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…
MTCC VISTA SUMMER ASSOCIATE ALEX FOWLER CHECKS IN
Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates served ten weeks terms begining in June of 2015. These VISTAs focus on community needs like summer learning loss, nutrition, and STEM education. This summer we had the pleasure of placing 28 VISTA Summer Associates across Montana. They came from near and far, and today we checked in with Alex Fowler who came to serve all the way from North Carolina!Where are you from and how did you decide to come and serve in Montana?I am from the foothills of North Carolina. I live in a rural town of 1,500 with pretty views…
MTCC WELCOMES 16 NEW VISTAS TO SERVICE!
Montana’s July 2015 VISTA Class with Lieutenant Governor Angela McLeanThe Montana Campus Compact welcomed sixteen new AmeriCorps VISTA members into year-long terms of service with affiliate campuses last week. These brand new MTCC VISTAs come from cities across the country as well as right here in Montana. Staff and VISTA leaders spent five days in Helena helping to train, orient and prepare these inspiring folks for their service. Following Montana’s Pre-Service Orientation and Swearing In Ceremony with Lieutenant Governor McLean in Helena, MTCC’s VISTA class spent two and a half days at the Montana Learning Center on Canyon Ferry for…
CURRENT MEMBER CAT LENIS CHECKS IN FROM SPARROWS NEST
Cat Lenis is serving as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA with Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana. I was lucky enough to get in touch with her and ask questions about the amazing work she has done and is continuing to do for the Flathead Valley.What is your background that led you to serve as a VISTA member?I was born, raised and went to undergrad and grad school in Worcester, Massachusetts. Although I love it there I was ready for something new once I graduated with my Master’s in Community Development and Planning. I knew some people that did a year…
MTCC VISTA ALUMNA BESS PALLARES CHECKS IN
Bess Pallares, MTCC VISTA AlumThis year marks the 50th anniversary of VISTA. In celebration of this special anniversary we will be featuring alumni periodically to see where they are now. We checked in with Bess Pallares who served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the University of Montana and Missoula County Public Schools. Check out the amazing things she has done and is currently doing below. Thank you for your service, Bess and good luck with everything you do!Where did you serve? I served with Missoula County Public Schools and University of Montana as a VISTA with the Partners In Education project…
WELCOME ABOARD, MTCC VISTA SUMMER ASSOCIATES!
Twenty Nine MTCC VISTA Summer Associates were just sworn in, this is the Missoula crew.Monday, June 1st, 2015, Montana Campus Compact welcomed an unprecedented 29 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates to our campuses and communities across Montana! These Summer Associates will serve for 10 weeks in communities across the state, providing hands-on learning opportunities and educational programming for youth. Each project is associated with one of four focus areas: K-12 success, college access, summer learning loss or summer food programming. Some will be serving in tandem to strengthen current MTCC AmeriCorps VISTA projects like Jacquelyn Turmel serving homeless teens with Sparrow’s…
MTCC VISTA ALUM ALEX HERLICH CHECKS IN
Alex Herlich served as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA with Salish Kootenai College’s Upward Bound program which helps first generation and low income students attend college. Alex was responsible for developing public relations and community networks, overhauling recruitment policy, building at-distance summer curriculum, and piloting an arts outreach program with on-campus summer programs. In an effort to keep in touch with the amazing individuals who commit to a year of service, MTCC will periodically feature an alum or current member spotlight.When and where did you serve during your term as an AmeriCorps VISTA?I served from January 2014-January 2015 at Salish Kootenai College…
FLATHEAD VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE: HONORS STUDENTS, BUILDS COMMUNITY
Flathead Valley Community CollegeOn Friday I was lucky to help honor some of Flathead Valley Community College’s exemplary student leaders, volunteers and service learning students at the campus’s Arts and Technology building. Each year, Campus Compact awards its Newman Civic Fellows Awards to students whose work addresses root causes of problems and help develop effective means to address problems creating lasting change. This year, FVCC’s Newman Civic Fellow was Scott Brooke, a second year student and Navy veteran who helped build the base of support for the Veterans Association and an endowed scholarship to help benefits-ineligible student veterans pay for…
MTCC VISTA ALUMNA PROFILE: RECYNTHIA ROBINSON
Rey participates in MTCC’s Service Selfie day! Recynthia Robinson served as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA member throughout 2014 and into February of this year. Rey worked with the Lewis and Clark region of the Troops to Teacher Project and Montana State University in Bozeman. Troops to Teachers helps military veterans transition into teaching careers and links those teachers with parts of the country suffering teacher shortages. I talked to Rey about her life and the changes that have occurred since making her commitment to serve as a VISTA. I wanted to know how her life had changed from before…
MONTANA TECH INVESTS IN COMMUNITY!
MTCC AmeriCorps VISTA member Cody LaBean, serving with Montana Tech’s Institute for Educational Opportunities and Butte’s Local College Access Network, assisted with National TRiO Day on February 22nd in Helena. Here’s what he had to say about it:”National TRIO Day is a ‘National Day of Service’ that helps address the complex needs of young people and adults aspiring to improve their lives. TRiO Day was an opportunity for over 100 TRiO Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound students from Butte, Deer Lodge, and Helena to volunteer, visit campuses and consider postsecondary education. The group visited two Montana higher education institutions, and it highlighted the need for investment…
HAPPY 50, VISTA!
A vintage VISTA poster, apparently before Alaska was around?The VISTA program is celebrating its 50th anniversary! Over there years, there have been an amazing Montana Campus Compact, we bring the resources of a network of engaged colleges and universities to this important work. VISTAs who have served with us over the years have helped start up the successful Graduation Matters program, have helped open and expand food pantries, veterans services offices, service-learning offices, afterschool programs. MTCC VISTAs have supported college access and success work, and have built capacity for college student volunteers to address community needs all along the way….
TWELVE NEW VISTAS BEGIN THEIR SERVICE!
On January 29th we welcomed twelve new AmeriCorps VISTAs to Montana and Wyoming. They finished their Pre Service Orientation in Helena and continued to a Montana Campus Compact orientation immediately following, where they were joined by MTCC network staff. We spent three beautiful days at the Montana Learning Center outside of Helena where we got to know our members a little better and they got to know us. On January 31st we sent our members on their journeys across the state to begin serving. Our new members include:Brandon Fish- Blackfeet Community College, BrowningSamuel Garetson- Salish Kootenai College, Upward Bound, Pablo Sage…