Supervisors' Orientation

By Jamie Burnett, Wilson College

On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, PA/NYCC (New York Campus Compact) held a Supervisor Orientation in order to assist new and existing VISTA supervisors in understanding the goals, roles, and terms and conditions of CNCS, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and PA/NYCC. During this orientation, supervisors took part in learning their role in on-site orientation, ways they can promote and support positive mental health for VISTAs, the development of the VAD (VISTA Assignment Description), and how to recruit individuals for the position. PACC*VISTAs (Jamie Burnett, Danelle Wagner, Gina Nguyen, and Francis Miliano) attended the orientation to speak on a discussion panel for supervisors to hear their personal experiences in their role and advice that they have to further help supervisors provide support to their VISTAs. 
Questions answered by these VISTAs included:  

• Can you offer any advice to host sites that are thinking about hiring a graduating student into the VISTA position?
• How did your supervisor effectively orient you to your new role?
• How does your supervisor support you in formal and informal professional development? 
• What are some of the challenges, and perhaps opportunities, of navigating life on your stipend? 
• What ways has your supervisor and host site supported you in fostering and balancing relationships with your community partners?
• What is one thing that you have learned from your VISTA year so far? 

The purpose of this panel was for the discussion to enhance supervisors’ understanding of what life as a VISTA is like in order to better support their employees in this role. Some of the questions asked were tailored to a specific VISTA based on different experiences with relations to the host site, room and board, and community partner relationships. This allowed for varied experiences to better suit each individual supervisor, VISTA, and host site. The VISTAs in attendance had a wonderful time sharing their experiences and hope that the discussion panel was helpful to all of the supervisors and PA/NYCC staff present at the orientation.