Florida Literacy Coalition
AmeriCorps* VISTA
Position Description
 
AmeriCorps VISTA members work full time at the Florida Literacy Coalition or with one of our partner literacy agencies to help coordinate initiatives and support programs which help adults and families to develop their reading, writing and English language skills. During their service, VISTA members receive a modest living allowance, health care, and other benefits. And, upon completing one year of service, they can choose to receive either a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or post-service stipend.
 
VISTA members develop projects using volunteers and community partners to provide students with resources and information on career pathways, securing employment and continuing education opportunities.  VISTA site partners have the opportunity to select from a number of project areas that will enable them to address a particular program or community need.  Project areas include the following:
 
College and Career Pathways
All VISTA sites are required to work on a college and career pathways project. The VISTA at FLC’s main office will implement a statewide training course to prepare volunteers to serve as education and career advocates. This training provides resources and a recommended process for volunteers to use in helping students to explore their career and post secondary educational options. At our partner sites, VISTAs will coordinate a project that utilizes trained volunteers to provide guidance and support to adult learners in identifying resources with regard to advancing within the current employment position, receiving a promotion, gain employment or enroll in a post-secondary education program. VISTA members will create opportunities for learners to engage in career planning activities such as job shadowing, college tours, resume/interview workshops and more.
 
Financial Literacy
VISTA members throughout the state will be working on a variety of financial literacy initiatives. At FLC’s  main office, a VISTA member will expand access to quality financial education services by coordinating a first of its kind financial literacy track at the 2013 Florida Literacy Conference.  VISTA’s at partner sites will partner with a financial institution to offer financial education workshops, co-host a clinic with a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance provider, or develop in-service workshops for tutors/teachers on integrating financial literacy in their curriculum.
 
Health Literacy
To emphasize the importance of making healthy living decisions, VISTAs throughout the state are creating and improving health literacy programs. The VISTA at FLC’s office will organize a statewide health literacy summit to take place in the summer of 2013.  At partner sites, VISTAs will implement activities such as hosting health fairs, bringing in health professionals to speak to classes and conducting student led projects such as writing a recipe book of favorite recipes using healthy ingredient substitutes.
 
Prison Re-entry
Two VISTA partner sites have been successful at implementing a corrections education and prison re-entry program. VISTAs work on basic literacy, GED readiness, and career pathways options for those in the correctional system. 
 
GED Readiness
VISTAs at partner sites coordinate projects to make available and expand GED/TOEFL instruction.  Activities include helping students develop keyboarding/computer skills to prepare them to take the GED on computer, setting up new classes and developing a partnership with an area college to recruit, train, utilize students as volunteer tutors. 
 
Family Literacy
VISTAs at partner sites that emphasize family literacy diversify traditional family literacy curricula by organizing educational field trips, creating a lending library, and having families learn together on computers.