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Wrapping Up Your VISTA Year. Presentation a dapted from: The Taming of the Crew Act III: Transitions Bharti Wahi. Workshop Objectives. Reflecting on the past year Identifying priority areas for transition
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Wrapping Up Your VISTA Year Presentation adapted from:The Taming of the CrewAct III: TransitionsBharti Wahi
Workshop Objectives • Reflecting on the past year • Identifying priority areas for transition • Identifying needs of site staff, community partners, program participants, volunteers • Identifying strategies to meet those needs • Begin planning transition • Group problem solving • Green book planning
Warm Up Contest: The weirdest and the best
What are your top three accomplishments this year? What three aspects of your work would you like to live on next year? Priorities Planning Guide
VISTA =Relationship Building Program participants Literacy Council Staff Future VISTA Host site staff Community Partners Volunteers
Host Site Staff Needs • Simplicity • Clarity • Acknowledgment • Information
Strategies for addressing staff needs • Work closely with your site supervisor – she/he has a vested interest in your work • Get feedback from staff about the year • Create a plan or timeline so staff can have the information they need to forward project • Recognize staff contributions to the project • Encourage staff to support new VISTA
Community Partner Needs • Communication • Continuity • Simplicity
Strategies for Community Partners The Wild Card • Communication and connection with host site staff or new VISTA • Communication of your transition and the plan developed – maybe your site supervisor • Strategize with literacy council staff
Volunteers Need • Acknowledgement • Clarity • Continuity • Closure
Strategies for Addressing Volunteer Needs • Get feedback from volunteers about the year • Create plan and timeline for transition • Recognize volunteer contribution • Foster and support volunteer and staff relationships • Foster and support volunteer program participant relationships • Mechanism for on-going communication
Participant Needs • Closure • Communication • Acknowledgment
Strategies for Program Participants • Support staff and volunteer with providing closure for program participants • Prepare teaching staff to prepare students • Make participant recognition an important component of year-end processes • Talk about your last day
Literacy Council Needs and Strategies Needs: • Organization • Communication Strategies: • Start planning NOW • Utilize MLC staff to help with transition plans
The New VISTA (or a new staff member) We will talk about this more – but this person will need information How will you ensure that a new person has the information she/he will need? For those staying on, how will you finish off this year that allows for a smooth start next year?
Strategies All of the strategies discussed fall into two categories: • Collaboration • Communication Your Transition Strategies
How many of you felt you had the information you needed to ease your transition into the position last fall?
The moral of the story is… … don’t be that VISTA!
Sustainability and the New VISTA VISTA Needs: • Information • Organization • Collaboration
Strategies for passing off your project • Use the resources you’ve been given today to plan ahead • Communicate with your site supervisor and other staff so that they can help the new VISTA • Empower a volunteer/program participant to take leadership in carrying on into next year • Leave a helpful Green Book
Find your group 1. My project is one or two years only (not continuing) 2. My project will be continuing after one year 3. My project will be continuing after 2, 3 or 4 years 4. My project is wrapping up after three or four years 5. I’m going to do a second year!!
Discussion question: What is your top concern about the upcoming transition?
Green Books: The why and the how
Discussion questions What information that was particularly helpful to you when you started your VISTA position? What information would have been helpful to have? What will be different next year? What has been particularly challenging for you when thinking about completing a Green Book?
Green Book Exchange Look at a Green Book from someone in your group • What are the strengths of this Green Book?
Group Sharing Green Book wisdom Elements to include Stellar examples?