AmeriCorps*VISTA, Youth Organized for Disaster Action

Posted by on December 1, 2006

Youth Organized for Disaster Action AmeriCorps*VISTA Position

AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is dedicated to eliminating poverty by helping individuals and low-income neighborhoods make positive changes for themselves. Through AmeriCorps*VISTA, ordinary people provide extraordinary service in more than 1,200 projects nationwide. AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve in hundreds of organizations throughout the country?working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, increase housing opportunities, or bridge the digital divide. When VISTA members complete their service, they leave behind lasting solutions to some of our country’s toughest problems.

As an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer you will receive a modest living allowance of $921 a month, 10 vacation days, 10 personal days, health insurance, training and travel expenses, and be able to delay paying back your student loans while you serve. When you complete a year of service, you’ll receive either a stipend of $1,200 or an educational award of $4,725, which you can use to help pay for college, graduate school, vocational training, or help pay off student loans. As a VISTA volunteer you will be serving full time for 12 months and must decline other educational or employment opportunities during your year of service.

DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

The VISTA volunteer assigned to the Institute for Global Education and Service Learning will primarily work with the Learn and Serve America Homeland Security program-Y.O.D.A.-Youth Organized for Disaster Action.

The VISTA volunteer will work with the Program Manager, State Coordinators, and schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to develop the supports necessary to promote replication and sustainability of this Learn and Serve America program. The VISTA volunteer will work directly in the schools supporting the Y.O.D.A initiative.

Possible Activities the VISTA volunteer may be engaged in during his/her term of service include:
– developing and marketing outreach strategies,
– assisting with training sessions for sub-grantee teams to focus on, implementation and expansion of homeland security service-learning programs within the classroom, district and community,
– developing online Y.O.D.A. resources to provide successful program models,
– progress reports,
– and other activities that may be necessary to achieve the Y.O.D.A. goals.

Y.O.D.A. VISTA Project Sites:

Pennsylvania
– New Foundations Charter School (Philadelphia, PA)
– Bristol Township School District (Bristol, PA)

New Jersey
– Hoboken High School (Hoboken, NJ)
– Hoboken Charter School (Hoboken, NJ)
– Cranford High School (Cranford, NJ)
– Princeton High School (Princeton, NJ)
– Hunterdon County Poly Tech (Hunterdon, NJ)
– American Red Cross (Tri County Chapter in Linden, NJ)

To learn more about becoming an AmeriCorps*VISTA visit <a href="http://www.americops.org">http://www.americops.org</a>.

For more information about Youth Organized for Disaster Action (Y.O.D.A.) visit <a href="http://www.igesl.org">http://www.igesl.org</a>.