VISTA Service Positions
Join educational institutions across New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont to support efforts to fight poverty by expanding college access and success for low-income students. Apply today to make a difference while gaining valuable professional skills.
We are currently recruiting for August of 2022. We suggest applying asap to make sure you are enrolled for August.
Have a question? Email Aarron Dupuis at dupuis {at} compactnh(.)org
See this year’s positions below. Listings in green are open; listings in red have been filled.
Open Positions
Manchester Community College - Project Ignite
The Gear Up for Success – Project Ignite AmeriCorps position aspires to provide local high school youth participating in the GEAR UP Manchester/Manchester Community College partnership with opportunities to develop college aspirations by engaging with current college students, exploring career pathways, and learning about the culture of college. This will happen through a series of interactive activities and events that engage Gear Up Manchester students with the Manchester Community College campus, students, and faculty -including an on-campus summer program. We want GEAR UP students to ignite their passion and be future ready.
Manchester Community College - Athletics and Engagement Coordinator
The MCC Athletics and Engagement Coordinator will assist the Director of Athletics and Community Engagement in developing an athletics program at MCC. As a new endeavor, the Assistant will assist the Director in building community partnerships and relationships to establish the Program, and building pathways for future MCC student athletes into our Programs. The Assistant will work closely with current MCC students to advertise and recruit students into the Program and help build it into our campus culture. This position will be a great fit for someone who loves athletics and sees the value in offering post-secondary athletics as a way to keep students engaged in education and connected to their community. Effective Assistants will bring passion and initiative to help create the Program, flexibility to take on any number of tasks related to Program creation, and also will work well taking direction from and supporting the vision of the Director of Athletics.
Manchester Community College - Social Media Engagement Coordinator
The MCC AmeriCorps member will serve as the Social Media Engagement Coordinator and work directly with students to create social media content that represents and describes the MCC community. The Coordinator will work with campus departments to create a system for disseminating useful information to help students engage effectively with campus resources and learn about the supports available to them. The Coordinator will have the opportunity to use their creativity to generate ideas for student engagement. They will have the flexibility to design programs and activities that best engage students in developing and sharing content about life at MCC, with a goal of creating a framework that can be sustained into the future.
GEAR UP NH Academic Support Coordinator
The Academic Support Coordinator will assist in the development of programming targeted at summer melt. They will provide ongoing support and capacity for other GEAR UP NH initiatives including the student success committee, mentoring programs, and career panels. Assist in communications across the grant to help bolster messaging for low-income or first-gen students. The Coordinator will help build capacity within the GEAR UP NH partner school districts by creating programming structure for the staff at the district.
Nashua Community College
The member at Nashua Community College
1) Support student leadership programs as a strategy to increase student success for low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students.
2) Encourage volunteering and develop service initiatives to engage low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented college students.
3) Develop and expand programs that increase college access and student
success for low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students.
4) Expand and build capacity for a peer support network/mentor program that can support low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students to persist and succeed.
NHTI, Concord's Community College
It is the goal of the VISTA placed at NHTI – Concord’s Community College, in Concord, NH to utilize campus resources to increase the accessibility and retention to higher education for low income students in the greater Concord area. The VISTA will have a variety of opportunities, which include, but are not limited to, supporting the campus food pantry by helping develop sustainable practices, mentor federal work study students and help them develop refreshing, engaging, and diverse programming aimed at social issues in the community, and nurture community partnerships while also having the opportunities to create new ones.
GEAR UP Manchester - Programming (2 Positions)
The goal of the AmeriCorps Member is to assist GEAR UP staff in strategically achieving the three main goals of the program: increase the academic performance and preparation for postsecondary education of their low-income cohort students, expand students’ aspirations and increase the rate of high school graduation and participation in postsecondary education, and increase students’ and families’ knowledge of postsecondary education options, preparation, and financing. The AmeriCorps member will strengthen the Manchester High public high schools’ abilities to implement robust programming and encourage students’ preparation for success as well as expand the capacity of GEAR UP by instituting measures to sustain a college-going culture at the site beyond the cohort’s presence.
GEAR UP Manchester - Data
GEAR UP Manchester is looking for an AmeriCorps member interested in exploring how data can be used to further educational programming. You will join our GEAR UP team and will help us accomplish our goals: provide academic support, improve the high school graduation rate and educate students and their families on post-secondary options. The Data Specialist role will collect and analyze the work we do with students and build capacity in our data analysis work! This position will be in person at the Manchester High Schools, but will allow for some remote work if desired.
GEAR UP NH Stakeholder Engagement Specialist
The Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will work along side the GEAR UP New Hampshire Leadership Team to support programming for low-income/first-gen students between GEAR UP Schools and NH Higher Ed institutions. They will assist with the creation and development of parent and care taker programming in GEAR UP communities. The member will partner with NH Scholars and create sustainable partnerships with business leaders in the community. Finally, they will assist in building sustainable distribution practices for the GEAR UP NH Scholarship.
NH GEAR UP Alliance - Communications and Marketing Specialist (2 positions)
| The New Hampshire GEAR UP Alliance is made up of GEAR UP NH and GEAR UP Manchester, supporting over 3,000 students across the state. The Communications and Marketing Specialist(s) will assisting with the Alliance social media accounts focusing on postsecondary information and DEIA awareness. The Specialist(s) will assist in regular publications, communications, and branding by creating guides for future use. They will also help with the NH GEAR UP Alliance website and other messaging platforms. Applicants who are creative and like to write or design should apply! |
NH Scholars - Academic Support Coordinator
The Academic Support Coordinator will assist the NH Scholars Project Director to support school districts across the state of NH. They will create and develop new Scholars Year-end celebrations. The Coordinator will foster new relationships to bring industry specific panel discussions to low-income, rural districts. They will also assist with planning and developing a series of community service events to bring high school students and local business leaders together for a common cause. This position is great for someone looking to create the foundation of this year one position.
Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies
The member serving at Spark Academy will support students that are struggling with academics, create and define a positive school culture that includes student voice, maintain/run weekly activities to support school culture, monitor and support student academic programs.
White Mountains Community College
It is the goal of the VISTA placed at White Mountains Community College, in Berlin, NH to utilize campus resources to increase the accessibility to higher education and retention of low income students in the greater North Country region. The VISTA will have a variety of opportunities, which include, but are not limited to, working with student leaders to streamline the enrollment process for low income K-12 students and first generation college students, recruiting student volunteers for various service programs in the region, and encouraging student involvement in service and leadership events and student organizations and utilize academic success resources in order to promote college retention.
YWCA New Hampshire
The YWCA AmeriCorps member will learn the inner workings of a domestic violence and sexual assault crisis center. They will help build a system of intake for clients experiencing crisis that honors their humanity while allowing them to seek and gain services in an effective and efficient manner. Also, the member will create client manual to to disperse to YWCA clientele that outlines all community resources available for assistance. They will also build training materials for staff on the newly designed intake process.
GEAR UP NH - Postsecondary Programming Specialist
The Postsecondary Programming Specialist will work alongside the GEAR UP New Hampshire Leadership Team to provide programming and support to GEAR UP NH students. They will create and develop new and innovative postsecondary plans for students and stakeholders at partner schools. The Specialist will help create sustainable plans for information hubs that support students at NH Schools. They will also create plans for a FAFSA completion campaign to support low-income students across the districts. Finally, they will foster relationships with NH Campuses to offer college field trips for students.
Maine Campus Compact Resiliency VISTA
The AmeriCorps member will work on compiling pertinent information and outreach to enhance resiliency efforts of K-12 and higher education institutions and students due to COVID-19 and other emerging critical issues like climate change. The member will focus on four bucket areas for K-12 and Higher Education students: academic and technology supports, social-emotional health/learning, hunger and homelessness, and resiliency resources and planning.
Bates College
The Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College invites applications for the Civic Leadership Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship. This is a full-time, twelve-month, paid position beginning in early August. The Fellow will develop and strengthen programming that connects Bates students to the off-campus community in informed and constructive ways. With a special focus on cultivating college aspirations, the Fellow will partner with existing Bates offices and academic departments to inspire and equip Bates students for a range of community-engaged activities that respond to community-identified needs. The Fellow will be a live-in member of the professional team in the Office of Residence Life and Health Education. The Fellow’s work will contribute to the college’s extensive Community-Engaged Learning program by cultivating and sustaining networks of connection and mutual benefit between Bates College and the off-campus community.
UMaine Bodwell Center
UMaine’s VISTA coordinates Black Bear Mentors and Black Bear Tutors, and partners with Big Brothers Big Sister of Mid-Maine and America Reads America Counts. Recruit, train and support UMaine students as in-person tutors and mentors. Training includes Developmental Assets, SPARKS, and College Positive Volunteerism. Youth are recruited from 3 local schools. Increasing student commitment to school, supporting academic success, and connecting with a college student are shown to decrease drop-out rates and increase college/career aspirations. The BBM/BBT programs introduce children to possibilities and excite them about their future as a college student! Also work with the on-campus food pantry to distribute thousands of pounds of food to students, faculty and staff, especially during breaks and summer.
Maine Campus Compact - STEM Coordinator
The STEM VISTA will: Plan and implement programming to strengthen STEM education for K-12 students; Identify and develop new K-20 partnerships for STEM initiatives in school districts and communities that serve low-income students; Conduct outreach and recruit volunteers to assist with STEM initiatives and help build capacity for implementation (i.e. to lead STEM activities in libraries or virtually); Plan and organize a STEM challenge event/college bowl focused on a topic like water or climate change for higher education students; Provide technical assistance support for campus mentor programs to pair postsecondary school
students with secondary school students in the STEM field to get help with STEM homework, and overall support (especially for low-income students); Coordinate efforts with other VISTAs and non-traditional educators; and Increase sustainability of the STEM initiatives/ program.
New Ventures: Augusta
New Ventures Maine, a statewide outreach and education program of the University of Maine at Augusta, will host an AmeriCorps VISTA position to coordinate information and resources to increase access to and retention in higher education for low income individuals of all ages in Central Maine and statewide. This position will encompass outreach and communications about career and education options and the benefits of higher education and workforce credentials; financial literacy and information about resources to pay for the full cost of attending college; student civic engagement and leadership development; and coordination of wraparound services and resources on campus and in the community. This member will serve at our Augusta site. Apply today!
University of New England
The University of New England seeks to engage a VISTA to help extend, enhance, and sustain its America Reads and America Counts Tutoring Program (ARAC) and College Aspirations Program (CAP). This motivated and enthusiastic individual will work in a university setting, mobilizing university students to be engaged in a variety of community service activities on and off campus. Specifically, this person will coordinate the recruitment, training and supervision of UNE students to work with local partner schools and their K-8 students in Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Kennebunk through the America Reads America Counts and College Aspiration programs.
This person, through their work, will solidify and expand relationships with local area schools for UNE student volunteers to work with at risk students. This person will recruit more UNE student tutors while also working with guidance counselors to encourage participation by local middle school students. This person will also work to improve our organizational capacity by organizing service fairs, social media and impact visuals, as well as special service opportunities for UNE students and the community. This person will help to make an impact on both the UNE campus and the greater communities our UNE students as well as at risk youth.
New Ventures Maine: Bangor
The AmeriCorps VISTA College Access and Success Coordinator project will provide support and resources to increase access to and retention in higher education for low income individuals of all ages. The coordinator will connect adult learners with workforce micro-credentials, financial literacy programs, and other wraparound services on campus and in the community to help students persist and graduate. The coordinator will also work with student volunteers to raise awareness of food insecurity on campus and provide easy access to food on and off campus.