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.