Applications are currently closed for the 2023-2024 cohort.

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Job Title:  Erie’s Black Wall Street VISTA

Project Goal: This AmeriCorps VISTA project aims to promote economic opportunity and increase accessibility to resources for Erie's African American/Black and minority population. EBWS will use workshops to create opportunities for sustainable change at the interpersonal, familial, and community levels. The project seeks to increase the reach of existing EBWS programs, launch new sustainable programs, and develop a grants database and calendar for applications to enhance services and address pressing community needs.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Coordinate program implementation through setting up workshops, identifying resources, and building and maintaining partnerships.
2. Record statistical data on the aspects of social life in Erie that directly affect its constituents.
3. Identify, write and submit reports for grant opportunities.
4. Collect and analyze data collected internally from EBWS programs and follow up with reports and feedback.
5. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit a, and leverage resources.
6. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: Groundwork VISTA

Project Goal: Groundwork's AmeriCorps VISTA project aims to develop employment opportunities for 14-24-year-old residents in urban farming, land remediation, and green infrastructure to build climate resilience in Erie. The VISTA member will work with Gannon University researchers and Groundwork's workforce development to identify pipelines to mushroom farming training and expand awareness of mushroom farming employment opportunities. They will also identify target areas for mushroom farming, local businesses to sell mushrooms, and communicate alternative mushroom applications for production and sale.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Enhance employment opportunities for youth/young adults by creating pipelines from educational and community centers to Groundworks or self-employment.
2. Enhance commerce and productive land use.
3. Project future commercial success for mushroom growth and development.
4. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
5. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: Rural Area Workforce Development VISTA

Project Goal: This AmeriCorps VISTA project aims to provide workforce training opportunities and support services to underserved rural populations in southern Erie County, PA. The VISTA member will connect with local businesses to understand employment needs, research training programs to meet those needs, and promote training opportunities on social media and other online platforms. The project also involves coordinating social services for trainees and finding solutions for transportation issues in rural areas.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Outreach and establish relationships with surrounding businesses.
2. Perform workforce job training services administrative duties.
3. Coordinate social services needed for trainees attending classes and programs.
4. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
5. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: Transition Age Youth (TAY) VISTA

Project Goal: This VISTA project will focus on housing for transition age youth (ages 16-24) who are experiencing mental illness and/or housing instability. The goal is to provide safe and stable housing and recovery-driven support to help break the cycle of poverty and improve overall wellness. The VISTA will build program capacity for three pilot programs through volunteer recruitment, fundraising efforts, community awareness, networking, tracking outcomes, and exploring funding opportunities.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources.
2. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: USCRI VISTA

Project Goal: 

The VISTA position at USCRI aims to re-shape community outreach for volunteer recruitment and management to acquire and prepare affordable housing for refugee resettlement in Erie. The VISTA will work towards ensuring that refugees have access to quality housing and employment to become financially self-sufficient during their critical period after arrival. This position will focus on improving the quality of life for refugees and immigrants to contribute to the economic strength of Erie.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Recruit and manage volunteers.
2. Secure donations for housing support.
3. Identify additional housing providers.
4. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
5. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: Gannon Tobacco Free Campus VISTA

Project Goal: The Allegheny College VISTA member will build the capacity for the campus to address systemic campus food insecurity among the student population in a more systematic and coordinated manner. With an approach that includes data collection on students’ measurable gains in food security through research, development, and a build out of interventional and educational programming, the VISTA member will ultimately bring more individuals out of poverty on campus. The member will also be another community leader at the local food coalition roundtable in terms of building a stronger network of support between the college and among community organizations who are addressing gaps in the food system and supporting more food insecurity locally.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Conduct research and design for effective food security programming.
2. Coordinate and connect campus food-related resources to help build a campus that is more knowledgeable about food security on campus, aware of available resources, and can navigate the local food system.
3. Facilitate and co-lead in the campus to community connections for food resources.
4. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources.
5. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: Gannon Campus Food Security VISTA
Project Goal: Gannon, like many colleges and universities across the US, has seen a substantial rise in the needs of students and their families, particularly when it comes to accessing healthy and affordable food. Food security is a fundamental need to ensure student success at the collegiate level. The VISTA member will be instrumental in increasing awareness of food insecurity on campus, researching best practices for on-campus food pantries, establishing sustainable processes to support campus food drives and innovative food delivery systems, raising funds, and tracking outcomes.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Increase awareness of food insecurity on campus and the potential impact it has on student success and retention.
2. Evaluate current operations in Store U-Knighted and make recommendations based on research of best practices for on-campus food pantries and implement processes to ensure sustainability of operation.
3. Determine which innovative food delivery systems are most feasible for an urban college campus and create a sustainable process for implementation.
4. Establish collaboration between Gannon and community partners to support education of faculty, staff, and student leaders about SNAP eligibility and the application process.
5. Garner funds to support food security on campus.
6. Track outcomes and begin strategic planning.
7. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
8. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning

Job Title: Meadville Market House VISTA

Project Goal: This VISTA project aims to increase food benefit usage in the Market House and outdoor farmers' market located in downtown Erie, which provides fresh and local foods to individuals and families experiencing poverty. The VISTA will collaborate with existing support organizations and community groups to increase awareness of the Market House, build out the market token program, and encourage more people to use their assistance funds to buy local foods. The ultimate goal is to increase accessibility to fresh and healthy foods for those in need.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Increase community awareness about the fresh and local foods available at the Meadville Market House.
2. Increase awareness and usage of SNAP and WIC benefits.
3. Implement and assess the farmers’ market token program.
4. Build a volunteer capacity to assist with outreach through Friends of the Market House.
5. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
6. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: STRONG GO Trade VISTA

Project Goal: The GO Trade VISTA project aims to increase the number of middle school students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Erie High School. The VISTA will develop the GO Trade program by building relationships with community partners, recruit middle school students to participate in the program, and work with guidance counselors and the CTE program coordinator to advertise the program to current eighth graders and streamline the application process. By implementing these strategies, the project seeks to increase the number of students who graduate high school with industry-recognized credentials and are prepared for post-secondary education and careers.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Recruit community partners to lead GO Trade CTE programs.
2. Recruit and retain students to participate in the GO Trade program.
3. Develop and implement a smoother transition from middle school to high school CTE programs.
4. Secure funding for GO Trade programming.
5. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
6. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: United Way VISTA

Project Goal: The VISTA project aims to reduce poverty by addressing barriers to learning faced by students in Erie's 16 Community Schools. The project will focus on implementing sustainable strategies to improve attendance, expand vision correction services, and develop out-of-school time programming. This will involve building frameworks, researching best practices, and supporting the implementation of these programs.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Expand safer walking routes to more Community Schools in Erie.
2. Expand mobile vision clinics to more Community Schools in Erie.
3. Expand out-of-school time programming to more Community Schools in Erie.
4. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
5. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.

Job Title: Our West Bayfront VISTA

Project Goal: The Our West Bayfront VISTA project aims to enhance the neighborhood's environmental assets and reduce harmful impacts through a sustainability strategy. This will involve collaborating with residents and partners to assess and prioritize improvements to the tree canopy, sidewalks, litter, energy efficiency, and pedestrian activity. The VISTA will also develop outreach activities to increase understanding of the community's environmental assets and improve individual quality of life.

Objectives of the Assignment (July 2023 - July 2024):

1. Collaborate with neighborhood residents and community partners to develop systems to assess and prioritize improvements to the neighborhood tree canopy and sidewalk conditions.
2. Conduct outreach and collaboration with community residents and organizations to assist with action steps and goals.
3. Implement strategies to reduce litter and calm traffic to promote pedestrian activity.
4. Network among other Lake Effect Leaders’ (LEL) VISTA host sites to support programming, recruit volunteers, and leverage resources
5. Support regional initiatives/community-wide strategic planning.