The Volunteer Leadership Center helps strengthen programs that engage volunteers to meet critical community needs. Through both national and regional partnerships, we provide training and technical assistance to AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America programs. National work includes training and support for tutor and mentor programs, as well as antipoverty efforts. Regional events promote collaboration, provide leadership training, and celebrate the volunteer experience.
LEARNS
LEARNS is a partnership of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and the Bank Street College of Education. We provide training and technical assistance to Corporation for National and Community Service, 21stCCLC, and Federal Work Study projects focused on tutoring, mentoring, literacy, and out-of-school time. Services include in-person training, print and Web resources, tutor training videos and discussion guides, and technical assistance via phone and e-mail. www.nationalserviceresources.org/sites/learns
AmeriCorps Network NW
AmeriCorps Network Northwest provides training, technical assistance, and other support to national service programs in the Northwest and to the Oregon and Washington Commissions for National and Community Service that administer AmeriCorps programs and promote community service in their states. www.nwrel.org/ecc/americorps
4CAST
Collaboration 4CAST is a new project designed to assist programs in finding and sharing field-proven practices for recruiting and developing national service participants. The project's first year will focus on establishing partnerships among AmeriCorps state and national and AmeriCorps*VISTA programs in order to identify and capture effective member recruitment and development practices. Subsequent years will also involve Senior Corps and Learn & Serve participants. Collaboration 4CAST is a partnership between four organizations: NWREL (a national training and technical assistance provider), Educational Service District 112 (a National Direct service program sponsor), and the Oregon and Washington state commission offices.
VISTA
The AmeriCorps*VISTA Integrated Training Program is a national project in which NWREL, in partnership with Bank Street College of Education, trains nearly 10,000 VISTA volunteers and supervisors each year, utilizing a cadre of 55 training facilitators. VISTA is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, and is the only national service program that focuses exclusively on alleviating poverty. NWREL training helps VISTA volunteers and supervisors be more effective capacity-builders in local communities. Training topics include supervision, community entry, volunteer development, resource mobilization, and sustainability.
For more information on the AmeriCorps*VISTA National Integrated Training Program, email: sugahirm@nwrel.org
