COMMUNITY BUILDING INSTITUTE TRAINING
The Community Building Institute (CBI) is offered twice a year and hosted by the Montana Campus Compact. The CBI provides the foundation for service projects to transition into sustained, community-supported programs. This training includes six (6) web-based sessions facilitated by experts in community organizing. The sessions are designed for projects in different stages of development: from the beginning assessment stages to the long-standing project seeking to evaluate its impact. The CBI Training Series is a crucial resource for the sustainable development of community-based initiatives.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________Our sessions and presenters are:Community Assessment Colleen Kane, University of Montana Associate Director of Community Engagement and…
MTCC SUMMER PROGRAMMING
MTCC VISTA Summer Associates in June, 2015.Across Montana college students offer communities a myriad of talents. From working and volunteering in schools, with nonprofits and with cities and towns, you can count on a college student to bring fresh perspectives, ideas and energy, whether they’re nineteen or forty seven. To support the great needs communities experience over the summer and the great wells of energy, skill and enthusiasm that college students bring, MTCC is continuing and adding resources to our summer AmeriCorps and VISTA programming.In past years, we’ve placed as many as thirty VISTA Summer Associates with youth-serving nonprofits, city…
MTCC AMERICORPS AND VISTA MEMBERS SERVE ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Between Friday, January 15 and Monday, January 18 (and beyond) all across Montana MTCC VISTAs and AmeriCorps Members coordinated or took part in projects that honored the memory of one of our nation’s greatest leaders, Martin Luther King Jr . MTCC’s national service members conducted MLK Read for Peace events, toiletry drives, art projects and volunteered with local events from Glendive in the east to Hamilton and Kalispell in the west. Here are some of their stories:Bozeman:VISTA Jill McIntyre reads to students at Irving ElementaryOur VISTA members in Bozeman (Alex Opie, Lauren Hall, Dalya Kefi, and Jill McIntyre) coordinated and…
MTCC HOSTS MLK JR. READ FOR PEACE EVENTS ACROSS MONTANA.
Lacy Fiore Gets Things Done!We caught up with Lacy Fiore, AmeriCorps VISTA alum and our current VISTA leader, to discuss the Compact’s Martin Luther King Jr. Read For Peace events. Lacy has led the organizing process for events across the state this year and spearheaded two very successful fundraising events that are ensuring that schools and libraries have access to current, age-appropriate books about Martin Luther King Jr.Tell me about MTCC’s Martin Luther King Jr. Read For Peace event. (How it started, history, collaboration across AmeriCorps, VISTA and Senior Corps programs, who’s involved, how MTCC campuses get involved)MLK Read For…
AMERICORPS VISTA CORAL THEDE CHECKS IN FROM GILLETTE, WY
I checked in with Coral Thede (pronounced TAY-DEE) to see how things are going down in Gillette, WY. She is serving with the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming. Coral is finishing her service in January and we are excited to see what great things she will do next! Get To Know Your VISTAWho: Coral (like the reef)Where: Gillette, WyomingAge: 310 monthsOriginally From:Is this Heaven? ……….No, it’s I O W A!College: University of Northern Iowa Major:Communication Studies Minor: SpanishHobbies: Playing my guitar, bonfires, road trips, snail mail, blogging, Netflix.Fun Fact(s): New Year’s Baby, natural ginger, once cut my hand…
JANUARY VISTAS GATHER FOR CLOSE OF SERVICE
Montana Campus Compact January VISTAs gather in Missoula for their Close of Service. We had presenters and sessions to prepare them for life after AmeriCorps. All sessions were held at the University of Montana in the Payne Family Native American Center and the Mansfield Library. We had delicious lunches and dinners donated by local restaurants Five on Black , Pie Hole and coffee from Starbucks. Our members exiting service are:Brandon Fish- Native Science Field Center- Blackfeet Community CollegeSam Garetson- Upward Bound- Salish Kootenai CollegeConstance Johnson- Garfield Literacy Project- Montana State University BillingsKate Johnson-Student Marketing and Outreach- Bitterroot CollegeDalya Kefi- kidsLINK Afterschool Expanded…
MTCC VISTA DEANNA LINN BRINGS NANOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH TO MSU
Deanna Linn is a Montana Campus Compact VISTA serving with the Girls STEM Collaborative at Montana State University. She began her service in July 2015. Below is a press release about the amazing work Deanna is doing at MSU.BOZEMAN, Mont.—An annual Halloween festival for children received an infusion of nanotechnology when an AmeriCorps VISTA member based at Montana State University brought science outreach activities to the university’s Family & Graduate Housing.FGH hosts an annual Pumpkin Festival near Halloween, and Deanna Linn, who serves via Montana Campus Compact within MSU’s Extended University, recruited undergraduate and graduate students from MSU’s Chemical and BiologicalEngineering Department…
CAMPUS COMPACT HONORS STUDENT ATHLETE VOLUNTEERS
As you might know, Montana Campus Compact is a seventeen campus higher education network that advances the public purposes of colleges and universities by deepening their ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility. This weekend, Saturday November 21, MTCC Board Members and Governor Bullock will honor fifteen exemplary college student athletes who are model examples of our mission and vision. “College students in Montana do amazing community work, and their investment of time, talent and energy help improve our communities across the state. Campus Compact’s Montana Athletes In Service Award honors the contributions of…
BARNES AND NOBLE HOSTS BOOK FAIR TO SUPPORT MLK READ FOR PEACE
Montana Campus Compact has partnered with Barnes and Noble to help raise funds and awareness for MLK Read For Peace. When you mention MTCC or Read For Peace at checkout, you are automatically supporting this initiative. It also works when you go to the cafe for some coffee or lunch. Bring your little ones for a pajama story time at 7pm. A story will be read by one of our VISTAs. Stop by and see us on December 11th to do some holiday shopping and support a great event!
AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBER ALUMNI MIRA MENDICK CHECKS-IN
MTCC VISTA Alumni Mira MendickMira Mendick had a very fruitful year as an MTCC VISTA on University of Montana’s campus here in Missoula. Recently she successfully procured a higher education position at Missoula College, and we decided to check in with her. This is what she had to say:When and where did you serve your term as a Compact AmeriCorps VISTA?I served as an MTCC VISTA with the University of Montana Financial Education Program from July 2014 to July-2015. The overall goal of my year was to develop an enhanced entrance loan counseling to be delivered to all University of…
MEMBERS GATHER FOR ANNUAL BUILDING ENGAGED CITIZENS CONFERENCE
Theda New Breast facilitates Tribal Community Relationship Building Over the past 14 years, Building Engaged Citizens (BEC) has served as the Montana Campus Compact’s premiere civic engagement and service conference. Since 2000, through various iterations, BEC has provided hundreds of national service members and college students at-large the opportunity to explore the practical and philosophical implications of higher education’s role in civic engagement. This year,BEC continued the legacy through training in the areas of leadership/facilitation, marketing, grant-writing, volunteerism, volunteer management and tribal community relationship building. This year, BEC was held in Great Falls on October 28th through October 30th. Members and staff stayed at…
AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBER MICHELE SCHAHCZENSKI CHECKS IN
Michele Schahczenski is currently serving with the Children’s Museum of Missoula and University of Montana. She began her service last January 2015 and wraps up in early 2016. I checked in with her to see how things were going and here’s what she had to say:What is your background that led you to serve as a VISTA member?I was born in Whitehall, Montana and went to college in Missoula, Montana where I am currently serving as a VISTA. I’ve lived in Montana my whole life and after my undergraduate I was excited to get the chance to give back to the…
CHECKING IN WITH MTCC VISTA SAM GARETSON
Sam Garetson serves with Salish Kootenai CollegeSam Garetson has had a lot of success since he started as a VISTA this past January. He currently works from Salish Kootenai College with with the Upward Bound office, helping open the doors to postsecondary education wider to more first generation and low income Montanans. Recently, we decided to check in with him. This is what he had to say:Why do you serve as a VISTA member?I think an intuitive as well as learned desire to be in service to others is what drove me to AmeriCorps VISTA. Throughout my undergraduate studies I…
VOLUNTEER SERVICE PANEL DISCUSSION
Tonight! October 22nd at 5:00 PM in MissoulaHave you ever wondered about Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or getting involved through volunteering? Do you know what it takes to become a member of one of these programs or to get involved in your community? Maybe you don’t know where to look, or who to talk to, right?Well, you are in luck! Because on Thursday, October 22, at 5:00 PM 2015 there will be a Volunteer Service Panel in Missoula to discuss how to get involved and what the perks are to being a part of the National Service movement. The event is…
ALUM CHRISTINA DOCK TALKS ABOUT CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS
Christina Dock: MTCC VISTA alum Christina Dock served from July 2014 to July 2015 in a partnership position between the the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming and Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. Christina worked hard to build a strong, reciprocal campus-community partnerships and we asked if she could discuss what went into them, reflect on what she accomplished and share her successes and challenges.Campus Partnerships”At the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming (GSMW) headquarters office, we tried to make connections and recruit students from every college in our region including Rocky Mountain College, Montana State University Billings, Montana State…
MTCC VISTAS GIVE BACK THIS 9/11
Bozeman Fire Fighters and MTCC AmeriCorps VISTAsOn September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance 2015, MTCC AmeriCorps VISTAs gave back to their communities all over Montana and northeastern Wyoming. Every year Compact VISTAs participate in the September 11th National Day of Service, and this year they did not disappoint. From Gillette, Wyoming up to Havre, Montana VISTAs volunteered at special events and led and supported local service projects. Here is what our amazing VISTAs did:Bozeman: Cards, Letters and Treats to First RespondersVISTA members In Bozeman created a program that engaged 500 local children to create thank you cards for…
EDUCATING CITIZENS, BUILDING COMMUNITY AT THE MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY
MTCC VISTA Erik SwansonPublic libraries are community hubs for information, activities, and support for community members and families. Missoula PublicLibrary offers these services, as well as unique programming. The Missoula Public Library in partnership with the Univervsity of Montana’s SpectrUM science museum is a current host site for an MTCC VISTA project. the project is developing infrastructure to help alleviate poverty in a community by generating early interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (or “STEM”) careers.One of the new and unique services available atthe Missoula Public Library is the MakerSpace. This new area is located downstairs and can help…
VOLUNTEER OF THE GAME NOMINATIONS OPEN.
MSU-Northern’s Chancellor Kegel and VOTG recipient Joseph Vernon.Every year, Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) collaborates with the Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service to support volunteerism and service in Montana. We believe in supporting college students who make a difference within our communities. Through this collaboration, the Volunteer of the Game award recognizes five student volunteers from college campuses in Butte, Havre, Helena, Dillon and Billings.Two examples of the student leaders recognized with Volunteer of the Game distinctions include Joseph Vernon and Mathew Foster. MSU-Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel awarded Joseph Vernon the Volunteer of the Game at the Northern October 18…
MONTANA ATHLETES IN SERVICE 2015!
Salish Kootenai College’s DJ FishSince 2001, the colleges and universities that make up the Montana Campus Compact have honored the commitments of student athletes with the Montana Athletes In Service award. Whether it’s basketballer Jordan Johnston from Carroll College who worked with Four Georgians Elementary School on the Kids College project as well as Big Brother Big Sisters or SKC basketball player DJ Fish who mentored students with Student Support Services and youth basketball campus, Montana’s college student athletes offer some inspiring examples of what community leadership can look like.Campus Compact’s blog recently ran an interesting piece called “Building Civic…
COMPACT VISTA DALYA KEFI CHECKS IN
Dalya Kefi has served in since this January with Montana State University and the Greater Gallatin United Way’s kidsLINK Afterschool Program, so we decided to check in and share the great work she has been doing.What is your background that led you to serve as a VISTA member?MTCC AmeriCorps VISTA Dalya KefiMy mother was in the Peace Corps when she was my age, and both of my parents worked with the refugee community while I was growing up. I was exposed to non-profit work and international development as a child and always knew I would work with disadvantaged populations. I have…