About Cities of Service
Cities of Service helps mayors build stronger cities by changing the way local government and residents work together. We help our coalition cities tap into resident insights, skills, and service to identify and solve critical public problems. Founded in 2009 by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Cities of Service supports a coalition of more than 280 cities, representing more than 84 million people across the Americas and Europe. Cities of Service is now an initiative of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation Johns Hopkins University. Learn more about Cities of Service at citiesofservice.jhu.edu and by following us on Twitter @citiesofservice.
About Love Your Block
The Cities of Service Love Your Block program brings city leaders and residents together to build stronger neighborhoods, one block at a time. Typically, cities implementing Love Your Block invite community groups to identify priority projects and award mini-grants to support neighborhood-driven solutions that the community can implement. From turning vacant lots into community gardens to helping elderly neighbors with home repairs to avoid fines and safely age in place, resident volunteers are “loving their blocks” and making them, and their cities, better places to live.
Position Overview
Cities of Service is seeking an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader to be based out of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The VISTA Leader will offer coaching, professional development and technical assistance to a cohort of 12 Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTA members and 11 Summer Associate VISTAs (Summer Associate VISTAs will be active in service for nine weeks total) located in a total of ten cities around the country. The VISTA Leader will report to a Senior Advisor.
VISTA Leader responsibilities include:
- Conduct regular check-in calls with each VISTA member
- Participate in check-in calls with Love Your Block program leads in grantee cities
- Foster a community of practice among VISTA members and Love Your Block Fellows by hosting webinars, developing resources, and facilitating group calls
- Provide project management support for grantee cities, including assistance with metrics and photo collection, reporting, and planning
- Manage VISTA administrative record keeping, including paid time off, monthly reports, call notes, and other items as needed
- Ensure that VISTA members collect and document project metrics and photos from mini-grant projects
- Share VISTA members’ and Fellows’ work with a broader audience through a monthly newsletter, written reports, and other mediums
- Provide tools, techniques, and guidance to enhance project stability and sustainability
- Support recruitment and orientation of highly qualified VISTAs as needed
- Make recommendations to improve the existing Love Your Block program systems and processes
The Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTA Leader’s term of service begins on May 23, 2022. The VISTA Leader will support one to two Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTAs in each of the following cities:
- Albany, New York
- Duluth, Minnesota
- Erie, Pennsylvania
- El Paso, Texas
- Jackson, Tennessee
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Shawnee, Oklahoma
- White Plains, New York
The VISTA Leader will also support 11 Summer Associates for their nine-week service term in each of the following cities:
- El Paso, Texas
- Erie, Pennsylvania
- Jackson, Tennessee
- Athens-Clarke County, Georgia
- Phoenix, Arizona
To learn about what some of our previous AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders and members have learned and what they’re doing now, check out some of our AmeriCorps VISTA member profiles on the Cities of Service website.
Duration and Compensation
This is a one-year, full-time AmeriCorps VISTA commitment commencing on May 23, 2022. A living stipend is provided and an additional end-of-service award is provided contingent on successful completion of the service year. Relocation assistance is provided if needed.
In addition, housing in Baltimore will be provided at no cost to the selected VISTA Leader.
Qualifications
- Must have completed at least 1 year of full-time service (AmeriCorps or Peace Corps)
- Associate degree or higher preferred. Applicants without a college degree are encouraged to apply if they have 5 years or more of related work experience
- Experience working in community engagement preferred (more specifically, we are interested in candidates with experience in communications, conducting community outreach, and facilitating training sessions)
To Apply
- To apply for this position in one of the eight cities, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/
- Click “Search Listings” (located under the login information)
- Select “AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders” for Program Type
- Search for “Love Your Block” under Program Name