1. Minnesota Alliance With Youth
Tuesday, March 14th
VISTA Assignment Description Supervisor Workshop

2. Agenda Introductions VAD Worktime Performance Measures Recruitment Q&A
What’s Next?

3. Introductions Name and organization Experience with VISTA
Any burning questions?
Congrats, have everyone introduce themselves and their site and if they have experience with VISTA, any burning questions?

4. Importance of VAD
The VISTA Assignment Description (VAD) is both a position description and a work plan. It’s used for recruiting purposes and tracking a VISTA’s performance.
Great for recruiting members because it answers “what will I be doing”. Particularly helpful VISTA member because they are capacity builders, NO direct service.
Great for in service because it lays out goals for the member to achieve projects/objectives. Helps to ensure that member is on track to successfully complete service.
Supervisors can use the VAD to frame a few important conversations with a VISTA. The VAD indicates project priorities, organizational and community challenges, and the purpose of the project.
The reporting that we ask VISTA members to complete is based off of the VAD
VAD is used in Pre Service Orientation
The VAD is a living document. The VAD can be adapted as the project evolves and the unique strengths of the VISTA become apparent. Significant changes to the VAD should be discussed with your Corporation State Office.

5. VAD Components Host Site Goal Objectives (3-4)
Describes the impact the VISTA project will have in addressing education equity and poverty alleviation
Objectives (3-4)
Articulate what the VISTA will achieve during their service year
Activities (at least 3 per objective)
Specifically identifies what the VISTA will be doing to achieve their objectives.
VAD has 3 components
VADs are written per year, per assignment. For example, a three-year project will require three separate VADs. Similarly, projects with several VISTAs will require a unique VAD for each VISTA member. We structured App so that sups can pull info from that. We also have your Position Descriptions with any notes that you can use to frame VAD

6. Host Site Goal
The Alliance VISTA will work in partnership with the supervisor and host site to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of volunteer management within Host Site by expanding resources and developing programming for volunteers to support youth and ultimately improve academic engagement.
Ties directly into educational equity

7. Objectives
Develop an informational volunteer web page, a volunteer manual, and orientation procedures for volunteers to ensure consistent communication and sufficient training of volunteers
Implement a digital system for tracking and monitoring volunteers, volunteer opportunities, and volunteer resources to ensure efficient and consistent monitoring and evaluation of volunteers
Create a volunteer program that utilizes ongoing volunteers within schools in order to support students struggling in reading and math and improve student academic engagement
Objectives are the 3-5 projects we asked about in application
Articulate what the VISTA will achieve during their service year
To write objectives: 1) describe the main project and the proposed outcome in a sentence or two, and 2) check that what you’ve written aligns with your goal.

8. Member Activities Website Manual Orientation
Review websites of other districts to assess potential information, resources, etc. to include on the volunteer web page
Develop a timeline for rollout of different features of the web page
Manual
Gather all current district policies related to volunteering
Review policies of other districts to identify potential additions to host site’s policies
Create framework of what to include in the manual
Orientation
Identify different types of orientations necessary for different types of volunteers
Evaluate the potential for an orientation for one-time or short term volunteers through different types of technology, different settings, partnerships, etc
Specifically identifies what the VISTA will be doing to achieve their objectives.
To write the capacity-building activities: 1) begin your activity sentence with active verbs, 2) the activities you write should be clear and specific, and 3) are 1-2 sentences in length.

9. Examples of Appropriate VISTA Activities
Indirect Service Activities (acceptable in first year)
Capacity Building Activities (preferred to indirect)
Sustainable Activities (ultimate goal)
Recruit a site's volunteers
Develop forms, volunteer assignments
Develop volunteer handbook
Research best practices of the field
Write training curriculum or manual
Develop training manual and train-the-trainer curriculum
Coordinate pilot project
Develop a procedure and system
Develop volunteer management system and procedural guide
Public speaking
Develop speakers' bureau
Develop community partnerships
Write press releases
Develop press kits, media database
Secure media partners
Organize fundraising events
Grant writing, develop database
Secure project staffing
Organize task forces and develop coalitions
Develop leadership structure of task force or coalition
Create infrastructure
Conduct outreach
Design brochures, posters
Create mechanism for project evaluation

10. Helpful Hints
VISTA is dedicated to eliminating poverty. The Alliance is dedicated to increasing educational equity. It is important to make sure the VAD speaks to the anti-poverty and educational equity missions of your specific project.
When writing member activities, focus on tasks that build organizational and/or community capacity. Describe what the VISTA will leave behind when the service year is complete or discuss how the community will benefit in the long term from this VISTA’s service.

11. Worktime Goal Objectives (3-4) Activities (at least 3 per objective)
Describes the impact the VISTA project will have in addressing education equity and poverty alleviation. Goal statement should cover a three-year project period.
Objectives (3-4)
Articulate what the VISTA will achieve during their service year
To write objectives: 1) describe the main project and the proposed outcome in a sentence or two, and 2) check that what you’ve written aligns with your goal.
Activities (at least 3 per objective)
Specifically identifies what the VISTA will be doing to achieve their objectives.
To write the capacity-building activities: 1) begin your activity sentence with active verbs, 2) the activities you write should be clear and specific, and 3) are 1-2 sentences in length.
VADs are written per year, per assignment. For example, a three-year project will require three separate VADs. Similarly, projects with several VISTAs will require a unique VAD for each VISTA member.

12. Capacity Building Performance Measures
VISTAs will track the number of organizations that received capacity building services as a result of their work.
Examples include: # of schools that received training on volunteer management; # of organizations attending coalition meetings; # of sites implementing host site programming.
VISTAs will track the number of additional activities completed and/or program outputs as a result of their service.
Examples include: # of volunteer trainings; # of partnership development meetings; # of resources developed.

13. Anti-Poverty Performance Measures
VISTAs will track the number of students who completed a VISTA supported education program.
Examples include: # of youth who received mentoring; # of youth that attended conferences; # of youth leading focus groups. Completion should be measured against the minimum duration of participation to achieve positive change for any given activity.
VISTAs will track the number of students who completed a VISTA supported education program AND demonstrated improved academic engagement.
Examples include: # of youth reporting improved attitude toward school/school climate (out of total #); # of youth reporting increased motivation to be more engaged in school or learning (out of total #), # of youth who increased participation in school activities.
Not every site will have anti-poverty performance measures

14. New Recruitment System
How to apply
How to use the map

15. Recruitment Recruitment Webinar on Monday, April 3rd from 1:00-2:00pm
Updated Position Descriptions
Due Friday, March 24th
Service Opportunity Listing
Two-line teaser – first thing the applicant sees when viewing opportunity. Due with VAD and PD on Friday, March 24th
Recruitment Materials
We will send out SOL examples, won’t be official until SOL is in egrants, and SO has to approve candidates as well

16. Questions?

17. What’s Next… Performance Measures due TOMORROW
Position Description, VAD, and Service Opportunity Listing due Friday, March 24th
Recruitment Webinar Monday, April 3rd 1:00-2:00pm
Sarah and Bette will be in touch to visit new VISTA sites
VISTA member/s must be confirmed by Monday, May 29th
Next Supervisor Training is Thursday, July 15th from 1:00-4:00pm (Alliance Training Room)