ILCC VISTA White PaperMy Year in Review

By: Ashley Brazil

Overview

• Context

• Themes

• Student Engagement

• Community Partners

• Resources and Publications

• Goals

• Future Recommendations

Context

• AmeriCorps* VISTA– Poverty Alleviation

– Capacity Building

• Illinois Campus Compact – Poverty Alleviation

– Service Learning Capacity-building

• Adler School of Professional Psychology

– Community Engagement Department• Community Service Practicum

Themes

• Let’s improve our program process

• Let’s diversify our community partners for students with different interests/skills

• Let’s make the Community Service Practicum a worthwhile cornerstone of an Adlerianeducation

Student Engagement • Seminar Visits

• CV workshops

• Community Partner Fair

• CSP student-to-student forums

• CSP Expectations Video

• Monthly Civic Reflections

• Field Trip Program Development

• CSP Student Forum

• Operation Support Our Troops Event

Community Partners

• Site Recruitment

• Site Visits

• Site Reviews

• Community Partner Support

• Military Organization research and recruitment

Resources and Publications

• Professionalism Module

• CSP Student handbook

• CV workshop materials

• CSP Field Trip Proposal

• Fliers

• Civic Reflection

• Publicizing Relevant Events

Goals

• Goal #1– The Soldier’s Project

– National Veterans Art Museum

– Operation Support Our Troops

• Goal #2– Enlace Chicago

– Chicago Teacher’s Center

– Blocks Together

Goals

• Goal #3– CSP Student Forums

– CSP Student Focus Group

• Goal #4– New student group out of the former SIS program

– Praxis

– Our vision is to turn this into a connected student organization whose focus is social justice and social responsibility

Future Recommendations

• At least one more full time staff person• Better support for community partners that are

struggling to continue to run programs• Continuing to build great relationships with

community organizations• A virtual, online way for CSP students to discuss

their experience• Increased awareness among

faculty, students, and community partners about service-learning and community engagement

Reflections on My Year

“It has been a great journey and an amazing experience as a VISTA this year. I have learned so many things and met great people who have and will continue to influence me.”

“I can see now that my decision to serve for a year as a VISTA was the best decision I could have made. I have greater understandings of how programs, community organizations, and the nonprofit sector work.”

Questions!

Thank you!