1. Alliance AmeriCorps VISTA Program Orientation
Welcome, we have lunch!
Welcome!

2. VISTA Elevator Speech
Talk to your neighbors, introduce yourself to those you don’t know. Use the form above to introduce yourself.
EXAMPLE: My name is Sam Hartzell and I am an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader serving at and hosted by Minnesota Alliance With Youth. As VISTA Leader, I build capacity within my organization to close the opportunity and achievement gaps in Minnesota by supporting 12 VISTA members in partner organizations. I provide relevant trainings, professional development opportunities, and support each VISTA with their unique member needs.

3. Orientation Agenda Welcome & Life in a Bag Introduction to Alliance
VISTA Program Logistics
Professional Development Opportunities
Announcements
Lunch!
Transition to VISTA Reporting training
Hello everyone, welcome to our first cohort day. Today is a relaxed overview etc, please participate and add in your own expertise.

4. Life In a Bag Name, service site, & preferred pronouns.
Introduce yourself using the 3-5 items you brought in your bag.
What is something you are looking forward to this year?
Three minutes at most per person.

5. 2017/18 VISTA Host Sites
Have everyone introduce their site and if they have experience with VISTA, any burning questions?

6. Minnesota Alliance With Youth Mission
Minnesota Alliance With Youth works to ignite the spark in all young people in Minnesota to become actively engaged, develop strong voices, and acquire skills needed for success in school, work, and life.

7. Alliance Initiatives

8. Intermediary customization option: Describe the number of sites, VISTAs, and leaders for your project overall
The Corporation for National and Community Service, or CNCS, improves lives, strengthens communities and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. VISTA is a program of CNCS and each state has a CNCS State Office to support your project’s success. This graphic illustrates how single-site projects and projects with multiple sites may be structured.

9. CNCS State Office David Kreft VISTA State Office
Contact info:
Develops, manages and monitors VISTA programs
Supports supervision of the VISTAs and intervenes in emergencies or difficult situations
Connects VISTA sites to resources and offers technical assistance
Monitors compliance for the project
CNCS State Office staff help develop, manage and monitor VISTA programs in their state and often in other states for large & national projects.
Staff support your supervision of the VISTAs and intervene in emergencies or difficult situations.
Staff are also responsible for connecting you to the resources most appropriate to meet your needs.
The CNCS State Office can schedule a conference call or webinar to bring members from multiple sites together for meetings
The CNCS State Office can also set up conference calls so VISTA members can talk about issues without supervisors present

10. Training Calendar
Monthly trainings alternate between community learning sessions and professional development topics.
Training dates are set, but many of the topics are open for suggestions!
Expect 2 Host Site Visits (Fall and Spring) for you and your supervisor to share with us how things are going.
If you think of something you want to learn about or a topic you want to lead, let us know!

11. VISTA Resource Pages MN Alliance With Youth: www.mnyouth.net
This is where to find training calendar and training materials online
Training materials will be posted in 2. after cohort days. VISTA Member Handbook and MN VISTA Living Guide are in 3.

12. VISTA Resource Pages

13. Benefits and Opportunities
Healthcare Allowance or Benefit Plan
Qualified Student Loan Forbearance
SNAP, MNSure, MN EAP
Qualified Childcare Assistance
Education Award
Non-Competitive Eligibility Status
What questions do you have about applying for benefits?
What is one trick/tip that you know about when applying for benefits?

14. My AmeriCorps Navigation
Find payment history
Create Forbearance Request
For members who just have just completed AmeriCorps Service term
VISTA Currently Serving Certification
VISTA Social Security Income Disregard
VISTA Public Benefits Disregard

15. VISTA Rules Prohibited Service Activities:
Replace the duties of an existing staff member
Perform political or religious advocacy
Manage or apply for CNCS grants or sub-grants

16. Smart Goals and Professional Development Plan
A well-defined professional goal is SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timeframed
Example of SMART goal framework
I will accomplish ____________ by <Month>. I will measure its successful achievement by ________________. Its accomplishment will benefit the organization by ___________.

17. Smart Goals and Professional Development Plan
Develop 2-4 SMART goals that align with your service as a VISTA or topics you wish to learn. Possible skill areas could include; Professional skills, Anti-Poverty Skills, Life After AmeriCorps, etc.
Work with your Site Supervisor to agree on the goals and identify what they and others can do to support you.
or Fax ( ) your completed, signed Professional Development Plan to Sam by Thursday, September 21st.
Check in with your Site Supervisor and VISTA Leader about progress on your goals throughout the year.

18. Announcements
One on One Meetings with VISTA Leader Sam in coming weeks
Supervisor-Approved PD Plans Due September 21st
Join the cohort FB Group

19. Alliance VISTA September Cohort Meeting
Welcome!

20. Training Agenda Welcome Team Building Group Norms & Expectations
The Great Alliance Scavenger Hunt
VISTA Reporting
PD Plan Collaboration
Announcements & Closing
Hello everyone, welcome to our second cohort day. Today is a relaxed overview etc, please participate and add in your own expertise.

21. Group Norms & Expectations
What do we want from our cohort time?
What do we ask of each other and ourselves?

22. The Great Alliance Instagram Scavenger Hunt!
Rules:
One phone per team.
Your team must stay together!
No geographic limits- go wherever!
You have 30 minutes- you must be back in the training room at the allotted time. Late teams are disqualified!
Interpret the clues however you want!
Be awesome!

23. How do I add switch between Accounts?
When you add multiple Instagram accounts, you can switch between them without having to log out and log back in. To add multiple Instagram accounts:
Go to your profile and tap   (iPhone) or   (Android) in the top right
Scroll to the bottom and tap Add Account
Enter the username and password of the account you'd like to add
To switch between accounts you've added:
Go to your profile
Tap your username at the top of the screen
Tap the account you'd like to switch to
Note that you can add up to 5 accounts.

24. VISTA Reporting Performance Measures Monthly Reflections
Capacity Building & Anti-Poverty Performance Measures
Not every VISTA Project has Anti-Poverty PM goals
Monthly Reflections
Reflect on the challenges and successes of your month
Due the last day of each month
Periodic Reports
Include 4 Quarterly Reports and an End-of-Year Supplement
Due dates for Periodic Reports can be found in your Training Calendar

25. Performance Measures
Performance measures are the parameters we use to track the progress and successes of your Project
Performance measures are one of two categories:
Capacity Building
Anti-Poverty
All Sites have Capacity Building performances measures
Refer to your Host Site’s Performance Measures Handout to see if your project also uses Anti-Poverty PMs

26. Capacity Building & Anti-Poverty Performance Measures
Capacity Building PMs:
The Capacity Building PMs set a goal for the number of organizations and additional activities that the VSITA connects with or utilizes to build capacity for their Host Site.
Anti-Poverty PMs:
Anti-Poverty PMs set a goal for the number of students who complete a VISTA-supported education program, and the number of students who complete a VISTA supported education program AND demonstrate improved academic engagement.

27. …performance measures to create…

28. Monthly Reflections
Monthly Reflections are your chance to share the stories of your service!
Monthly Reflections include:
Stories and challenges this month
Professional Development updates
Leave Time (including specific days)
Due on the last day of each month

29. Periodic Reports Submitted 5 times a year
4 Quarterly Reports and one End of Year Supplement
Provide updates on the progress made on the Host Site Capacity Building and Anti-Poverty goals
Site Performances Measures are used to track progress on each objective in your VAD

30. VAD goals are cross-indexed with…

31. Example Periodic Report
…your Periodic Reports!

32. Periodic Reporting FAQs
Please be clear in listing organizations that received capacity building services – bullet points help!
Additional Activities include: leading trainings, meeting potential partners, writing curricula, developing resources and handouts, creating infographics, appeal letter and LOI templates, summary documents, etc
New Partnerships must not be preexisting – they must be new
If your site has Anti-Poverty PMs, speak with your supervisors about how to approach those objectives
If you haven’t completed an objective during a Quarter or are building towards it, that’s OK! 

33. Professional Development Share
Share in pairs what your PD Plan looks like
What progress has been made?
Do any goals need more attention?
What will it take to make these goals a reality?
Are there any PD goals that you’d like to add?

34. Closing Announcements
Next VISTA Cohort meeting is Thursday, October 12th
First Monthly Reflection is due September 30th
First Periodic Report is due October 13th
YIPA Fest is this Friday!
PFI is Sept. 20th – 22nd (Optional)
Site Visits will be taking place in Fall
We are still recruiting for PFs and MYC Members!
If you want to come to Urban Growler, stick around!