Southwest Montana Youth Partners AmeriCorps VISTA

AmeriCorps VISTA  (Volunteers in Service to America) is a National Service Opportunity - not a job or internship. VISTA is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty.

The Southwest Montana Youth Partners VISTA will increase K-12 school readiness for at-risk youth in southwest Montana by increasing the scale and reach of Southwest Montana Youth Partners’ youth leadership program and early childhood care infrastructure. Southwest Montana Youth Partners’ (SMYP) mission is to provide quality, affordable youth programs. Their focus is southwest Montana, and they just launched pilot programs in the Boulder community where the population is 1,202. The poverty rate in rural Boulder is 15.9%, about double the rate in Helena with 8.1%, just 26 miles to the north, and higher than the State of MT (11.9%). Adults in Boulder have a lower high school diploma rate or higher education with no bachelor’s degree than the State as a whole. These statistics show the need for educational support starting at a young age. SMYP’s first priority has been bringing to Boulder a permanent structure to house affordable childcare, as well as building the capacity of their youth leader program. This VISTA project will move the wider Boulder area out of poverty by creating and implementing a strategic plan specifically for the Youth Leadership Program and the early childcare project’s future, resulting in SMYP’s ability to support youth and families in southwest Montana. Located in Boulder, MT!

Spend one year engaged in meaningful service to help Montanans access healthcare, healthy foods, education, or housing! AmeriCorps VISTAs bring their talents, skills, and passion to a local organization to help them build their capacity to serve more individuals in their community. You could be writing grants and fundraising, developing strategic communication plans to help more folks engage with resources that could help their families, surveying and evaluating the needs of communities, develop toolkits for public health providers to implement substance abuse prevention programs, and so much more!

We are searching for talented, self-motivated, and hardworking members. In addition to the opportunity to engage in meaningful work, other benefits of VISTA service include:

• End of Service Award: a $7,395 Segal Education Award or $1,800 cash stipend.
• Relocation Allowance: a $750 relocation allowance and reimbursement to and from your new community (if traveling more than 50+ miles to your new community).
• Student Loan Forbearance: an opportunity to forbear eligible student loans.
• Living Allowance: a modest bi-weekly living allowance to cover basic expenses.
• Healthcare Benefit: eligibility to enroll in a Healthcare Allowance or Health Benefit Plan to assist with qualifying medical expenses.
• Non-Competitive Eligibility: a unique hiring path which makes it easier for federal agencies to hire you.
• Valuable Training: numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Montana Community VISTA Partnership is the longest-running project in Montana. By serving as an MCVP VISTA, you will join a vast network of alumni throughout the state and country, building on the legacy of previous members who have fought poverty in Big Sky Country! 

To become a VISTA, you must apply through AmeriCorps. VISTAs serve full time (40 hours per week) for exactly 365 days. VISTAs receive a modest living allowance, professional training, the choice between a cash stipend or Segal Education award at the end of service, healthcare, time off, and earn Non-Competitive Eligibility for one year, which makes it easier to apply and be hired for federal jobs.