vyt voices, summer 2015 edition

VYT Voices Vermont Youth Tomorrow

A*VISTA Program

Dear Readers,

It is with great pleasure that I bring you the summer

edition of VYT Voices.

In this issue, members were asked to reflect on the

legacy they are leaving behind as they end service as an

AmeriCorps VISTA.

It has been a wonderful year serving with these

individuals. I am proud of their accomplishments for the

youth in the state of Vermont and their commitment to

“get things done for America.”

Enjoy!

Ashley Piatt

VYT VISTA Leader & VYT Voices Editor, 2014-2015

Inside this issue

Dylan Kelley 2

Sophie Halpin 3

Hannah Reckhow 3

Kate Cahalane 4

Ariana Walk 4

Kylie Edwards 5

Adam Hurwitz 5

Michelle Sayles 6

Amy Schratz 6

Anna Berg 7

Victoria Davis 8

Laurel Ferland 9

Heather King 10

Life After Service 11

Peek at June Training 12

Peek at July Training 13

Contact Information 14

Summer 2015

Volume 13, Issue 3

Dylan Kelley, VYT A*VISTA

Winooski Community Services Department, Winooski

My role here in Winooski has been “Community Engagement Coordinator,” a role quite different and expanded upon from previous years. Sometimes when I say it aloud I catch myself wondering what the phrase “community engagement” even means… and what can I do to coordinate such an ephemeral thing? As it turns out, the key to engagement communities is really just about engaging people in the genuine stories of what’s happening around them: real people living real lives in the real world. I find over and over again that we come back to the classic struggles, setbacks, and triumphs that define the history and character of any community. Change and renewal, fresh starts, and the immeasurable cuts and scrapes we get along the way help us define who we are and (with any luck) where we may be going in a rapidly changing world. In my service, I’ve done as much as I can to understand and record what these stories mean to the broader community. This spring, we’ve begun the early planning for a municipal oral history project (among the first of its kind in Vermont) to ensure that the living knowledge of change and transition is recognized, recorded, and remembered for generations to come. We’re also working to make the story that Winooski is more readily accessible to others by working to make Winooski a more welcoming city for New Americans. So now, when I find myself pondering the etymological roots of my position title, all I have to do is look the City around at all the community events, artwork, and activities unfolding every day: that’s the moment when I recognize that those 1.4 square miles have a much more nuanced understanding of the stories it continues to carry forward and a much deeper understanding of what we mean when we say “Community Engagement.”

Demographics: of Winooski

81% of youth in grades Pre-K through 5th grade are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

24% of the population is below the poverty line.

28% of the 800 students that attend Winooski’s schools are considered “English Language Learners”

There are 31 native languages spoken in Winooski’s schools.

One of my main foci here at Mobius, Vermont’s Mentoring Partnership, has been starting up our Community Service Program for mentor pairs. I have been collaborating with local organizations to determine volunteer opportunities that adult mentors and their youth mentees can complete together. Once the program officially starts in July there will be a wide variety of volunteer experiences for pairs to choose from based on their interests. Mentor pairs will be able to walk dogs waiting to be adopted, glean surplus produce from farms in order to feed neighbors in need, remove invasive plants and clean up local trails, cook for families and teens who will benefit from a homemade meal, and much more. Connecting with so many passionate community leaders to learn about their work and how we can assist their efforts has been an inspiring experience. I’m so thankful that I have been able to play a key role in the creation of this program, because I think it has the potential to have a very positive impact in communities throughout Vermont. Mentors already do so much by becoming supportive and caring adults in the lives of youth who benefit from having a strong role model. By engaging their mentee in community service, they can demonstrate how rewarding and important it is to help others. This program will support our Vermont mentors and mentees by creating additional free activities. More importantly it will benefit non-profits throughout the state who are working to alleviate poverty and may even inspire Vermont youth to join the fight against poverty as they learn the importance and value of service.

Sophie Halpin, VYT A*VISTA

Mobius, Vermont’s Mentoring Partnership, Winooski

I hope that my legacy with enVision Montpelier will be to help the many talented, busy, citizen volunteers to be effective in shaping Montpelier into an inclusive and livable city. As a VISTA with the Montpelier Office of Planning and Community Development, I provide assistance to the department and City, in order to support the poverty alleviating effects of good city planning. Over the course of my two years here, this has included supporting citizen committee outreach and education efforts; developing community awareness materials for local food systems, alternative transportation options, and affordable housing; and building resources for low-income area residents, including civic participation opportunities and affordable housing resources. During my time with enVision, the City has also partnered with Another Way mental health community center, and I have had the opportunity to support their resource development efforts. In my collaboration with the Central Vermont Food Systems Council, the organization has found increased stability with new partnerships with the Central

Vermont Regional Planning Commission and Vermont Department of Health. We were excited to mark the establishment of an educational garden in every school - a milestone 7 years in the making! I hope that through these accomplishments my legacy has been to create a more solid foundation for the groups that I collaborate with and meaningful contributions to the Montpelier’s effort to be inclusive and sustainable.

Hannah Reckhow, VYT A*VISTA

enVision Montpelier, Montpelier

Hannah (left) and Anna Berg

(YDP) participating in a team

building activity.

Ariana Walk, VYT A*VISTA

The DREAM Program, Inc., Rutland

My service at the DREAM program has been challenging but I have pushed through it because I knew that it was also very important. I can safely say that, as a VISTA, I have been an “invaluable” asset to DREAM. I have helped to sustain DREAM services (which are in effort to alleviate poverty) by creating and maintaining partnerships, developing and updating materials used as systems of change, and supporting direct-service providers in continuing effective programming. This year, it was my duty to grow a mentoring program from the ground at College of St. Joseph in Rutland. This was a program that must continue to run for years to serve Rutland Housing

Authority Residents. In order to make that happen, I developed close relationships with multiple members on the college campus as well as 10 mentors to be paired with the 10 mentees that we had in the housing community. With the help of my support, St. Joseph members and mentors have maintained the program and are ready to continue into the next few years with other AmeriCorps VISTAs like myself! In this way, College of St. Joseph’s DREAM program is up, running, and ready to go, and thus I have left my legacy.

Ariana and two DREAM mentees.

Kate Cahalane, VYT A*VISTA

The DREAM Program, Inc., Burlington

One thing I am excited to see grow and develop once I am no longer at my site is our Mentor-in-Training program that I helped develop in Vermont. In Vermont, we took Philadelphia DREAM’s lead (they created and piloted the program). I wanted to give our Vermont teens a chance to become more involved in the program and take on more of a leadership role. This is something that all of our programs find challenging- engaging our teens. After supporting the student mentors at the University of Vermont all year and helping them fundraise for their own Mentor-in-Training (MiT) program, raising over $800, we were able to interview and hire three teens from their program. As we move in to summer programming, the MiT program will transition to a summer schedule and 1 MiT per community. I think one of the most valuable parts of staying involved in DREAM, for our youth, is having the

opportunity to become a leader within the program. Seeing teens helping staff and AmeriCorps with programming and watching them develop leadership skills and build their confidence is a remarkable thing to observe. I hope that the Mentor in Training program model continues to develop and expand to more communities in DREAM.

Two DREAM teens graduated this year –

they both took on leadership roles in the

program and served as Counselors-in-

Training at Camp!

Throughout my year I have been striving to change the culture of DREAM at Dartmouth. While there are some very passionate mentors who are extremely excited about DREAM, there are also many mentors who are not as inspired or excited about DREAM. I organized a few meetings with mentors to talk about what DREAM is and what they expect to get out of DREAM for themselves, their mentee, and the community where their mentee lives. I brought in some other office staff to facilitate some conversations and brainstorm some ideas, to help create a new culture at Dartmouth DREAM. I pushed hard to get mentors to participate in events outside of weekly programming. I led a fun and engaging activity for the mentors to help bring some positive energy to an annual meeting which has historically been very monotonous and lacking the special DREAM vibe! In staying for another year I hope to expand this even more. I hope to inspire and motivate the mentors to build stronger relationships with their mentees and people in the community where they mentor.

Kylie Edwards, VYT A*VISTA

The DREAM Program, Inc., White River Junction

Adam Hurwitz, VYT A*VISTA

The DREAM Program, Inc., South Burlington

As an AmeriCorps VISTA with the DREAM Program, I have spent the year supporting volunteers who work with three specific communities: one in Milton, one in Johnson, and one in Middlebury. My support has taken on many manifestations, but all of it is aimed at increasing volunteers’ ability to provide consistent, positive relationships to impoverished children, while at the same time exposing them to experiences beyond the scope of their normal lives. One of DREAM’s primary goals is to empower volunteers to develop their own programs, programs they feel more connected and committed to. As a result, I have used this idea to frame my support with programs all year long – I always try to facilitate discussions rather than leading them, and encourage mentors to use their creativity whenever possible. This ultimately benefits the mentees, because their mentors are more invested and passionate about the time they spend at DREAM. I have worked hard this year to help Johnson

State College and Champlain College recruit quality mentors, and develop a strong culture of dedicated, self-sufficient, and ambitious volunteers. I believe that all three of the programs I have collaborated with over the past year are stronger than when I started, and I feel very positive about the volunteers who will be returning next year to work with our DREAM youth.

The DREAM Program, Inc. Mission

The DREAM Program builds communities of families and college students that empower youth from affordable housing

neighborhoods to recognize their options, make informed decisions, and achieve their dreams.

Michelle Sayles, VYT A*VISTA

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Burlington

Navigating these past two years has been an amazing and often overwhelming experience. I’ve learned to swim with confidence through a sea of housing and urban planning jargon, often acting as an interpreter to decode the meaning of countless acronyms and proposals to my residents and community partners. I’ve woven together my love of the arts with my community empowerment service to create opportunities for affordable housing residents to have a voice. As I look to the future, for both myself and the next member who may fill my shoes, I hope that I can pass along the lessons that have informed my service. In a material sense, my legacy is a paper trail, filled with organizing manuals and spreadsheets and notes that recount the important resources and techniques that aid in being an organizer. More importantly, though, the relationships and trust that I cultivated in different communities have been the most important pieces of my legacy. Even when I’ve left, the resident leaders will remain, and the community connections that I helped to facilitate will still continue to grow and evolve. Residents who gave their voices to a community planning process are even now still active in making sure the final plans reflect their needs and ideas. I may have passed along a roadmap and directions, but these leaders are clearly working to steer the course of their communities. As Vermont strives to meet the needs of its low-income residents, I hope that my service for the housing coalition will help to illuminate that no community ill can be solved in a vacuum. We can’t provide housing without also giving people a tangible stake at the table to voice their needs and concerns. Ideally, as with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, as we house those who are the most vulnerable, we will also recognize their need to self-actualize and be supported as emerging leaders in the places they call home.

Amy Schratz, VYT A*VISTA

Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile, Swanton

It is hard to believe that at this time last year I had never stepped foot in Vermont. Never been inside a bookmobile. Never heard the song “Open, Shut them.” Never met any of the amazing people I get to call my friends and patrons. There are a lot of things I’ve experienced this year that were “never” before I moved to Vermont. I jumped into service with both feet but, to be honest, I had no idea what it meant when I agreed to become an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Franklin Grand Isle (FGI) Bookmobile. The FGI Bookmobile serves two rural counties in Northwestern Vermont, specifically focusing on childcare providers and senior housing centers. We tirelessly promote literacy and a lifelong love of learning while building community connections. We do this by providing greater access to books, information, activities, and fun! During my term of service we have increased our services to seniors, raised funds for a new generator, planned lesson upon lessons upon lessons for afterschool children, and so much more. One of my favorite statistics for this year is the number of books that we

have given away to patrons, children, and community members. We have given away over 3000 new and used books—meaning we’ve increased Bookmobile book donations by over 2000 books! My specific projects to increase capacity included starting a Bookmobile Instagram, updating all of our patron contact information, streamlining our circulation system, and instituting a monthly Bookmobile newsletter. Personally, I’ve learned new technologies, driven a 24 foot long truck full of books, memorized several children’s books, and connected with children across Franklin and Grand Isle counties. My spontaneous year of service has been crazy, challenging, stressful, fun, and absolutely unique. So, knowing what I know now would I make the same decision again? Oh, most definitely.

Anna Berg, VYT A*VISTA

WCYSB Youth Development Program, Montpelier

As the Youth Leadership Coordinator VISTA at the Youth Development Program, my main goal is to help young people transitioning out of foster care find their voice and create opportunities for them to be heard – so in that vein, I’m going to let them tell you how my service has impacted their lives.

“For me, it is my duty to give back to youth who are now in the care of DCF, to guide them to take charge and to put themselves first. It is an honor to have been a part of these programs for the past 7 years; it has

helped me grow in so many ways.”

“Youth panels are a rewarding way to help new foster parents better understand what to expect, what works and what doesn’t when brining a foster child into their home. You’re able to share your experiences and make a difference, as well as meeting parents who genuinely want to help kids in foster care.”

“Just knowing that if I need help that I can get it. That’s what I love most [about the program]. That when I start to really struggle I can just ask, ‘Hey I don’t know what to do, how do I go forward?’”

“I chose to be a part of [youth leadership] because I strive to make a difference and use my struggles to strengthen and lead others to make a change for the better. It’s a great organization to be a part of.”

“My rose today was that I feel like everyone here is really accepting and I’m glad I met you all.”

“I used to be embarrassed to tell people I was in foster care, but now I realize it’s part of what made me who I am. And I’m really proud of who I am.”

The young people I’ve had the opportunity to engage with are truly inspiring, and I am so excited to continue on this road, searching for more ways to help them speak and be heard.

Photos are from a project that YDP Youth Advisory Board created this past May for National Foster Care

Month.

Victoria Davis, VYT A*VISTA

The In-Sight Project, Brattleboro

This past VISTA service year at the In-Sight Project in Brattleboro, Vermont has been both the most rewarding and most challenging year. As it was my second year of service, I was able to integrate myself more into the community and learned how to advocate myself while meeting all the various needs of In-Sight. My second year of service, I can see in the individuals that I serve the impact that the organization is making in alleviating poverty. Along with the fact that students are learning to be more fluent in technology as well as learn a hard skill, I look to the stories from parents and students. This gives me an even better grasp on the kind of success In-Sight has. I can see the poverty alleviation apparent in the parents who call me just to say thank you that don’t have to deny their children the opportunity to participate in an arts program because they can’t afford the tuition or cost of materials. We are the only program in Brattleboro that bases tuition on a completely self-reported scale and turns no one away for financial reasons. I also see In-Sight impacting communities through their Exposures cross-cultural exchange, which is primarily online but has a culminating

program on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. I’ve seen how allowing youth from varying communities engage with each other and photography builds an understanding and acceptance of cultural differences within a few weeks that is really astounding. I’m proud that after two years my legacy will be a combination of programming, volunteer coordination, and enriched relationships with youth. I’ve had a hand in completely overhauling our programming curriculum with implementing standards. I’m also proud that I’ve managed to create a standardized orientation and training for volunteers, which has created instructors that are confident in leading their classes and sustained that orientation and training. I’ve also prided myself in supporting youth and making sure their voices are heard and considered. I feel confident that the

next VISTA who serves at my organization will be able to add to my legacy and create a more sustainable future for the organization.

In-Sight Class practicing their camera

settings.

Victoria taking a break during

Programming at Pine Ridge.

The In-Sight Project Mission

The In-Sight Project offers students a creative voice and outlet,

an opportunity to experience success, tools for self-awareness

and self-worth, and encourages them to become actively

engaged in their communities.

Laurel Ferland, VYT A*VISTA

Salvation Farms, Morrisville

A small non-profit organization with a very grandiose vision, Salvation Farms addresses a gap in our food system by managing the abundant resource of food waste, specifically at the initial source: farms. The mission is driven by a passion to connect the community with local farms while also serving this nourishing food to our neighbors. As the first full time VISTA at Salvation Farms, I feel fortunate to be paving the way of creating systems of sustainability within the evolving organization. Focusing on the Vermont Commodity Program and processing surplus produce, my service year has involved a variety of eye opening professional and personal undertakings. One step toward sustainability has been creating documentation and manuals for various processes and streamlining program data tracking. These tools create a solid, tangible foundation for orienting and delegating tasks to others. Throughout the year I dabbled in the world of fundraising, receiving a $5,000 grant to support a significant collaboration project with Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County. The project consists of lightly processing gleaned food in order to increase the agency’s ability to accept and utilize more locally sourced surplus produce.

I was able to get my hands dirty this year when organizing and facilitating gleaning and light processing activities which resulted in the capture of 3,389 pounds of fresh fruits and veggies. This translates to approximately 10,167 servings of food distributed to local schools, food shelves, and senior meal sites.

On a few occasions, I was able to serve alongside the inmate work crew members on the potato pack line and hear their first-hand experiences with the program. Discovering the lasting effects of this type of positive and empowering work in such a hopeless environment has certainly shaped my personal views of prison systems. I am inspired to continue work on more effective long-term approaches to creating social change, starting with the individual.

Laurel’s last day of service

was June 20, 2015.

Laurel helps volunteers process gleaned

food. Just one example of the legacy she

leaves at Salvation Farms.

Salvation Farms Mission

Salvation Farms' mission is to build increased resilience in

Vermont's food system through agricultural surplus management.

Heather King has chosen to extend her service through

August 2016.

My legacy is still being written. Since I started service at my site in November and extended my service, I have not even reached the midpoint of my time with Cornerstone. This is exciting and intimidating; I am able to look back at my service thus far and create a robust, hope-filled plan for the future, but it also makes me see that there is so much work to be done to build a legacy I can take pride in. I believe my legacy lies in the connections that I have made in Richford. By immersing myself and engaging with the community members instead of trying to change them, I have been able to foster connections that allow me to make create and plan programming that will be catered to their needs, and that will be sustainable when my service is over. My service has enhanced my site’s efforts to alleviate poverty by creating programming that can provide different educational and vocational options for community members. I am implementing summer programming for our Vermont Adult Learning students that will take them on college tours, provide them the tools to navigate college admissions and school life, as well as hone their interviewing skills for jobs. I decided to extend my service because I am passionate about what Cornerstone stands for; I also want to see my efforts fully manifest, which is difficult to do with just one service year. My hopes for my legacy are simple. I want to create more funding streams and partnerships for Cornerstone so they can flourish and gain more strength, but I also want to create programming and systems that

can be run efficiently and grow with the organization. By building this capacity, I know my site can effect change in Richford for the foreseeable future.

Heather King, VYT A*VISTA

Cornerstone Bridges to Life Community Center, Richford

Demographics of Richford:

Unemployment for 2014 was at 4.9%

(Vermont state unemployment was 3.7%.)

Residents with income below the poverty in

level in 2013: 21.0%

Children living below poverty level: 38.9%

Youth volunteers at a car wash fundraiser organized

by Heather.

Here is what other VYT VISTAs are doing following their end

of service...

“After my A*VISTA service ends, I will be continuing as an AmeriCorps member in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I will be serving with Goodwill industries, supports the Transitional Work Experience Program for the prison population. I will also be completing my degree in corrections.” -Carlee Miller

“After my service ends, I will be going back to school. I will be working on an MBA in Nonprofit Management with a concentration in Sustainable Development at the Heller School of Social Policy at Brandeis University. “ -Caitlyn Burke

“After spending two amazing years learning and serving with the Youth Development Program, I have accepted a part time assistant director position with the program. I am thrilled to stay with this community and continue to work with coworkers and youth that inspire me every day. Also, I will be enjoying the best Vermont has to offer by teaming up with a friend to hike the Long Trail!” - Anna Berg

“I'm very excited to say that I'll be joining the SerVermont team and serving as the VISTA for Vermont Works for Women in Winooski! I'll be serving as their Communications & Outreach VISTA. I'll be spending most of my time helping boost their program reach and recognition of the women that are now succeeding in their new career areas after participating in the Vermont Works for Women programs. “ -Tori Houston

“I am excited to be a Baird School Behavior Interventionist for the next upcoming school year. The lessons and skills I have learned as a VISTA have gotten me ready to take the next step in helping the community where I live.” -Dev Nagel

"After my service with the City of Winooski I'll be moving forward with plans to continue my journey in media and documentary work focusing on Human Rights and Anti-Oppression work. I'll be continuing (for now) my weekly radio show on 105.9FM as well as projects in podcasting, photography, and other forms of multi-media storytelling." - Dylan Kelley

Take a Look at What Happened at June Training

On June 11, 2015, VYT A*VISTAs and VYDC

AmeriCorps State Members gathered for the monthly

training that was different from our previous training

sessions. Members spent the afternoon engage at local

community organizations in service projects. The

organization that

collaborated with VYT

A*VISTA and VYDC

AmeriCorps State to

make June training a

success were the

following: Good

Beginnings of Central

Vermont in Montpelier, North Branch Nature Center in

Montpelier, Maplehill School and Farm in Plainfield,

Northfield Teen Center in Northfield, Basement Teen

Center in Montpelier,

ReSource & ReStore in Barre, and Aldrich Library in

Barre.

Before our members set off to help out the local

community organizations, they participated in a morning

of team building activities. Two of those activities

included End-of-Service Presentations by VYT members,

Chelsea Ambrose and Laurel Ferland. Chelsea presented

on the Harvest of the

Month activity that she

used to engage her youth

in learning about food and where it comes from at her

service site, All 4 One. Laurel presented on the personal

and professional lessons that she learned during her

service year, lessons she will carry with her.

Following those presentations, two VYDC members

led the teams in an AmeriShare that taught members an

engaging and educational activity to be done with a variety

of ages: (Hydro)Bottle Rocket Making.

Whitney Keefner and Zoe Halvorsen

helping ReSource sift through water-

logged donations.

Michelle Sayles and Anna Berg helping

Aldrich Library staff clear out their storage

space to make way for new donations.

Chelsea presenting on Harvest of the

Month.

Carlee Miller and Heather King

assembling their rocket.

VYT End of Service Event

July marks the annual End of Service Celebration for the VYT A*VISTA

Team. We gathered at the Three Stallion Inn in Randolph, VT to share our

successes and stories of service, as well as express our gratitude to one another

for the services provided throughout Vermont as well as farewells and well

wishes.

Members led a 3-5 minute presentation that reflected on their year of

service. For Victoria Davis’s presentation, she taught the group about

cyanotypes. (Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan

-blue print.) This activity is an engaging and fun tool she used to get youth

excited about summer programming at The In Sight Project.

(Above) We placed the Talking Stick on the cyanotype material, and we were left with a print! The Talking Stick is covered in talismans from both members and staff that represent the service year.

(Below) Victoria had an extra sheet of the material,. We gathered around to leave our hand prints on the material.

PO Box 627 / 38 Elm Street

Montpelier, VT 05601-0627

Phone: 802-229-9151

Fax: 802-229-2508

Vermont Youth Tomorrow

A*VISTA Program

Washington County Youth

Service Bureau

M. Kadie Schaeffer

Director of National

Service Programs

[email protected]

Kirsten Brewer

Assistant Director of

National Service Programs

[email protected]

Aubrey Mertens



[email protected]

Patrick Scheld



[email protected]

Ashley Piatt

VYT VISTA Leader

[email protected]

VYT is sponsored by the

Washington County Youth

Service Bureau.

The opinions expressed in the articles in this newsletter belong to the

individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the site

where the VISTA serves, Vermont Youth Tomorrow, the Washington

County Youth Service Bureau, SerVermont, or CNCS.

2014– 2015 VYT A*VISTA Team

https://www.facebook.com/vermontyouthtomorrow

vyt voices, summer 2015 edition

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