On Monday, June 17th, the Campus Compact VISTA team kicked off their first round of orientation to welcome the first group of the 24-25 VISTA cohort. June’s orientation consisted of 8 new VISTA members who got the opportunity to meet the Campus Compact VISTA Team and VISTA Leaders, get an overview of the program, learn more about their service year, and meet some of their fellow VISTA members.
During the initial week, VISTA members familiarized themselves with the AmeriCorps handbooks, gained insights into the distinctions between AmeriCorps and Campus Compact, and participated in their AmeriCorps Swearing In ceremony. They also received detailed information about the benefits provided by AmeriCorps and their host site, along with clear expectations for their service year. In the subsequent week, members began learning about the difference between capacity building and direct service, techniques for establishing professional boundaries, strategies to mitigate miscommunication, how to utilize their advocacy skills during their service year, and accurate procedures for data gathering and reporting.
Throughout the next two months, the VISTA team will hold two more orientation sessions. One will be held in July, with 10 new VISTA members, and another will be held in August, with around 30 new VISTA members.