SPARROWS NEST'S FIRST RESIDENT STARTS COLLEGE!

Estevon Torres is a CAT!

For the past four years an emerging nonprofit called Sparrows Nest of Northwest Montana has been making headway on addressing teen homelessness in the Flathead. Sparrows Nest does some incredibly necessary work there helping homeless teens with safe housing so they can continue and complete their studies, work, and live. We've helped provide four AmeriCorps VISTAs over the past four years, and they are on the home stretch with the support we can provide. Over the years, we've seen them go from a good idea hatched by caring community members to an organization with a board, staff and volunteer pool. I remember the first call I got from Marcie Bumke, who was a volunteer and board member for Sparrows Nest. She'd been in touch with Wendy Jeschke from Flathead Valley Community College, and Wendy had told her what they were doing was well-suited for a VISTA.

Marcie was so excited to get things going, and had missed our deadline for project submissions. I knew that they had immediate needs, a work station in a partner church's rectory, and they were ready to go. So we bent the rules a bit, and got to work setting them up, got the project approved, got a work plan set up and the next thing I knew Cat, Sparrows Nest first VISTA, was in Montana, rolling up her sleeves and getting things done. It seemed to happen in just a couple of weeks.

MTCC VISTAs Cat Lehnis, Claire Anderson, Molly Neu and now, Jamie Pollard have served with Sparrows Nest, and have helped build new capacity and deeper partnerships in the Flathead, so homeless teens have better access to services, and support.

We just read this great article in Kalispell's Daily Interlake about Estevon Torres. Estevon recently started college at Montana State University this fall. Estevon was the first resident of Sparrows Nest Whitefish shelter! Great work Estevon. Keep it up.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY 2017 IN MONTANA

Absorbing the lessons

Wide eyes. Pointed fingers. Smiling faces. Enthusiastic hands coloring pictures and writing poems. Mouths agape and fumbling for words to formulate questions. These were the expressions and experiences of thousands of kindergarten through 4^th grade students all over Montana during Montana Campus Compact’s Martin Luther King Jr. 2017 Read for Peace event. Read for Peace is an annual MLK service Day operation that utilizes the wonderful help of community volunteers, VISTAs, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members, college students and elected officials to read to elementary age students about the message, life, and legacy of Martin Luther King. Already in its 5^th year of existence, Read for Peace continues to be an outstanding resource for important civil right discussions in early childhood education.

Here are some statistical highlights and volunteer experiences from around the state that reflect the necessary scope and capacity of organizers and volunteers to make this year’s Read for Peace event so successful. Special thank you to the many leaders in each city for their help and guidance. Read for Peace took place on January 13^th, 2017 with many more volunteer readings on, January 16, MLK Day.

Impacts

Participating Cities and Communities: 11 (Great Falls, Missoula, Butte, Kalispell, Helena, Billings, Darby, Lame Deer, Havre, Sidney, Big Fork)  

Number of volunteers recruited: 129

Number of K-12 youth served by volunteers: Just over 4000

Total hours contributed by volunteers: 215

Missoula Mayor Jon Engen with students at Russell Elementary

Reflections
“Each year I truly look forward to this service project!  It is so uplifting to see a child's unbiased perceptions on peace and love.  The students all give their full attention to the book and they take the activity very seriously (while still having FUN) because they know the importance of the issue.

One student learned the lesson perfectly and implemented the lesson immediately: I had explained to a student that I do not have a TV. He felt really bad for me and thought that a TV was a necessity so he gave me his address and told me I could come over any time and watch his TV.”  -- Teresa Gregory

“Reading with the elementary students on January 16th for Martin Luther King Jr. day was an extremely moving experience. When reading to little children one thinks of fun and light topics. Equality for all persons does not fall in that category, and sharing this idea with the next generation was an honor. The highlight of my experience was a 3rd grader at Hillcrest, whom asked after the story, “Why they were so racist ‘back then’.” A tough idea to portray at a 3rd grade level without seeming patronizing, but an incredibly important one. I am so thankful we could share such an important man and symbol with this budding generation.” -- Shyla Wesley

Reflections on peace

Read for Peace showcases higher education’s commitment to community involvement and engages Campus Compact’s student and community networks. As this year’s organizer, I am proud of how this project connects young, developing students with thoughtful adults and how that commingling of ages benefits the lives and hearts of volunteers, students and teachers alike. Thank you to all of our volunteers around the state and to our many teachers who were gracious enough to allow us time with their students. Finally, I’d like to thank all the kids who participated in discussions concerning inclusion, difference and peace. May you all continue to reflect on these moments of as you grow and participate in your communities.

MLK JR. DAY IN MONTANA

You probably know that Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is coming and while many schools, campuses and businesses are closed, we treat it as a day of service. Here in Montana, MTCC sponsors an event called Read for Peace that was started by an MTCC VISTA named Bess Pallares several years back. Across the state, our campuses and their national service members, students, staff, faculty and volunteers work with nearby elementary schools to read about Dr. Kings, his words, ideas and legacy. After the reading, these volunteers work with kids to do either an art project or poem about Dr. King. It's really a lot of fun, and the volunteers and kids have a great time getting to know each other a little.

That brings us around to this great piece of news! Our current MTCC VISTA Leader, Sam Garetson's been on fire lately. He's organizing the read for Peace events in Missoula, and supporting our VISTAs and AmeriCorps members around Montana as they plan events. Sam recently recruited the University of Montana Men's Basketball Team to be readers for Missoula's MLK Read for Peace event. These student athletes will be reading to fifteen, third and fourth grade classrooms at Hellgate Elementary Intermediate on Monday, January 16th. We applaud them for taking time out of their days to bring the words and ideas of Dr. King to young people in Missoula.

MTCC VISTA National Day of Service

Over the 9/11 remembrance weekend, MTCC VISTA members across Montana collaborated to lend their hands in service to a wide range of community betterment work. Ideally, given the success of this year’s National Day of Service, every weekend would see VISTA members engaging in service work to directly impact the communities where they live. The purpose of service is threefold: to create solidarity amongst individuals doing service; to better existing methods of community empowerment and intervention; and to plant and cultivate the seed of service within each of our members and those they knowingly or unknowingly influence every day.

We'd like to highlight the diverse service initiatives that our VISTAs applied themselves to over the 9/11 weekend. Thank you to all community organizations and volunteers that helped in the process of giving back and paying it forward through our actions.

Many of our VISTAs from around the Bitterroot valley and Missoula joined forces to bring restorative change to the Clark Fork watershed. In partnership with the Clark Fork Coalition of Missoula, our VISTA crew set to work cleaning garbage from the Deep Creek riverbed and fishing access site. All sorts of materials and junk were extracted from the surrounding streams and rocky slopes including tires, bike frames, coaches, bed posts, half disintegrated car parts, and soggy clothes. All in all, nearly 400 pounds of litter was removed from the site over the course of two hours reinforcing the old saying “many hands make small work”. Michelle Seibert, VISTA member with Bitterroot College had this to say about the day of service:

“While I certainly understand the importance of the campsite rule and keeping trash out of natural resources, when I was picking up trash I spent a lot of time reflecting on the impact that I make when I'm out in nature. I try to practice Leave No Trace principles when I'm out camping or on the river, but there were things that I hadn't really thought of, like the nails left behind when burning old pallets for firewood. This project made me think about environmental protection on both a local and a global scale, and seemed to be doing some important work toward the ongoing efforts to clean up the Clark Fork River.”

Along with a large cohort of volunteers that were mobilized in Missoula there were a few VISTAs and VISTA teams from the eastern regions of the state that really took their moments of service to the next level of compassion. Darby Lacey, VISTA member serving with the Bozeman area Community Foundation spent her service day volunteering with Bozeman’s Community Café to help dish out food and build relationships with individuals and families who utilize the Café as necessary resource. Darby provided an excellent reflection that is worth sharing at length as it pertains to the perceptions and assumptions we harbor about people in p

“One thought that came to mind as I was serving at the Cafe is the lack of people that come in for dinner and pay the suggested donation or pay for someone else's dinner. Despite the creative marketing of the Cafe and the high quality food, the Cafe is mostly used by those who cannot afford meals, which is of course an important resource for our community. I can't help but think that stigma towards resources that are utilized primarily by those in lower socioeconomic classes keeps folks who could help cover costs at the Cafe from dining there. This also prevents important cross-class socialization and community building from happening as it ends up being a segregated space.”

Our VISTAs continued to serve in multiple roles. Lenore and Rebekah, VISTA members working to enhance educational attainment for under-privileged, low-income students across the state spent their day disguising and improving social hiking trails for public use. Hans Hyppolite serving the Great Falls College Native Initiatives program partnered with the Great Falls Rescue Mission to bring food to the homeless and many veterans around the area. Ruth Jessee serving on the Flathead Indian reservation partnered with the area Boys and Girls Club to create thank you letters and inspirational messages for local police and fire departments. Tiphani Lynn in Bozeman served with HRDC’s Warming Center to raise funds to help support costs of heating homes for low-income families. She and her team raised $403 to help in this effort.

Scarlett Day-Aleman serving in the Lame Deer schools helped promote the importance of everyday heroes like doctors, nurses, and military servicemen with students and fostered awareness of natural disasters with kindergarten level kids. Margaret Hoyt, a VISTA member serving with YWCA GUTS program in Missoula, volunteered at her local homeless shelter to provide necessary care to individuals utilizing that resource. Finally, Kelsie Severson, a second year VISTA Serving with BIG Sky High School assisted with the Big Sky Family Resource Center’s food drive to bring nourishment to area high school students.

Applause and gratification goes out to all VISTAs who made it a priority to get out and serve their communities on National Day of Service. We look forward to future service work that extends beyond your specific sites. We are always in the process of creating and envisioning a better culture and environment for us all to enjoy.

COMPACT VISTA ALUM IAN LAWRENCE CHECKS IN

We at the Montana Campus Compact network office recently got thank you notes from Ian Lawrence on his last day of VISTA service. I sent him back a handful of questions as a follow up, and what follows are his inspiring answers.
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Where did you do your VISTA service?
I did my VISTA service in Lame Deer, Montana, a small district situated on the Northern Cheyenne
Indian Reservation.

How was higher education a part of your service? 
Higher education became an integral part of my service when I realized that, for young native people living in poverty, education is oftentimes the only route they can take in order to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty which has afflicted their family and tribe for so long.

Tell me about some highlights from your year.
My biggest highlights this year were starting a weekend feeding program for the kids, managing youth soccer and basketball leagues, and beginning our own newsletter at Lame Deer School.

What’s one thing you know now that you didn’t 12 months ago?
The most important thing I learned this year was that poverty is not just an abstract statistic; it's real, concrete, and brutal. In order to alleviate poverty, we can't focus only on political and economic theories, but have to be willing to get our hands dirty and look for practical solutions. It all starts with influencing the youth. I'm currently serving as a VISTA Leader for Rhode Island Campus Compact and would like to remain with the Campus Compact organization for the long-term, in Montana, Rhode Island, or elsewhere.

What’s next for you?

I just started work as a VISTA Leader with Rhode Island Campus Compact. I'll be working closely with Austin (Terreri, MTCC VISTA and VISTA Leader and 2014-16)as he was recently hired by Connecticut Campus Compact and our organizations will be merging in July. 

Good luck with your VISTA leader term in Rhode Island, Ian!

MTCC ALUM ANNIE MOMBOURQUETTE CHECKS IN

Annie Mombourquette served with MTCC as an AmeriCorps VISTA from August 2014-August 2015 with Browning Public Schools and Blackfeet Community College.  She is continuing her service as a FoodCorps member with the same host site.  We wish Annie the best of luck with the remainder of her service with FoodCorps and life after AmeriCorps!
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When and where did you serve during your term as an AmeriCorps VISTA? 

I served in Browning, Montana with the Browning Public Schools Food Service Nutrition Education and School/Community Garden Program. I also partnered with Blackfeet Community College as my campus partner. 

How did your year of service impact your life? 

When I started as a VISTA, I planned to go to grad school to study plant genetics. I'm now pursuing public health with a focus on health behavior and chronic disease prevention. More importantly, VISTA brought me to Browning, MT where I've grown as a professional, community member, and person. It has been a privilege to work with the school system and in the community for the last two years. And, I am excited for what's to come. 

What did you do after your term as a VISTA? 

I am currently a FoodCorps Service Member with the Browning Public Schools. FoodCorps is a national network of AmeriCorps leaders connecting kids to real food so they can grow up healthy. 

Where are you now and what is your daily work life like? 

My service varies from day to day. On most days, I teach hands-on nutrition lessons in K through 12 classrooms, maintain the school and community garden and greenhouse, and increase access to healthy food. 

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 College

Sam Garetson- Upward Bound- Salish Kootenai College

Constance Johnson- Garfield Literacy Project- Montana State University Billings

Kate Johnson-Student Marketing and Outreach- Bitterroot College

Dalya Kefi- kidsLINK Afterschool Expanded Opportunities Project- Montana State University Bozeman

Sunny Pate- Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming- University of Great Falls

Morgan Ray- Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming- Flathead Valley Community College

Michele Schahczenski- Children's Museum of Missoula- University of Montana

Coral Thede- Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming- Gillette College

Jon Van Dyke- Zootown Arts Community Center- University of Montana 

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As always, we wish you all the best of luck with life after AmeriCorps and keep in touch!

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 to volunteer at the Oct. 17 event.

The team presented several hands-on science activities to approximately 115 children and their families who attended the event, which also included a costume contest, pie-eating contest and pumpkin catapult along with pumpkin bowling, pumpkin painting, bean bag toss, arts and crafts, sack race, tic-tac-toe, cookie decorating, science experiments with bubbles and dry ice, and face painting. This is the first time the annual event has included a NanoDays outreach component. MSU Extended University is part of a national program that helps the public better understand nanoscale science and engineering

Families from around the world live in MSU’s Family Housing complex, where children range from newborn to 18 and who hail from all backgrounds: single-parent families, low-income families, military families, etc. Many countries are also represented, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, China, Japan, Nepal, Lebanon and Brazil as well as families from around Montana and the U.S.

The partnership was a success and has opened up possibilities for future NanoDays and other STEM outreach projects between MSU Family and Graduate Housing and MSU Extended University. Linn shared information about the partnership with the national project, the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, to inspire other organizations to partner with their local Family Housing complex.

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Great work, Deanna!  We can't wait for our next check in to see what all you have accomplished. Keep up the amazing work!

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 Mendick

Mira 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 Montana students. I assisted with the development of this project through research, which contributed to the outlines I developed to be used to guide informational videos. The state decided to take this project on as a bigger initiative, which will result in all students in the MSU system having access to this enhanced entrance loan counseling.

What are some highlights from your year of service?

Besides the main focus of my project, I worked on a communication plan, a nonprofit resource sheet, a list of emergency and transitional housing, planned and facilitated student task force meetings, created informational flyers to be used by advisers, a career comparison chart, a write up for the Foreign Student Handbook, student surveys, and a financial aid glossary. In addition, I created partnerships with community nonprofits, such as HOMEward, tabled at the VITA workshops, attended Missoula College tabling events, and partnered with the Personal Finance professor.

How did your service impact your life?

I got to meet and work with amazing individuals, who are making big changes in the world of higher education. My year of service made me aware of some of the needs and challenges that student’s face when entering college, which inspired me to continue my work in the field of higher education.

Where are you now and in what way are you still involved with civic engagement?

I’ve stayed in Missoula and I am working in the Academic Advising Center at Missoula College. I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t been so involved in civic engagement lately, because I’ve been so busy with work, but I’m excited to start looking for meaningful ways to contribute to the community. Reach out to me if you need a volunteer!

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Thanks for your service Mira!

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 the beautiful Ursuline Center and sessions were held at Great Falls College.  Our guest speakers include:  Susan Wolf- Dean of Great Falls College, Theda New Breast, Roch Turner from Bitterroot College and one of our members, Kate Johnson serving at Bitterroot College.  

New AmeriCorps Program Leaders 

Three new leaders are sworn in for our new AmeriCorps Program.  Sara Sadowski joins us from the Govenor's Office of Community Service to help welcome them. These leaders will support and lead a team of college student AmeriCorps members.  Their teams will serve at least 50 high school youth in grades 9-12 to help them consider, plan for and prepare for postsecondary education.  

Eleven Members volunteer at Food Bank

One of our service projects was going to the Great Falls Food Bank to help prepare kid packs for the weekends.  In just two hours they prepared 600 kid packs.  The second group went to Great Falls Improvement District to clean and paint trash cans on Central Avenue.  In the two hour window they finished cleaning and painting thirty trash cans.  








We all had a great time in Great Falls for our annual Building Engaged Citizens conference.  We all learned a lot and made some awesome connections around the state.  We wish our VISTA members continued success and our new AmeriCorps Program Leaders the best of luck starting their terms of service!

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 state that I love so much. I graduated with a degree in Psychology and a degree in Anthropology and knew that VISTA would be a great way to transition into the working world while simultaneously helping an awesome community organization.

Describe a typical work day at your host site.

I come in at 9:00 AM and check emails and go over what I am working on for that day or week and create a to-do list for the day. What I do each day varies on what projects or events are coming up. My main projects involve Exhibit Committee work, volunteer recruitment and coordination, and developing three main documents (an Exhibit Committee Handbook, a Volunteer Manual, and a Volunteer Coordinator Handbook). I usually work on at least one or two of these projects each day. I might have an Exhibit Committee meeting for which I need to set up an agenda or write up minutes. I may write or edit a section of a handbook or I might have a meeting or a tabling event to recruit volunteers. This is one of my favorite things about my service is that each day I can chip away at multiple bigger projects that require different skills to accomplish. It keeps things interesting and it is exciting to see the goals get closer and closer to being met.

How have you incorporated your campus partner into your efforts?

My campus partner, the University of Montana, has been most helpful in the volunteer mobilization aspect of my service. The University is an awesome resource for volunteers. The different tabling events put on by the Office of Civic Engagement (where my campus partner is located) have helped the Children’s Museum to increase its visibility and get students involved in volunteering.

What motivates you to serve as a VISTA?

For me the biggest motivator for doing this type of work is the tangible improvements I see VISTAs like myself making in such a wide variety of impactful organizations. This work has allowed me to take up a personally challenging position and entrusted me with the opportunity to make a real difference for an organization that I truly believe is making a positive impression on my community and the world. That is a lot more than a lot of other young adults my age can say about their work and that alone motivates me to do my best. 

What are your plans after VISTA?

Right after VISTA I plan on taking three months off to go on a bike tour in Central America. I am also applying for graduate school for the fall of 2016 at American University for a Master’s International in Public Anthropology. I will be continuing my community service work, as a Master’s International is a program that includes a 2 year Peace Corps term during your studies.

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Thank you for checking in, Michele!  We wish you the best of luck with the rest of your service and your future plans.  

CHECKING IN WITH MTCC VISTA SAM GARETSON

Sam Garetson serves with Salish Kootenai College

Sam 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 found myself gravitating towards classes and areas of study that reflected this. My final senior thesis essay on poverty became a turning point in my life. It made me wrestle with some of the most uncomfortable, pre-conditioned beliefs concerning our society and its divorce from humanity. It took me until the final semester of my college years to understand why I had been studying what I had. AmeriCorps provided an outlet for the skills I cultivated in college and an environment to continue to grow academically, professionally and spiritually. VISTA has been a blessing, allowing me to learn the processes associated with community activism, at the same time granting creative freedom in exploring new ways to serve and connect with community. 

Describe a typical work day at your host site.

AmeriCorps VISTA Sam Garetson (pictured far right)
with fellow instructors and students participate in
 Bob Marshall Wilderness trail restoration
 as part of Upward Bound's summer program. 

My day typically starts with me checking emails. Since that lasts a whopping five minutes, I have a lot time to spend on my primary function, which is to research and create sustainable programs and curricula to be used by Upward Bound (UB) in improving communication and empowerment of our students. By the end of the day I have a pile of post-it notes, scratch printer paper, and more ideas than I know what to do with. I spend subsequent days making sense of the previous day’s research, tending to the ideas that work and throwing out those that don’t. Throughout the summer, I piloted student assessment tools that could assist UB in improving student academic success by paradoxically going beyond mere academic evaluations and focusing on character development. My research has spawned a multi-faceted teaching tool that hopes to build on characteristics of grit and resilience, essential to a student’s investment in learning. The long-term goal is to maintain an instructive system that supports the actualization of self-awareness and empowerment for our students.

How have you incorporated your campus partner into your project?

Salish Kootenai College (SKC) has been an excellent community partner. SKC is the hub of academic activity in the Flathead Valley affording me access to college level instruction, Native American cultural life, and important networks that expand my scope of work. SKC also provides transportation and logistics to and from the many college tours, cultural events and programs around the state that support the personal and academic development of our students. Our cooperative relationship with SKC is essential to the operations of Upward Bound and its continued viability in the region.

What motivates you to do a year of VISTA service? 

High School is hard. We often look back on that time, frustrated at our lack of understanding of the bigger picture, wishing we had known then what we now know. The motivation to work with underprivileged students to expand their internal and external life horizons comes from this perspective. Upward Bound is a college preparatory program administered by the government, sure, but to make it effective requires forward thinking. Students need more than a manufactured roadmap to get them to and through college. We have a responsibility to meet our students where they are individually in order to facilitate a deeper ecology of self that will help them become resilient, aware, ethical persons. Working from this mindset brings the student back into the equation allowing us to address the web of personal experiences that effect academic success.

What are your plans after VISTA?

Working at the University of Montana (and MTCC Network Office) as a VISTA leader and supporting new, wide-eyed VISTAs sounds pretty plush. An alternative route would be to pursue a joint master’s program incorporating Peace Corps service and cultural ecology or who knows. In a beautiful way my goals are adaptable. AmeriCorps, and the environment it placed me in, has taught me humility and contentment in the process. Ultimately, losing myself in this process of serving others will be my own selfish life reward.

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Thanks for your service, Sam!

VOLUNTEER SERVICE PANEL DISCUSSION

Tonight! October 22nd at 5:00 PM in Missoula

Have 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 hosted by the University of Montana's Peace Corps recruiter and Career Services. Attendees will be able to visit with current and former members of the programs and find out why they are serving.

Some of the national service programs such as AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and Conservation Corps see tremendous support in Montana. Peace Corps ranks Montana 7th (per capita) in 2014 for number of volunteers per 100,000 residents, and Missoula, Montana ranked 2nd (per capita) for Peace Corps Volunteer generation. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps in Montana has ‘more than 5,900 people of all ages and backgrounds helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement through national service’.2  Montana Campus Compact, the Office for Civic Engagement, and Global Youth Development Program all strive to engage students,  and community members. These programs develop civic engagement opportunities and service projects which will strengthen communities and the world at large.

We hope to see you all there on Thursday, October 22, 2015!

What: Volunteer Service Panel

When: October 22, 2015 from 5 PM – 6:30 PM

Where: University of Montana - Payne Family Native American Center (NAS) 105


Information taken from:
1. http://www.peacecorps.gov/media/forpress/press/2479/ 
2. www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/state-profiles/mt

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 University, Little Big Horn College, Fort Peck Community College, Dawson Community College, etc.

Our main partner is Rocky Mountain College in Billings. Last year our partnership consisted of a meeting space on campus and hosting Rocky Work Study students. This past year our partnership with Rocky expanded to include hosting Work Study students; holding a Troop on campus; co-hosting events; and introducing girls to faculty, staff, and students. Rocky Mountain College troop 2435 met every other week and has the opportunity to meet with college professors, athletic teams, and/or staff members once a month. The members of the college came in, discussed what they do, how the girls can take steps to getting into college (in a way a 5 year old can understand), and did activities pertaining to their professions with the girls. That gave the girls an opportunity to see that they can attend college and be anything they want whether it is a chemist, an artist, and anything in between. We have also worked with RMC to create a higher education patch which the girls can earn at the end of the year. With all of our successes, we are planning for next year already!"

DCTA Project

Rocky Mountain College

"Many people think that Girls Scouting is about the "3 C’s" Camps, Crafts, and Cookies. This is not the case! GSMW’s main focuses for 2015 are Science Technology Engineering and Math (or "STEM"), financial literacy, and the outdoors. I encouraged my Rocky student volunteers to use STEM to create engaging lessons that get the girls pumped to learn. We hope that this will carry over into their school work and get the girls ready for higher education!

My project was called "Discover, Connect, Take Action (DCTA)," and we have recruited 575 girls to participate in our council-led troops just last year. These girls meet at one of our 13 partner troop locations including the YMCA, Friendship House of Christian Service, Discover Zone, CARE Academy, Rocky Mountain College, various middle schools in Billings, and many churches. The main goal of the DCTA project is to create a sustainable campus partnership that leads to a reliable stream of college student volunteers to lead these troops and encourage the girls to pursue higher education. I have successfully recruited and retained four long-term volunteers, so if you know of anyone in eastern and southern Montana who wants to volunteer, send them to GSMW, we have opportunities across the region!"

MTCC VISTAS GIVE BACK THIS 9/11

Bozeman Fire Fighters and MTCC AmeriCorps VISTAs

On September 11^th 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 11^th 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 Responders
VISTA members In Bozeman created a program that engaged 500 local children to create thank you cards for their fire stations. They were able to garner free supplies from local businesses (ACE Hardware, The Children’s Museum, Costco and Staples) to create cards and received a donation of free donuts from Granny’s Gourmet Donuts. On September 11^th they delivered all of the cards and treats to four Fire Stations in the Bozeman area; the fire fighters were very grateful for the recognition.

Bozeman: Community Café Clean Up and KidsPack lunch preparation

The rest of the VISTAs in Bozeman participated in the KidsPak program, which benefits students who lack access to healthy/proper amounts of food. They also helped organize the local Community Café’s food pantry which benefits low income schools by providing lunch and dinner services to a few low income schools.

MTCC VISTA members and a Food Corps AmeriCorps member in Kalispell.

Dillon: In Case of Emergency
Down in Dillon the MTCC VISTA planned a disaster preparedness simulation. The goal was to educate the staff at her organization, the Women's Resource/Community Support Center on how to react in a disaster situation, while also engaging the Montana Western college students as mock victims of a disaster.

Kalispell: Red White and Blue Run
The VISTAs in Kalispell volunteered at Flathead Valley Community College’s Red, White, and Blue Color Run that was held in honor of the 9/11 day of service. Proceeds from the event benefited the Veteran’s Association Endowment Fund.

Billings: 14^th Annual Community Celebration of Life 
The MTCC VISTA member in Billings participated in the Annual Community Celebration of life, where in, community members helped clean-up the south side park and then attended a ceremony that included speeches from military members and awards given to those in service.

Gillette, WY: Girl Scouts American Heritage Badge
The MTCC Girl Scout VISTA in Gillette, Wyoming helped a local troop gain their American Heritage Badge. This included educating the girls on what happened on 9/11 and then helping them reflect on the importance of the event to our country.

Havre: Havre Remembers

Our members in Havre put together a service event at MSU-Northern to honor Havre’s service members and also victims of 9/11. Their local Salvation Army addressed the current forest fire disaster and collected donations for fire fighters and victims. Finally our members received 1500 American flags, from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which they used to decorate their campus on September 11^th.  

Missoula: Disaster Response Simulation

Several of the MTCC VISTAs based in Missoula put together a disaster seminar to address the proper way to address an emergency situation. Keynote speaker Sgt.  J.C. Denton discussed the importance of safety when involved in a high stress/emergency situation.

Missoula: Veteran Scholarship Fundraiser for Montana Code School

The rest of the members in Missoula raised funds to create a scholarship to the Montana Code School which will begin its Pilot Class this year. They solicited donations from local businesses including; the University Center at UM, The Dram Shop, The Montgomery Distillery, Five on Black and the Big Sky/Sentinel High School Booster Clubs.  They were able to gather $1,644.89; this amount will benefit a veteran scholarship at the code school.

Hamilton: Veterans Benefit Materials

The VISTA in Hamilton with UM Bitterroot College collected information from veterans organizations all over Ravalli County and created a display at Bitterroot College. The college now has a centralized location with all of the services/benefits available to veterans.

Great Falls: Great Falls Community Food Bank

The MTCC VISTA member in Great Falls helped out the Great Falls Community Food Bank by helping to unload trucks and organize donations. She also helped with the creation of 200+ backpack meals for students with limited access to food.

Overall, MTCC's members made positive impacts in each community where they serve.  I hope these examples of exemplary service and program creation inspires everyone to step-up and become a larger part of their community. 

EDUCATING CITIZENS, BUILDING COMMUNITY AT THE MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY

MTCC VISTA Erik Swanson

Public 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 anyone “turn an idea into a physical thing” according to VISTA Erik Swanson. Some of the examples of things people have made are replicas of arrowheads, a zebra, a fox, and a frog. 

Fox and Frog 3D prints

During the first year of the project VISTA member Rebecca Rice, helped increase the community awareness of the MakerSpace area and develop an interest for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through outreach to economically disadvantaged youth and community. Visits to the MakerSpace increased each month from 78 to 229, a 290% increase. Near the end of this first project year, the Missoula Public Library offered summer camps, which enrolled 10 children, aged 8 – 12 years old, to learn about STEM and how to make things in the MakerSpace. MTCC VISTA Summer Associate (and former staffer!), Kathy Peterson, currently a full-time college student at University ofMontana, served during the summer for 10 weeks to support these camps with direct service. Kathy built partnerships with spectrUM and recruited UM students, and faculty, to help teach STEM lessons to young people.

VISTA member Erik Swanson started his  service in July and is currently recruiting University of Montana college students to help in this center and to develop training and programs for the MakerSpace. So far, he has seven volunteers who help him with the space and he is busy trying to get internships set up to help keep the MakerSpace available even more to the community.

Erik has taken on the task of increasing volunteers and implementing strategies to create sustainability within the MakerSpace. He is currently looking for volunteers and interested persons to teach classes on all kinds of STEM topics. Some of the electronics equipment currently in use at the MakerSpace is the Raspberry Pi, a microcomputer that hooks up to a standard monitor, keyboard and mouse, and it helps learn programming. There are electronic snap circuit board sets, soldering, and a 3D printer and scanner, which can help make “an idea into a thing”. Erik explains this 3D printing technology is something many industries are using and it is becoming an important skill to develop in our youth and community as it can build a path out of poverty. 

Missoula Public Library's MakerSpace is located in downtown Missoula at 301 E. Main Street and are open seven days a week!

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 Kefi

My 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 always had in interest in issues of poverty, equitable access to education, and social justice, so when I was looking for a job after graduating, AmeriCorps VISTA was a natural step.

Describe a typical work day at your host site.

This summer, I supported afternoon youth enrichment programming  at the YMCA Y Achievers summer literacy camp. That means my days are constantly changing. Every day at noon, the campers come to us from their morning teachers, where they work on literacy from 8-12. In the afternoons, they participated in a normal camp setting. We played games, made crafts, went on field trips and visited the local swimming pool. This is a big change from my normal day while at the Greater Gallatin United Way. While working on the kidsLINK Afterschool program, I spend most of my day behind a desk in the office. I will attend meetings in the community, plan for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year, and work with the World Language coordinators to establish a sustainable afterschool world language program for elementary students.

How have you incorporated your campus partner into your work?

My campus partner, the MSU Department of Education, works closeup with the kidsLINK Afterschool program during the school year. Education students host afterschool book and tech clubs for students in the various elementary schools. The World Language classes also work with MSU, and have student assistants from the MSU Department of Modern Languages for larger groups in the afternoon lessons.

What motivates you to do a year of VISTA service?

Quality education is a necessity. All children, regardless of socioeconomic factors, should have access to quality, affordable education. In the kidsLINK Afterschool programs, we support working families and make sure all students have the opportunity to enjoy extracurricular activities, receive a healthy snack, and have a safe place to be afterschool while their parents are at work.  kidsLINK Afterschool also provides homework help, helping kids complete homework for the next school day. By supporting families and kids in this way, we are helping students reach their full potential and be successful in school and at home.

What are your plans after VISTA?

After my VISTA year, I hope to attend law school and focus on international human rights law. I would like to work in international development with refugees and live overseas.
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Thank you for your service with the Compact, Dalya!