Looking around,
we silently noted the stark difference
between our own skin color and the
skin color of those walking by. When
we arrived at our hostel, behind
closed doors, we began to address
the discomfort. What’s so uncomfort-
able? I asked. One student put it best:
Everyone’s black. Coming from Ver-
mont, most of my students have not
been exposed to
people of color, par-
ticularly out of a
refugee community
context. Therefore,
they immediately
began to associate
the images and ste-
reotypes that have
been fed to them
about race and class
by the media, family,
school, etc. One
student noted that
we must be in the
“ghetto.” When I
asked him why, he
didn’t have an an-
swer.
After visiting several
organizations and
becoming more
comfortable with the
environment—just
by the very act of
navigating through
it—students began to see a foreign
community as merely a collection of
families, of friends, just like them.
Everyone had a story of immigration,
whether small or large, and everyone
experienced fear and joy like we do.
However, we are not all the same. By
simultaneously introducing concepts
like privilege and gentrification, we
were able to see how racism and
classism plays out in communities.
Anna Finkelstein VYT A*VISTA Member
Big Picture South Burlington
South Burlington, VT
Big Picture students visit the Urban Bush Woman
dance troupe in NYC
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 17
Page 18
Snap Shots of VYT
The 12-13 VYT team finishes their professional development series
by learning about effective job searching and interviewing.
VYT member, Anna Houston, and VYDC member, Sarah Campbell, move bricks from a flood
damaged wall at the Barre Historical Society as
part of a team service project.
VYT member Jenny Peterson gives an AmeriShare presentation about up-cycling books to create journals; an activity that
she and her mentee did this year.
Throughout the 2012-2013 VISTA ser-
vice year, the Vermont Youth Tomor-
row A*VISTA team has gathered togeth-
er in Montpelier every month to partici-
pate in training or activities relevant to
their service.
In this last quarter, VYT members were
joined by members from Vermont Youth
Development Corps AmeriCorps Pro-
gram (VYDC), Vermont Housing and
Conservation Board AmeriCorps
(VHCB), and SerVermont VISTA to par-
ticipate in several service projects in the
Barre and Montpelier area. VYT mem-
bers also finished the Professional Devel-
opment series with discussing how to ef-
fectively search for a job and how to pre-
pare for a job interview.
In July, VYT members participated in our
annual End-of-Service event. At this event
each member gave a short presentation
about the service year and shared stories
about their favorite moments in service.
VYT, VYDC, VHCB, and SerVermont AmeriCorps/VISTA members
get ready to participate in service projects in Barre and Montpelier.
VOLUME 11 , ISSUE Page 19
Members gather around tables to create “Warm
Fuzzies,” a DREAM Program tradition where
participants write kind words to the other
participants.
VYT VISTA, Alaina Wermers, gives her End-of-Service presentation on the evolution of the O’Brien
Community Center’s community garden
The VYT team circles up to play the game “Have You Ever,” with a
service twist.
Drew DeVitis reflects on his service year before
passing the talking stick to Ryan Stratton.
Members mingle to fill their Bingo card by matching
short descriptions to each team member.
E N D
O F
S E R V I C E
CONTACT US
A*VISTA Leader:
Anna Houston
Assistant Directors:
Meghan Jaird Jessi Engelke Callie Frey
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Program Director:
M. Kadie Schaeffer
P.O. Box 627/ 38 Elm St. Montpelier, VT 05601
Phone: 802-229-9151
VYT is sponsored by the
Washington County Youth Service
Bureau/Boys & Girls Club, and
receives funding from the
Corporation for National and
Community Service.
The opinions expressed in this
newsletter belong to the
individual writers and do not
necessarily reflect the views of
the site where the VISTA member
serves, Vermont Youth
Tomorrow A*VISTA Program
(VYT), the Washington County
Youth Service Bureau/Boys &
Girls Club, or the Corporation
for National and Community
Service (CNCS).
VERMONT
YOUTH
TOMORROW
A* VISTA
PROGRAM
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