Spring 2016

Our Mission:

The FIRST ® AmeriCorps VISTA mission is to expand the vision of FIRST ® by working in areas that have been deemed underserved: lower socio-economic communities and rural areas or areas that are underrepresented regarding science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

FIRST ®VISTAs work closely with the teams in their area providing support and resources while maintaining a specific focus on supporting teams and areas that are underserved.

Notes from Headquarters: FIRST ® Championship 2016

Salutations, fellow adventurers! Our mighty band of FIRST VISTAs has

returned from a quest of epic proportions in support of FIRST

STRONGHOLD SM!

During the final

week of April, 34

FIRST ® VISTAs

traveled to St. Louis,

MO, to participate

in FIRST

Championship,

where FIRST

welcomed more

than 45,000 students and spectators from our four Programs to share in this

annual competition in celebration of science and technology. Our valiant

VISTAs fulfilled a wide variety of roles, from educating guests about the

FIRST VISTA Program, providing critical support (and refreshment!) to fellow

volunteers, assisting with awards ceremonies and fulfilling key Volunteer

roles in all four FIRST Programs.

We extend our grandest thanks to those of you who helped make this year’s

FIRST ® Championship a success! Check out some highlights here.

⇒ Did you know?

More than 20,000

students from countries

all over the world

attended the 2016

FIRST ® Championship in

St. Louis!

VISTA HOST SITE SPOTLIGHT: Kansas City, MO

What is unique about the Kansas City

Site?

Dylan: “The Kansas City site is unique

because it is with the Kansas City STEM

Alliance which supports all of the FIRST ®

Program Partners under one umbrella

thus giving each program better support

from the others.”

__________________________________

What makes Laura a great Site Supervisor?

Chloe: “This is Laura’s first year as a site supervisor, she has done

everything she can to make sure that she understands what our roles as

VISTA’s are and how we can both use our

personal strengths to make the most of our

time. She advocates for us when she

knows we are having trouble and always

asks questions. Laura has a great ability to

make you feel like an equal and gives us

ownership of what we do.”

____________________________________

What is the best thing about being a FIRST ® VISTA?

Dylan: “For me, the best thing about being a FIRST VISTA is watching and

experiencing the growth and excitement of the students

and volunteers at their schools, jobs, and

events that they have worked so hard to reach.”

Chloe: “The best thing about being a FIRST VISTA is when I get to share the

joy I see in kids faces when they are competing, knowing that I was an

important part of the success of that tournament. It’s also a great

opportunity to network and gain skills I wouldn’t get with another job, such

A word from Laura Bauer, Site

Supervisor for Kansas City: What makes the Kansas City Site Unique?: “Our FIRST ® VISTAs work in the Kansas City central hub for all four FIRST programs. This year our VISTAs helped execute a FIRST ® LEGO ® League Jr. Expo, five FIRST ® LEGO ® League tournaments, three FIRST ® Tech ® Challenge tournaments, one three-day FIRST ® Robotics Competition tournament, the kick-off events, Coaches workshops, open field and help nights, and a Maker Faire showcasing each program. Our space is called the Kansas City Engineering Zone and is a part of the non-profit KC STEM Alliance housed through the University of Missouri.”

____________________________________

What is the best thing about having VISTA’s? “Our VISTAs enable us to do what we do as far as K-12 STEM outreach in the Kansas City area. They increase our connection in our community enormously and also bring their unique skill sets to what we do. But the best thing is that they bring their unique perspective, which is so appropriate for what we are doing – attempting to reach youth. They bring their sense of humor and their energy, and they are all-in when things get crazy.” ____________________________________

What do you enjoy about being a Site Supervisor?: “I like to work with people of different perspectives and find the gold in who they are and what they can contribute to our team. I like that the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts with what we are doing. None of us could make the impact that we are making alone or with clones of ourselves. I like celebrating and respecting that.”

as being included in board meetings, regional council meetings, and holding

important roles in tournaments.”

_______________________________________________________________

_

Top right: Dylan serving as a referee at a FIRST event

Bottom Left: Chloe (second from the left) at an Outreach event with Woodie

Flowers

VISTA of the Month Winners!

Each month, Host Site Supervisors and VISTA members have the opportunity to vote for an outstanding FIRST ® VISTA member for the “VISTA of the Month” award. This is a member that

has gone beyond the call of duty, and has caught the attention of their peers with their hard work, dedication and positive attitude!

Congratulations and Thank You for your Service!

January 2016 Winner: Chloe Brown, Kansas City, MO Here’s what people are saying about her: “Chloe has done an amazing job working with underserved teams in the urban core in Kansas City. Through her work at the KC

Engineering Zone and outreach to other teams, she exemplifies the values of FIRST ® and has helped bridge the gap for these teams. She is extremely responsive to both the teams she works with and other staff at the KC Engineering Zone and KC STEM Alliance.”

February 2016 Winner: Janette Gileon, Wesson, MS Here’s what people are saying about her: “Janette has been able to present to school boards and principals in some very underserved areas (90 percent reduced or free lunch). Her

FIRST ® LEGO® League Jr. presentations are amazing. Her one on one skills are complemented at every event she attends. She has also done much to bring attention to women in science in underserved areas.”

March 2016 Winner: Victoria Burg, Tampa, FL Here’s what people are saying about her: “Victoria has taken great initiative in the Central Florida area, taking the lead on putting together our first ever FIRST ® Meet & Greet in the

Orlando area which brought together Orange County Public School Board members, the head of the local Girl Scout Council and alumni and teams to share the importance of supporting FIRST team development and the Orlando Regional.”

April 2016 Winner: Rebecca Hannaford, Tampa, FL Here’s what people are saying about her: “Her work and her work ethic, as well as her compassion and dedication to the FIRST ® mission and vision, is exemplary. Of particular

note is her project with the transitional homelessness program at Metropolitan Ministries where she's working to create a FIRST Tech Challenge program for youth in the program. It's a pleasure and a joy to work with Rebecca and she's made a measurable impact on FIRST access for youth throughout the Tampa Bay area.”

A FIRST ® VISTA Success Story: “STEAM INTO THE FUTURE”

On February 26, FIRST ® VISTAs Katrina Adams and Rebecca Janisch (pictured left) partnered with the Sherman Park

Advisory Council to Host “STEAM INTO THE FUTURE”, a Black History event highlighting the accomplishments of African

Americans in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) fields. This event was a blend of entertainment,

food, culture, FIRST Robotics Competition team members, and a panel of STEAM professionals who held a Q&A session

for the audience. This event took three years of planning as Katrina cultivated relationships with speakers, connected

with a venue, and gathered all of the necessary materials with no budget. This investment of time and effort paid off

with huge success, drawing over 150 people and launching discussions for future events.

________________________________________________________

Katrina Adams comments on the inspiration for this event:

“The purpose of this event was to expose the Sherman Park community to the many career opportunities in the fields of

Science and Technology, and give them the opportunity to network with African-American community in STEAM.

Sherman Park is located in a low-income African- American & Hispanic community that could really benefit from the

opportunities offered through FIRST ® Robotics Competition …”

African Drummers perform at “STEAM into the Future” Science & Technology Professionals at the Q&A panel

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__

Katrina and Rebecca’s efforts through this event helped bring inspiration and excitement about the opportunities that

come from careers in science and technology. Katrina adds, “Hopefully the success of ‘STEAM INTO THE FUTURE’ will

increase the knowledge of STEAM and help end poverty in disadvantaged communities.”

FIRST ® VISTAs at Championship

FIRST ® VISTAs filled a variety of key and supporting volunteer roles this year at FIRST Championship, from FIRST Robotics Competition Field Reset, FIRST Tech Challenge judging, to

promoting the FIRST VISTA Program at the Innovation Fair, and having a blast on the FIRST LEGO League Jr.

FUN SQUAD!

Thank You

A special Thank You to our two AmeriCorps FIRST ® VISTA members who end service this month:

Mimi Duru, Ending service on 5/20/2016

Michael Lyden, Ending service on 5/21/2016

Service is ending soon, are you ready? Here are some webinars-on-demand to get you started on

planning!

Passing the Torch

Preparing for life after AmeriCorps VISTA

Translating your VISTA Service to your Resume and Career

Planning your Post VISTA Career

Resume Writing

Applying for Federal Jobs using NCE

How to Write a Federal Resume

Using the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

Using the Education Award and Managing Student Loans

Resources

Questions about VISTA benefits? Call the VISTA Member Support

Unit (VMSU):

1-800-942-2677

Segal Education Award

Get all of your questions about

how to use the Education Award after service:

Education Award FAQ’s

VISTA Networking

And make sure to join the

AmeriCorps Alumni group for job opportunities and networking

after your VISTA year:

AmeriCorps Alumni