Chapter 10: AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
Just as AmeriCorps*VISTA members work to expand and build the capacity of community projects, Leaders work to expand and build the capacity of individual AmeriCorps*VISTA members and their respective service sites. Leaders have demonstrated leadership skills and qualities during their initial term of service and have accepted a new level of responsibility.
ROLE OF AMERICORPS*VISTA LEADER
AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders are former AmeriCorps*VISTA members who successfully completed a full term of full-time service and demonstrated exemplary skills and leadership in community service. AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders have demonstrated exceptional abilities to work constructively with community volunteers, supervisors, sponsoring organizations, and the low-income community.
AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders are former AmeriCorps*VISTA and other AmeriCorps members or Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who successfully completed a full term of full-time service and demonstrated exemplary skills and leadership in community service. (The Peace Corps is the federal agency that sends volunteers to live and work in developing countries.) AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders have demonstrated exceptional abilities to work constructively with community volunteers, supervisors, sponsoring organizations, and the low-income community.
An AmeriCorps member or Returned Peace Corps Volunteer is not entitled to an AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader assignment for simply having satisfactorily completed a previous assignment. It is solely up to the Corporation State Office to select which projects may have AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders, to determine the number of AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders that may serve at designated projects, and to select the AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders to serve at the designated projects.
The decision to extend, reenroll, or be designated an AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader requires the permission of the AmeriCorps*VISTA Director, as delegated to the Corporation State Office. Permission is dependent on the Corporation and AmeriCorps*VISTA program policy, the funding available to the Corporation, the nature of the agreement between the Corporation and the sponsoring organization, and performance and conduct as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Members are not entitled to any extension, reinstatement, or reenrollment as a member or Leader in the AmeriCorps*VISTA program.
AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders are not permitted to perform administrative or supervisory functions for their sponsoring organizations. Hence, they do not supervise other AmeriCorps*VISTA members, the sponsoring organization staff, or community volunteers. Leaders provide support and coordination for members to increase the project's impact. AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders are not permitted to perform administrative or supervisory functions for their sponsoring organizations. Hence, they do not supervise other AmeriCorps*VISTA members, the sponsoring organization staff, or community volunteers. Leaders provide support and coordination for members to increase the project's impact.
If circumstances warrant, a Leader can be demoted to AmeriCorps*VISTA member status by the Corporation State Office. The AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader regulations, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 1217 (see Appendix C), details the qualifications necessary to become an AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader, the selection procedure, and roles of Leaders.
LEADER TRAINING
AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders participate in a three-and-a-half-day Leaders Training designed to provide the knowledge and skills to help recruit, coach, and coordinate teams of AmeriCorps*VISTA members. Through training and hands-on experiences, Leaders gain transferable skills in project management, marketing and promotion, conflict resolution and coaching, and fundraising and development.
As an AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader, you should attend Leaders Training within the first two months of your term of service or the first available training event, with limited exceptions. Leaders who have not begun their term may attend the training if they will be placed within one month of the training.
Leaders Training introduces you to your new role and equips you with a set of skills to help support AmeriCorps*VISTA members and ensure that their projects are sustainable. The goals of Leaders Training are to:
- Communicate the roles and responsibilities of AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders
- Equip Leaders with a set of leadership skills they can apply in their daily work
- Establish a learning community among Leaders that will continue throughout their term of service
- Train Leaders to be effective recruiters for AmeriCorps*VISTA
- Educate Leaders about the tools and resources available to them to support their roles and projects
- Help Leaders to develop strategies and plan for effectively supporting their members and sustaining their projects
- Facilitate information sharing and collaboration among Leaders working in similar issue areas
- Educate AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders about post-service career and educational opportunities
- Inspire AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders to complete a successful year of service
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES FOR LEADERS
The Corporation limits the number of terms served in all AmeriCorps programs, including VISTA, to a maximum of three terms, which includes either full-time, part-time, or reduced part-time service.
An individual who has served only one year as an AmeriCorps member may be a Leader for up to two years of service. An AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader is not, however, guaranteed a second year as a Leader. To receive approval for reenrollment, the Leader's job performance must be outstanding and the sponsoring organization and Corporation State Director must agree that it would benefit the project to reenroll the Leader for another year of service.
TRANSITION FROM MEMBER TO LEADER
An AmeriCorps*VISTA member must successfully complete a full term of service and demonstrate exemplary skills and leadership in community service before becoming an AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader. A sponsoring organization may not recommend promotion of a member to Leader midway through a member's first term of service. A member may become a Leader midway through his or her second term of service only if the member plans to continue in the role of Leader for a third full-year term of service.LEADER'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS, SUPERVISORS, AND MEMBERS
The AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader has a distinct role within a sponsoring organization. Leaders coordinate and provide support to members, but they are not responsible for members. The project supervisor is directly responsible for the management of AmeriCorps*VISTA members.The AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader, however, is in a leadership role. At times, the Leader may serve as a mediator, a facilitator, an adviser, or a trainer. The supervisor and AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader should make sure AmeriCorps*VISTA members understand the Leader's role and responsibilities.
The supervisor/sponsoring organization should not expect Leaders to take on roles similar to those of members in addition to their roles and responsibilities outlined in the project's Leader position description. For example, if an AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader coordinates a project that involves eight members who implement literacy programs at six different sites, the Leader should not be expected to implement a literacy program.
REGIONAL AND PROJECT-BASED LEADERS
Several states, because of their size and geography, have assigned Leaders regionally. These Leaders serve on an AmeriCorps*VISTA project and support not only their own project's AmeriCorps*VISTA members, but also other project members working in a particular area. This type of assignment is acceptable for Leaders as long as:
- Leaders are supervised by a single AmeriCorps*VISTA supervisor/sponsoring organization
- Project sponsors involved agree with the proposal
- Leaders do not operate in a Corporation State Office or sponsoring organization staff role
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
The Professional Development Fund enables Leaders to seek specialized assistance and professional development to help them improve the skills they need to effectively serve their community, project, and members.
Each Leader may request up to $100 worth of materials. Requests are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Professional Development Fund generally supports training materials related to project focus (i.e., hunger, literacy, and environment) or skills useful for the project (i.e., fundraising, teambuilding, and facilitation), including:
- Books and periodicals
- Training videos
- Registration fees for conferences or workshops (travel, room and board, and other conferencerelated expenses do not qualify)
- Classes (community college, grant writing, etc.)
A request for training materials must be submitted in writing to the AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders Professional Development Fund. The written request must include the following:
- Leader's name
- Project mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers
- Title, author or publisher, and description of training material being requested (for registration fees or magazine subscriptions, include copy of registration materials or order forms)
- Cost of training materials
- Vendor (including tax identification number and address) from which training material can be purchased
- Justification for request: How does this material help you better serve your project and community?
- Date of class, workshop, or conference, if applicable
Send your requests by mail, fax, or e-mail to:
- AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders Professional
Development Fund
Corporation for National and Community Service
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20525
Fax: (202) 606-3475
E-mail: vleader@cns.gov
You will be notified whether your request is approved. If approved, the training material will be procured and delivered to you.
LEADER BENEFITS
LIVING ALLOWANCE
Every AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader is eligible for an additional $200 per month in their living allowance, effective on the date of their Leader assignment. If, however, the $200-per-month increase raises the living allowance above the federal or state minimum wage (whichever is higher), the Leader must be given the option to:
- Keep the lower living allowance to retain public assistance payments
- Accept the allowance increase, with the understanding that it may jeopardize the eligibility for, or level of, public assistance or other governmental payments
