Make a Difference, Choose WVU AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps calls on Americans to turn their determination, compassion, and creativity
into solutions for our nation’s most pressing challenges. Everyone has what it
takes to choose a future of service and join a community 1.25 million strong.
AmeriCorps connects adults, aged 18 and up, with flexible opportunities to address
local challenges with local solutions, whether it is for a day, a year, or a
lifetime.
WVU VISTA Program Mision
The WVU VISTA program’s mission is to tap into the transformative power of higher
education to cultivate a diverse generation of empowered individuals—students
and career professionals alike. We leverage resources within higher education,
provide dedicated member support, and cultivate community partnerships to maximize
outcomes. Through our strategically designed AmeriCorps grants, our goal is to
strengthen the capabilities of educational programs, creating experiential learning
opportunities that advance students towards academic success, personal growth,
and meaningful community engagement, while impacting the lives and livelihoods
of all WVians.
Our Core Focus: Empowering through Education
Our core focus revolves around the creation of opportunities and experiences that
enrich the educational journey for participants. We seek to provide a space that
fosters a sense of purpose and commitment to community development. By leveraging
higher education as a catalyst, we aspire to address societal challenges, placing
a specific focus on collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty in the communities
we serve.
Transforming Communities: The WVU VISTA Approach
The WVU VISTA program aims to harness higher education's transformative power, empowering
a generation of individuals by strengthening educational programs, promoting
experiential learning, and building community partnerships. We strive to maximize
outcomes, emphasizing local experiences and a sense of purpose, with a specific
focus on collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty in the communities we serve.
Our History of Service
VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, was conceived by President John F. Kennedy
as a domestic counterpart to the Peace Corps and was started by President Lyndon
Johnson as part of the War on Poverty. It is the national service program that
works to eliminate poverty. The first VISTAs began serving in 1965, in migrant
farm worker camps in California, the hollows of eastern Kentucky, and the urban
neighborhoods of Hartford, CT. In 1994, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps
network of programs. Today, AmeriCorps VISTA is as vibrant and necessary as ever.
Looking to Be a Prospective AmeriCorps VISTA?
