There are many different facets to the Cross-Stream/Inclusion VISTA position. The Cross-Stream part of my position has me focused on increasing partnerships and collaboration among the three streams of national service – AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve. I am continually updating Michigan’s National Service Directory, which contains a listing of all national service programs and project sites in Michigan. The directory is available on the MCSC website at www.michigan.gov/mcsc. Users may search for programs by location, issue area, or stream of service. The directory may be used to connect interested individuals with respective national service programs in their area and assist programs with member recruitment. I also help compile and distribute the Cross-Stream Connector, a bi-monthly e-newsletter that provides tools and resources, as well as great stories of programs demonstrating cross-stream collaboration.
For the Inclusion part of my position, I am striving to increase awareness about AmeriCorps and national service to the disability community. I also support Michigan’s national service programs by helping organizations increase their capacity to support a more diverse population of volunteers. I am also part of the MCSC Statewide Inclusion Team, which was established to help empower national service programs to make service a part of the lives of individuals with disabilities. I, along with team members representing both the national service and disability community, am hoping to shift the paradigm from seeing people with disabilities as those who need service, to seeing people with disabilities as those who can serve others and give back to their communities. By disseminating information, sharing resources, and promoting education and training opportunities, I hope to help equip programs to bring on a more diverse volunteer base and share information about national service with this largely untapped group of volunteers. I also help develop a bi-monthly e-newsletter called IN Touch that reflects and highlights the MCSC efforts related to disability/inclusion. The February edition is available on the Disability/Inclusion section of the MCSC website.
Currently, I am working to help promote Youth Service America’s Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) which is April 15-17, 2011. GYSD is the only day of service based around mobilizing youth as a volunteer group. It encourages groups to work together and assist younger volunteers and youth who may not have served before to be actively involved in the planning and coordination of a service project. The goal is for this involvement to help empower youth to serve their community and foster a sense of civic engagement. The MCSC in partnership with The LEAGUE Michigan is offering GYSD mini-grants for up to $500. The grant application must be written by a youth, and YSA defines “youth” as age 5-25. More information about applying for the mini-grant can be found on the MCSC’s homepage at www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
I’d like to take a moment to suggest, if you are on the higher end of the age definition of a youth, to not just write it yourself. Find a youth in the program you are partnering with and have them assist you with writing the grant. This way you are not only helping them learn grant writing skills, but helping build self-esteem and understand the process of planning a project from the very beginning.
If you have any questions about Cross-Stream collaboration, inclusion resources, or GYSD I’d love to answer any questions you might have!
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