Education Projects
Institution Name: Albright College
Host Site Supervisor: Deborah Kopetsky, dkopetsky@albright.edu
Description: Albright College will partner with newly redistricted Northeast Middle School on student success
programs that serve low-income, low-performing, at-risk children with diverse racial and ethnic
backgrounds. The VISTA project will ensure that outreach and programming meet the needs of English
Language Learners (ELL) by developing messaging and support systems that engage the interests of ELL
students, their families, and their communities.
Host Site Supervisor: Deborah Kopetsky, dkopetsky@albright.edu
Description: Albright College will partner with newly redistricted Northeast Middle School on student success
programs that serve low-income, low-performing, at-risk children with diverse racial and ethnic
backgrounds. The VISTA project will ensure that outreach and programming meet the needs of English
Language Learners (ELL) by developing messaging and support systems that engage the interests of ELL
students, their families, and their communities.
Institution Name: Cabrini University
Host Site Supervisor: Raymond Ward; rew68@cabrini.edu
Description: This project works with four long-time partners in Norristown as mainstay institutions for this project: Norristown Public Schools, Saint Patrick’s Parish, Acción Comunal Latino Americano de Montgomery County (ACLAMO), and Catholic Social Services. The primary programmatic piece of this work brings Cabrini students to act as mentors and tutors for middle school and high school students in the NASD.
Host Site Supervisor: Raymond Ward; rew68@cabrini.edu
Description: This project works with four long-time partners in Norristown as mainstay institutions for this project: Norristown Public Schools, Saint Patrick’s Parish, Acción Comunal Latino Americano de Montgomery County (ACLAMO), and Catholic Social Services. The primary programmatic piece of this work brings Cabrini students to act as mentors and tutors for middle school and high school students in the NASD.
Institution Name: Community College of Allegheny County
Host Site Supervisor: Rick Adams; radams@ccac.edu
Description: The VISTA will recruit, interview, screen, train, and assign America Reads tutors. With assistance from The Mentoring Partnership, the two cohorts of Tutors and members of the Advisory Board the VISTA will guide the development of a sustainability structure that includes offices and individuals within the College and the Pittsburgh Public School District.
Host Site Supervisor: Rick Adams; radams@ccac.edu
Description: The VISTA will recruit, interview, screen, train, and assign America Reads tutors. With assistance from The Mentoring Partnership, the two cohorts of Tutors and members of the Advisory Board the VISTA will guide the development of a sustainability structure that includes offices and individuals within the College and the Pittsburgh Public School District.
Institution Name: DeSales University
Host Site Supervisor: Jaime Gerhart; jaime.gerhart@desales.edu
Description: The DeSales VISTA will provide vital support to the Allentown School District to improve children’s academic achievement by educating, empowering, and inspiring children and families to have no more than five absences each year. The VISTA will develop DeSales University students to become Attendance Ambassadors at Raub Middle School, Roosevelt Elementary School, and Allen High School.
Host Site Supervisor: Jaime Gerhart; jaime.gerhart@desales.edu
Description: The DeSales VISTA will provide vital support to the Allentown School District to improve children’s academic achievement by educating, empowering, and inspiring children and families to have no more than five absences each year. The VISTA will develop DeSales University students to become Attendance Ambassadors at Raub Middle School, Roosevelt Elementary School, and Allen High School.
Institution Name: Manhattan College
Host Site Supervisor: Dr. Corine Fitzpatrick; corine.fitzpatrick@manhattan.edu
Description: In the first year, Manhattan College and partners proposed a critical service to low-income NYC students and their families: to navigate the NYC high school admission process; be prepared for the “transition” to high school; and gain early college and career readiness.
Host Site Supervisor: Dr. Corine Fitzpatrick; corine.fitzpatrick@manhattan.edu
Description: In the first year, Manhattan College and partners proposed a critical service to low-income NYC students and their families: to navigate the NYC high school admission process; be prepared for the “transition” to high school; and gain early college and career readiness.
Institution Name: Millersville University
Host Site Supervisor: Lori Leaman; lori.leaman@millersville.edu; Melissa Wardwell; melissa.wardwell@millersville.edu
Description: The SoWe Support VISTA Project provides support to the residents, families, and children of the SouthWest (SoWe) community of Lancaster and JW Price Elementary School. This VISTA project will increase the capacity of the SouthWest Neighborhood Leadership Board (SWNLB) and the Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (LHOP) to implement neighborhood revitalization strategies.
Host Site Supervisor: Lori Leaman; lori.leaman@millersville.edu; Melissa Wardwell; melissa.wardwell@millersville.edu
Description: The SoWe Support VISTA Project provides support to the residents, families, and children of the SouthWest (SoWe) community of Lancaster and JW Price Elementary School. This VISTA project will increase the capacity of the SouthWest Neighborhood Leadership Board (SWNLB) and the Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (LHOP) to implement neighborhood revitalization strategies.
Institution Name: SUNY Buffalo State College
Host Site Supervisor: Auroa Schunk, schulam@buffalostate.edu
Description: The Anchor Mission Initiatives VISTA member will be a part of supporting a newly fledging “Anchor District” in which the Buffalo State College campus and west side community organizatons utilize their economic and intellectual capacities to engage in collective action approaches focused on improving the civic engagement and anti-poverty initiatives of the community. The VISTA member will focus on expanding community building and economic development initiatives, while also supporting educational programming and organizational capacity for the west side neighborhood’s most vulnerable within anti-poverty initiatives.
Host Site Supervisor: Auroa Schunk, schulam@buffalostate.edu
Description: The Anchor Mission Initiatives VISTA member will be a part of supporting a newly fledging “Anchor District” in which the Buffalo State College campus and west side community organizatons utilize their economic and intellectual capacities to engage in collective action approaches focused on improving the civic engagement and anti-poverty initiatives of the community. The VISTA member will focus on expanding community building and economic development initiatives, while also supporting educational programming and organizational capacity for the west side neighborhood’s most vulnerable within anti-poverty initiatives.
Institution Name: Susquehanna University
Host Site Supervisor: Sarah E. Farbo, farbo@susqu.edu
Description: In partnership with the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way(UW), the VISTA will support the work and impact of the Communities that Care (CTC) coalition and the Susquehanna University Service Leaders Program (SUSL). CTC is an “operating system” where CTC coalitions collect local data on risk and protective factors related with substance abuse, school failure and dropout. VISTA will support cultivating new partnerships to align vision and goals with those doing similar work.
Host Site Supervisor: Sarah E. Farbo, farbo@susqu.edu
Description: In partnership with the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way(UW), the VISTA will support the work and impact of the Communities that Care (CTC) coalition and the Susquehanna University Service Leaders Program (SUSL). CTC is an “operating system” where CTC coalitions collect local data on risk and protective factors related with substance abuse, school failure and dropout. VISTA will support cultivating new partnerships to align vision and goals with those doing similar work.
Institution Name: University of Pennsylvania (CACR)
Host Site Supervisor: Joseph Brand, jbrandr@sas.upenn.edu
Description: The Career Readiness Employment Bank and Council Program is designed to develop, prepare and place students in meaningful internship/employment opportunities that will allow them to navigate their future college and career goals. Additionally, the program will contribute to the development of our existing Employment Council that is comprised of community members, local businesses and after-school Netter Center staff whose purpose is to assist in finding and placing students into these position
Host Site Supervisor: Joseph Brand, jbrandr@sas.upenn.edu
Description: The Career Readiness Employment Bank and Council Program is designed to develop, prepare and place students in meaningful internship/employment opportunities that will allow them to navigate their future college and career goals. Additionally, the program will contribute to the development of our existing Employment Council that is comprised of community members, local businesses and after-school Netter Center staff whose purpose is to assist in finding and placing students into these position
Institution Name: University of Pittsburgh
Host Site Supervisor: Ciara Stehley, ciara.stehley@pitt.edu & Erika Ninos, erika.ninos@pitt.edu
Description: The University Of Pittsburgh Office Of PittServes is hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA to evaluate and address basic needs insecurities in current and incoming college students. The VISTA will be empowered to work with community and campus partners to forge a Basic Needs Framework, creating a comprehensive resource net to ensure all students have the information to access resources and services that meet their food, housing, health, and financial wellness needs on and off-campus.
Host Site Supervisor: Ciara Stehley, ciara.stehley@pitt.edu & Erika Ninos, erika.ninos@pitt.edu
Description: The University Of Pittsburgh Office Of PittServes is hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA to evaluate and address basic needs insecurities in current and incoming college students. The VISTA will be empowered to work with community and campus partners to forge a Basic Needs Framework, creating a comprehensive resource net to ensure all students have the information to access resources and services that meet their food, housing, health, and financial wellness needs on and off-campus.
Institution Name: York College of Pennsylvania
Host Site Supervisor: Cody Miller, cmiller22@ycp.edu
Description: Generations of Hope (GOH) was developed in the summer of 2018 by a team of York College students
who were inspired to expand educational and mentorship opportunities available to York City children, who are Statistically less likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education opportunities compared to students from other school districts in York County. the AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer will recruit, train, support, and advise the GOH college student leader team; advise the Community Partner Advisory Team; manage, streamline, and enhance existing GOH operations; collaborate with York City schools and Community Partners to increase the number of institutions participating in GOH; and partner with staff members in the YCP Center for Community Engagement (CCE) to support additional CCE initiatives as relevant.
Host Site Supervisor: Cody Miller, cmiller22@ycp.edu
Description: Generations of Hope (GOH) was developed in the summer of 2018 by a team of York College students
who were inspired to expand educational and mentorship opportunities available to York City children, who are Statistically less likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education opportunities compared to students from other school districts in York County. the AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer will recruit, train, support, and advise the GOH college student leader team; advise the Community Partner Advisory Team; manage, streamline, and enhance existing GOH operations; collaborate with York City schools and Community Partners to increase the number of institutions participating in GOH; and partner with staff members in the YCP Center for Community Engagement (CCE) to support additional CCE initiatives as relevant.
Institution Name: Wagner College
Host Site Supervisor: Arlette Cepeda, arlette.cepeda@wagner.edu
Description: Wagner College’s project proposal to CCNYPA AmeriCorps VISTA focuses on the area of Education. This initiative seeks to direct students in the pipeline toward a college-going mindset through a series of educational interventions, mentorships, civic engagement and college access opportunities. The VISTA will help identify best practices within each and across all academies for providing opportunities that promote a college going culture among the community youth, thus empowering them to emerge from poverty through education.
Host Site Supervisor: Arlette Cepeda, arlette.cepeda@wagner.edu
Description: Wagner College’s project proposal to CCNYPA AmeriCorps VISTA focuses on the area of Education. This initiative seeks to direct students in the pipeline toward a college-going mindset through a series of educational interventions, mentorships, civic engagement and college access opportunities. The VISTA will help identify best practices within each and across all academies for providing opportunities that promote a college going culture among the community youth, thus empowering them to emerge from poverty through education.