SPEA MASTER’S PROGRAMS
VISTA Fellows
Description
The School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ (SPEA) Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) Fellows program is offered through a unique partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service — it is the first and only partnership between VISTA and a graduate program. This program is designed to provide SPEA’s professional master’s students a transformative year of service in nonprofit organizations and government agencies dedicated to fighting poverty and poverty-related problems. Each SPEA VISTA Fellow serves a one-year, full-time term as an AmeriCorps VISTA member working on substantive capacity-building projects that create infrastructure and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in meeting organizations’ anti-poverty goals.
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Up to $8,000 in tuition benefits upon return to SPEA One year of professional experience with a high-profile public or nonprofit organization 3-credit tuition remission during year of service (only SPEA IUB — including SPEA Connect — courses are eligible for this benefit) 3-credit-hour reduction for volunteer experience Fulfillment of SPEA’s experiential requirement Modest living allowance, paid bi-weekly Possible relocation and housing assistance, based on location of service Health benefits, including prescription drug coverage “Non-competitive eligibility” for federal civil service jobs for one year following completion of service
Examples of SPEA VISTA Fellow Sites MASTERS PROGRAM OFFICE • SPEA 260 • 1315 East Tenth St. • Bloomington, IN 47405
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Civic Consulting Alliance (Chicago, IL) Feeding America (Chicago, IL) Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation (Indianapolis, IN) Metropolitan Planning Council (Chicago, IL) National Human Services Assembly (Washington, D.C.) New York Women’s Foundation (New York City, NY) Robert R. McCormick Foundation (Chicago, IL) The Mind Trust (Indianapolis, IN) Metropolitan Energy Center (Kansas, MO)
Josh Wheatley MPA 2012 VISTA Fellow placement: The Center for Economic Opportunity (New York City, NY) Current position: Public Sector Consultant, Grant Thornton, LLP
“My VISTA service in New York City was transformational for me. Through interviewing n participants and creating a management course n for local nonprofit leaders, I further realized the n urgency of our collective national responsibility n to alleviate poverty. Being a part of the Center n for Economic Opportunity built on my SPEA skillset and taught me how to effectively use Eligibility data to improve government. My experiences Current and graduating SPEA master’s students are eligible to apply for the SPEA at SPEA and as a VISTA were instrumental VISTA Fellows Program. In accordance with AmeriCorps VISTA program regulations, in helping me to be a competitive candidate all applicants must be a U.S. citizens, national, or legal permanent resident aliens of in today’s job market and, ultimately, to be the U.S., and must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. successful in my current position as a public sector consultant with a How to Apply major firm in Washington, D.C.” 2014-15 SPEA VISTA Fellows will begin their one-year term of service in summer 2015. Fellows are selected through an application, interview, and matching process. A two-part application must be submitted by February 1, 2015: n
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E-mail résumé and cover letter to speavsta@indiana.edu. Complete an online application at www.americorps.gov, and submit to the program listing titled, “IU SPEA VISTA Fellows.”
Contact Information
School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) 1315 East Tenth Street, Suite 260 Bloomington, IN 47405 812.855.2840
p: 800-765-7755 or 812-855-2840
speavsta@indiana.edu
f: 812-856-3665
www.spea.indiana.edu
For More Information
Please email speavsta@indiana.edu.
© August 2014