The mission of Sitka Fine Arts Camp (Alaska Arts Southeast, Inc.) is to build community in Alaska by providing opportunities in arts, culture, and recreation in an inclusive, educational and inspirational environment. In January 2011, our organization was gifted 20 acres and 20 buildings of the historic Sheldon Jackson College campus. In the past two years, over 500 individuals have given over 25,000 volunteer hours toward revitalizing the campus so that it can be used again as a community resource. The next stage of our revitalization project will focus on filling resurrected campus facilities with new programs and initiatives. We invite an Americorps VISTA member to work with us by assisting in the development of our after-school arts program, with an emphasis on making opportunities accessible to currently underserved sectors of the community. As an island community, we must be particularly conscious of what resources are accessible to our town, and a strong after-school arts program is currently lacking. Strong after-school arts programs can have a dramatic impact on the success of a child by providing creative outlets and building skills beyond those of the standard school curriculum. It would be the role of the VISTA to institutionalize our fledgling after-school arts program by communicating its potential to greater members of the public and developing avenues for funding and support which volunteers and staff members can continue to walk down in the future.
The VISTA member will develop SFAC's afterschool arts program to provide more education opportunities for rural Alaskans.
Activities include but are not limited to:
- Recruit local artists to develop curriculums and serve as instructors for new classes and workshops.
- Develop partnerships with organizations that serve disadvantaged youths to make programs more accessible.
- Assess budget requirements and develop financial plan for programs.
- Investigate and secure new funding sources, including grants and creative fundraising events.
- Expand publicity and communication strategies to better reach underserved sectors of the community.
- Work with art teachers during and post-programs to evaluate success and identify areas of improvement.
The ideal person should have experience in fundraising, program development, and/or marketing. S/he should have strong communication skills and an interest in community building through arts education.
Benefits include: Monthly living allowance ($1178), relocation costs ($0.34/mile up to $1000) and settling in allowance ($550) for relocating members, health benefits, child care assistance, training in Los Angeles, and an Education Award ($5,550).
