We've migrated our website to Joomla!, an open-source content management system. Joomla! has an integrated blogging feature, so we started blogging directly onto our own network.
All of these posts have been archived on our new website, leaving this blog essentially obsolete, now serving only as an archive of a previous incarnation of the Consortium and an advertisement to its current location.
Blogger.com, we will miss thee! Our first foray into the dizzying world of social media will not soon be forgotten.
Au Revoir.
Chase Beyer
AmeriCorps VISTA
Come see our new website at MidwestConsortium.org.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The scoop on IGD
Hello fellow VISTA members. We are working on arranging an Intergenerational Dialogue for February. It would be great to chat about what the rest of you are doing for IGD, experiences, ideas, formats, etc. Does anyone else have concerns about making it a successful experience for everyone involved?
-sara
-sara
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Future Directions
I'm sharing some documents from the Obabma/Biden campaign web site that should give all of us some idea of the direction Obama will take the Corporation for National and Community Service under his administration. He's got a lot on his plate, of course, which may affect how well or how quickly he can implement these changes, but these documents give us a very good idea of his plans for service, service-learning, student leadership, social entrepreneurship, and leveraging the private sector to develop the nonprofit sector.
What you'll read in these documents are in sync with what Tracie Seabolt (our program officer) and others in Washington described to Gary when he was there a few weeks ago for the grantees meeting. This information can be particularly instructive as we look forward to our planning for the next big Corporation grant. It's fortuitous, I think, that we are getting such a wonderfully wide-open look at the direction our major funder is going, just in time for us to begin our serious planning for the next round of funding.
Obama's plan for service.doc (This is an outline of the plan for Service, excerpted from the Bluprint for Change, below)
National Service Plan Fact Sheet.pdf (This document sets out Obama's plan for service in more detail.)
Obama Blueprint For Change.pdf (This is Obama's whole plan for his administration. The info about service starts on p, 51. This document can also be downloaded from http://www.barackobama.com/issues/.)
And just to help us keep in mind where our organization's interests continue to intersect with the Corporation's, here is a link to the Consortium's Mission and Vision Statements, adopted at our member meeting last May, which are posted on our web site: http://midwestconsortium.org/mission.aspx.
If you have comments or suggestions or questions about these documents or our mission and vision, I hope you'll use the comments feature on the blog as a part of an organization-wide conversation about our future direction with the Corporation.
Thanks,
Deb Eisloeffel
What you'll read in these documents are in sync with what Tracie Seabolt (our program officer) and others in Washington described to Gary when he was there a few weeks ago for the grantees meeting. This information can be particularly instructive as we look forward to our planning for the next big Corporation grant. It's fortuitous, I think, that we are getting such a wonderfully wide-open look at the direction our major funder is going, just in time for us to begin our serious planning for the next round of funding.
Obama's plan for service.doc (This is an outline of the plan for Service, excerpted from the Bluprint for Change, below)
National Service Plan Fact Sheet.pdf (This document sets out Obama's plan for service in more detail.)
Obama Blueprint For Change.pdf (This is Obama's whole plan for his administration. The info about service starts on p, 51. This document can also be downloaded from http://www.barackobama.com/issues/.)
And just to help us keep in mind where our organization's interests continue to intersect with the Corporation's, here is a link to the Consortium's Mission and Vision Statements, adopted at our member meeting last May, which are posted on our web site: http://midwestconsortium.org/mission.aspx.
If you have comments or suggestions or questions about these documents or our mission and vision, I hope you'll use the comments feature on the blog as a part of an organization-wide conversation about our future direction with the Corporation.
Thanks,
Deb Eisloeffel
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Meeting Deadlines
Time and time again, I ask my fellow VISTA Members - "What is the hardest thing about your job?" Each time I ask, I get a few new answers, but a definite curve exists along the lines of "Meeting deadlines." For new VISTA members and old, I could not agree more.
Sure there are some of us that were always johnny on the spot with our work. Some of us may have even worked hard enough to meet every deadline ahead of time. To these people, I say, congratulations and keep up the hard work. I recognize that even for these people, it's not easy to turn things in on time and one would be lying to say that it comes naturally. It takes effort to make deadlines and when one has no control over setting them, sometimes these deadlines seem unfair or downright unrealistic.
What's the answer then? Having served nearly two years now as a VISTA, all I can say is that we're all human and no one is perfect. Sure, this excuse may not buy you much when you are in the private sector, but I've always found that honey is much more rewarding than vinegar. Thus, whenever someone cannot meet a deadline, it is best to negotiate with the person who set the deadline. At minimum, inform them of your latency and make a dedicated promise to finish as soon as is humanly possible. Sometimes, it may not buy you any flexibility, but the deadline setter will at least understand that you meant well - this will affect future encounters, I assure you.
Other than that - remember two things:
1. Get started early on a project. Never leave it for last minute, for when you do, you're assured to have bumps, distractions, and new projects vie for your time. To ensure you meet the deadline, start now rather than later. Trust me - you'll be glad you did.
2. Whenever starting out on a project or knowing that you have to meet a deadline for a report, always draw up an outline and time line. These can be extremely simple, but they will serve their purpose in making your life easier. Organization is key and if you already have it when you start the endeavor, it will be smooth sailing from then onto the deadline.
VISTA Members are asked to do much for very little, but all of you are more than capable of giving it your best effort. Your supervisors, the Consortium Office, and you, yourself, should expect nothing less. I will be here to assist you in that journey, so make it a habit to call me or email me.
Best of Luck, VISTA Members!
Sure there are some of us that were always johnny on the spot with our work. Some of us may have even worked hard enough to meet every deadline ahead of time. To these people, I say, congratulations and keep up the hard work. I recognize that even for these people, it's not easy to turn things in on time and one would be lying to say that it comes naturally. It takes effort to make deadlines and when one has no control over setting them, sometimes these deadlines seem unfair or downright unrealistic.
What's the answer then? Having served nearly two years now as a VISTA, all I can say is that we're all human and no one is perfect. Sure, this excuse may not buy you much when you are in the private sector, but I've always found that honey is much more rewarding than vinegar. Thus, whenever someone cannot meet a deadline, it is best to negotiate with the person who set the deadline. At minimum, inform them of your latency and make a dedicated promise to finish as soon as is humanly possible. Sometimes, it may not buy you any flexibility, but the deadline setter will at least understand that you meant well - this will affect future encounters, I assure you.
Other than that - remember two things:
1. Get started early on a project. Never leave it for last minute, for when you do, you're assured to have bumps, distractions, and new projects vie for your time. To ensure you meet the deadline, start now rather than later. Trust me - you'll be glad you did.
2. Whenever starting out on a project or knowing that you have to meet a deadline for a report, always draw up an outline and time line. These can be extremely simple, but they will serve their purpose in making your life easier. Organization is key and if you already have it when you start the endeavor, it will be smooth sailing from then onto the deadline.
VISTA Members are asked to do much for very little, but all of you are more than capable of giving it your best effort. Your supervisors, the Consortium Office, and you, yourself, should expect nothing less. I will be here to assist you in that journey, so make it a habit to call me or email me.
Best of Luck, VISTA Members!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Balancing the Whole World on Your Shoulders....
If you have ever felt like this, then you have been officially welcomed to VISTA. We all spend our days piling through reports, analyzing data, talking with students, collaborating with community partners, and finding ways to please our superiors. This is just part of the job, right? Well, perhaps a part of the job, but certainly not all of it. If it is, then you aren't getting the full VISTA experience that you should be getting.
As we serve our year as VISTA Members, we stumble around for the first three months finding our niche and deciding what projects will be worth our while. Sometimes, this process can take a little longer if we're in a situation that has its own nuances and complications. Hopefully, by the fourth month, you are engaging in some meaningful experiences and building those partnerships that you've been striving to build since you began. Most Service-Learning VISTA Members, depending upon their start dates, will experience an ebb and flow pattern that mirrors the semester flow at our institutions. What we fail to do in most cases is plan for the ebbs and flows so that we aren't left with too little to do when there seems to be a slow-down nor are we overwhelmed when things pile up on us.
Thus, the key to having a good year and a positive VISTA experience is planning. Do it whenever you can. Keep an accessible and useful calendar on you or on your computer; use social media to remind yourself of upcoming events or important deadlines where you'll need to have x, y, and z submitted. Whatever you do, always keep your plans handy so that when someone asks for a bit of your time, you will have an updated, realistic outlook of your schedule and can plan accordingly and with accuracy. Don't schedule yourself to the point that you exhaust yourself and burn out, but don't leave gigantic gaps where you could be strengthening a partnership or building repore with the students or administration. Do whatever it takes to keep to that schedule and remember to take time to reward yourself following any big victories.
After all, you deserve it.
Finally remember - Though it may feel like you're balancing the whole world on your shoulders, you have 17 other team members and a leader who might just make the load a little lighter.
Good Luck, VISTA Members!!!
As we serve our year as VISTA Members, we stumble around for the first three months finding our niche and deciding what projects will be worth our while. Sometimes, this process can take a little longer if we're in a situation that has its own nuances and complications. Hopefully, by the fourth month, you are engaging in some meaningful experiences and building those partnerships that you've been striving to build since you began. Most Service-Learning VISTA Members, depending upon their start dates, will experience an ebb and flow pattern that mirrors the semester flow at our institutions. What we fail to do in most cases is plan for the ebbs and flows so that we aren't left with too little to do when there seems to be a slow-down nor are we overwhelmed when things pile up on us.
Thus, the key to having a good year and a positive VISTA experience is planning. Do it whenever you can. Keep an accessible and useful calendar on you or on your computer; use social media to remind yourself of upcoming events or important deadlines where you'll need to have x, y, and z submitted. Whatever you do, always keep your plans handy so that when someone asks for a bit of your time, you will have an updated, realistic outlook of your schedule and can plan accordingly and with accuracy. Don't schedule yourself to the point that you exhaust yourself and burn out, but don't leave gigantic gaps where you could be strengthening a partnership or building repore with the students or administration. Do whatever it takes to keep to that schedule and remember to take time to reward yourself following any big victories.
After all, you deserve it.
Finally remember - Though it may feel like you're balancing the whole world on your shoulders, you have 17 other team members and a leader who might just make the load a little lighter.
Good Luck, VISTA Members!!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Volunteer Efforts and other things
What does volunteering mean? (At least in my eyes)
Growing up on a small farm in Ohio, my parents insisted that my siblings and I participate in numerous school and non-school related activities (see Boy Scouts, 4-H, Church Youth Group, etc.). No doubt they were trying to "keep us out of trouble." While some, with me would argue the results of that, I can say that they did have a profound impact on me. The most visible I can see from a personal standpoint is this idea of volunteerism. At all these functions, the leaders, the adults and younger individuals as well were volunteering their time and efforts for the common good. That was a deciding factor when I was an under-graduate to pursue a program not unlike the VISTA program, more specifically for me though was wanting to participate in "Teach for America." While that program did not pan out, primarily as there are not alot of opportunities with them in Nebraska, the VISTA experience has been astounding.
My mother was a VISTA in the, well a while ago, and so I was aware of the program, and the good that came about as a result.
I feel I lucked out by having the opportunity to be a VISTA with the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education and with the director, Dr. Gary Heusel. The Consortium is an immensely vital and integral resource and database for its members and for service-learning in general not only in the Midwestern region of the United States but also throughout the country. There is even interest by some of our VISTA in international service-learning. The projects and sheer number of students that participate in our projects speak for themselves. I could go on and on about the Consortium, but I will defer more information to our really cool website, www.midwestconsortium.org. Here you can find these numbers and links to the cool projects and our member sites.
Back to the subject of what is volunteering, at least to me. Recently I have had the opportunity to volunteer with numerous agencies across the Lincoln area. Some of the opportunities are more challenging than others, more so from an emotional standpoint, and all are fun, because of the mission driven ideal of helping people, and of contributing something positive back to society. There are numerous ways to volunteer and numerous opportunities in any community in the United States, and most importantly there are numerous needs and causes to volunteer for. There are several websites with volunteer opportunities across the Midwest and even the U.S. One that I use on occasion is www.idealist.org. Also through the various social media sites, there are listings. One growing in popularity and useage is through Facebook called I Volunteer, which lists opportunities and allows for individuals to log their activity.
And in conclusion, my personal belief on giving something back stems from these interactions I had growing up in the Boy Scouts and in 4-H. There were numerous camps and events with volunteers, both young and old, who took time out of their busy lives to contribute something positive back to society, and I can't help but do the same.
This is a picture of some volunteers participating in the "Huskers Helping the Homeless" events for the Matt Talbot Outreach Kitchen. (This picture is from google.com)
.
Growing up on a small farm in Ohio, my parents insisted that my siblings and I participate in numerous school and non-school related activities (see Boy Scouts, 4-H, Church Youth Group, etc.). No doubt they were trying to "keep us out of trouble." While some, with me would argue the results of that, I can say that they did have a profound impact on me. The most visible I can see from a personal standpoint is this idea of volunteerism. At all these functions, the leaders, the adults and younger individuals as well were volunteering their time and efforts for the common good. That was a deciding factor when I was an under-graduate to pursue a program not unlike the VISTA program, more specifically for me though was wanting to participate in "Teach for America." While that program did not pan out, primarily as there are not alot of opportunities with them in Nebraska, the VISTA experience has been astounding.
My mother was a VISTA in the, well a while ago, and so I was aware of the program, and the good that came about as a result.
I feel I lucked out by having the opportunity to be a VISTA with the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education and with the director, Dr. Gary Heusel. The Consortium is an immensely vital and integral resource and database for its members and for service-learning in general not only in the Midwestern region of the United States but also throughout the country. There is even interest by some of our VISTA in international service-learning. The projects and sheer number of students that participate in our projects speak for themselves. I could go on and on about the Consortium, but I will defer more information to our really cool website, www.midwestconsortium.org. Here you can find these numbers and links to the cool projects and our member sites.
Back to the subject of what is volunteering, at least to me. Recently I have had the opportunity to volunteer with numerous agencies across the Lincoln area. Some of the opportunities are more challenging than others, more so from an emotional standpoint, and all are fun, because of the mission driven ideal of helping people, and of contributing something positive back to society. There are numerous ways to volunteer and numerous opportunities in any community in the United States, and most importantly there are numerous needs and causes to volunteer for. There are several websites with volunteer opportunities across the Midwest and even the U.S. One that I use on occasion is www.idealist.org. Also through the various social media sites, there are listings. One growing in popularity and useage is through Facebook called I Volunteer, which lists opportunities and allows for individuals to log their activity.
And in conclusion, my personal belief on giving something back stems from these interactions I had growing up in the Boy Scouts and in 4-H. There were numerous camps and events with volunteers, both young and old, who took time out of their busy lives to contribute something positive back to society, and I can't help but do the same.
This is a picture of some volunteers participating in the "Huskers Helping the Homeless" events for the Matt Talbot Outreach Kitchen. (This picture is from google.com)
.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Adjustments of importance to the RFP for the Social Media Grant
1) The November 14, deadline is the date we will begin reviewing proposals. We will review proposals and allot monies until the $75,000 is spent.
Rationale for change: The rolling deadline does take some of the competitiveness away but it allows us to begin learning how social media can really benefit getting people involved in service-learning and how social media can be utilized to support reflection on the service-learning while it is occurring and after a project is completed.
2) Student Stipends can be utilized to pay for student assistants. This is not really a change but a clarification and strong suggestion that including a student assistant in a project would provide extra support to the faculty/staff member teaching the class or advising the student organization. The student assistant should be extremely knowledgeable about the use of social media. The student assistant would be most likely the individual involved in getting additional students engaged if it is not a class assignment which is mandatory for all students. The student assistant could be the person to monitor reflection and feedback if the faculty member chooses the right assistant and prepares them for this task. A specific project could have a student assistant as a line item in the budget. If a member institution has two or more individual projects the institution can also apply for a student assistant to assist in coordinating the social media grant for the office.
3) Proprietary systems like Black board or D2L cannot be utilized for reporting on the social media grant. We have to use a system that can be linked directly to our web 2.0 site portal with an RSS feed and we do not know of a way to do a feed from a proprietary site such as those utilized by individual institutions. This is a grant and intended to help many people learn how to utilize social media for service-learning. The Corporation offered the funds because they did not know the best way to proceed and wanted some people to help them learn. We are going to involve those who offer proposals for additional learning.
1) The November 14, deadline is the date we will begin reviewing proposals. We will review proposals and allot monies until the $75,000 is spent.
Rationale for change: The rolling deadline does take some of the competitiveness away but it allows us to begin learning how social media can really benefit getting people involved in service-learning and how social media can be utilized to support reflection on the service-learning while it is occurring and after a project is completed.
2) Student Stipends can be utilized to pay for student assistants. This is not really a change but a clarification and strong suggestion that including a student assistant in a project would provide extra support to the faculty/staff member teaching the class or advising the student organization. The student assistant should be extremely knowledgeable about the use of social media. The student assistant would be most likely the individual involved in getting additional students engaged if it is not a class assignment which is mandatory for all students. The student assistant could be the person to monitor reflection and feedback if the faculty member chooses the right assistant and prepares them for this task. A specific project could have a student assistant as a line item in the budget. If a member institution has two or more individual projects the institution can also apply for a student assistant to assist in coordinating the social media grant for the office.
3) Proprietary systems like Black board or D2L cannot be utilized for reporting on the social media grant. We have to use a system that can be linked directly to our web 2.0 site portal with an RSS feed and we do not know of a way to do a feed from a proprietary site such as those utilized by individual institutions. This is a grant and intended to help many people learn how to utilize social media for service-learning. The Corporation offered the funds because they did not know the best way to proceed and wanted some people to help them learn. We are going to involve those who offer proposals for additional learning.
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