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Stanford
Haas Center for Public Service

AmeriCorps VISTA Program

A partnership between Stanford and Campus Compact supports a cohort of AmeriCorps members to work in the community through the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program.

The partnership aims to deepen collaborations with nonprofit community partners and to provide resources for capacity-building at each partner site. Current partners include: Canopy, Climate Resilient Communities, Thrive Alliance and Upward Scholars. 

Community organizations are invited periodically to apply to have an AmeriCorps VISTA member work in their organization. For more information please contact Paitra Houts. 

About the program

In 2016, Stanford launched a partnership to support our local communities by sponsoring AmeriCorps VISTA members to work with the local community. Through the partnership Stanford makes a three-year commitment to support a VISTA, focusing on capacity-building and strengthening the relationship between Stanford and the partner organization. AmeriCorps VISTA members endeavor to build the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of agencies that address one or more of the AmeriCorps programming priority areas:

  • Economic opportunity
  • COVID-19 recovery
  • Racial justice
  • Education
  • Healthy futures
  • Evidence-based interventions
  • Veterans and military families
  • Rural intermediaries
  • Faith-based organizations
  • Programs that reduce child poverty
  • Environmental stewardship
  • Economic Mobility Corps

AmeriCorps members in our VISTA program serve one day per week at Stanford and four days per week at their nonprofit organization or public agency. While the specific responsibilities are unique, each position description has two focus areas:

  • Capacity-building objective: Reinforce the long-term efficacy and/or efficiency of the nonprofit/public agency with a specific sustainable project that should continue to benefit the agency after VISTA service.
  • Campus-Community liaison objective: Support and coordinate partnerships between the nonprofit/public agency and higher education institution.

Since 2016 Stanford, has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Climate Resilient Communities, Canopy, East Palo Alto Academy, East Palo Alto Academy Foundation, the Day Workers Center of Mountain View, Climate Resilient Communities, Sequoia High School, Street Code Academy, Thrive, and Upward Scholars.

Program Expectations

Stanford

  • Commits to fund one AmeriCorps member at two partner sites for three years
  • Provides weekly mentorship to each AmeriCorps member
  • Provides bi-weekly career development trainings
  • Helps promote organizations on the Stanford campus

Partners

  • Commit to mentor and guide one AmeriCorps member per year for three years
  • Identify a capacity-building project they want the AmeriCorps member to work on
  • Attend quarterly supervisor meetings
  • Host the VISTA cohort once per year for a learning experience

AmeriCorps members

  • Make a year-long (52 week), full-time (40 hours/week) commitment to serve specific objectives at nonprofit organizations.
  • Build their leadership, organizational, and public speaking skills
  • Address social justice issues such as economic insecurity, climate change, education inequity, and the digital divide
  • Support and build the partnership between Stanford and their placement site

Campus Compact College

  • Provides human resources and reporting support