Ascend WV VISTA
The VISTA member will assist in developing community engagement and service opportunities for members of the Ascend WV program with the goal of creating meaningful and positive experiences with their new home. This person will also help us to identify ways of supporting and nurturing the community of remote workers that exist in and beyond our program. Additionally, this person will help us foster a collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship with local partners and stakeholders by pursuing opportunities for collective engagement. Ascend, WV a remote worker attraction and retention program in West Virginia, aims to not only attract remote workers to the Mountain State, but support them as they relocate in pursuit of a better quality of life, purposeful connection with their chosen community, and an outdoor driven lifestyle. The VISTA member will be a part of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at West Virginia University, which manages and operates the program in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Tourism.
WVU Energy Express VISTA
The VISTA Energy Express Project Facilitator will play a vital role in expanding the capacity and sustainability of Energy Express, a literacy and nutrition initiative that serves approximately 500 children each year in rural and low-income West Virginia communities. The VISTA member will work directly with the Energy Express Director to enhance program impact through grant development, recruitment efforts, communications, and strategic planning.
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to educational equity and youth development across the state. The VISTA member’s efforts will strengthen the infrastructure of a well-established program while supporting its growth into school-year reading support initiatives.
Water Research Institute VISTA
The Common Waters VISTA member will support the growth and sustainability of the Common Waters Collaborative by developing student–community engagement opportunities focused on rural water and watershed issues across West Virginia. The VISTA will strengthen the host site’s capacity by refining participant selection and matching processes to ensure meaningful connections between WVU students and community watershed partners. This role will expand the reach and impact of Common Waters by building these partnerships with WVU faculty, student organizations, and academic programs to create hands-on learning and service opportunities that address real community water needs. The VISTA will also support student retention and long-term engagement with local watershed groups, boosting collaboration that contributes to improved water quality in West Virginia communities. Based within the West Virginia University Water Research Institute, this position will increase awareness of watershed group needs while advancing practical learning for students committed to environmental stewardship.
The Rack Student Food Pantry
The Rack Student Food Pantry VISTA member will strengthen WVU’s capacity to address food insecurity by supporting the development and improvement of systems and services for The Rack, ensuring it better meets the needs of students experiencing food insecurity. Through direct engagement with students, the VISTA will help create meaningful civic engagement opportunities while advancing food insecurity and health education across campus. Guided by higher education best practices, the Rack VISTA will support marketing, research, funding, and other strategies that improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the pantry. By helping ensure students’ basic needs are met, this role will contribute to student success and retention, allowing them to focus on their academic goals and degree attainment.