Interested in Becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA?
We need you to serve in the Northland!
Eco3 AmeriCorps VISTA members expand the capacity of local organizations and government agencies to reduce poverty and build community resilience, sustainability, and equity in the Northland.
The Eco3 VISTA Program matches passionate individuals to positions with community partners, supports our members with resources and training in community engagement and professional development, and connects members with social, cultural, and outdoor experiences.
We seek candidates that are ready to grow their professional skills, expand their networks, and positively impact their community!
As a VISTA member you will:
- Serve with a local nonprofit or public agency
- Address issues like poverty, health disparities, hunger, affordable housing, equity, climate, energy, and environmental sustainability, disaster preparedness, and community development and resiliency.
- Join a cohort of passionate individuals to live in, serve with, and learn about the community.
- Develop personally and professionally through cohort trainings, projects, and resources.
- Explore the unique outdoor activities, arts, and culture of the Northland!
Learn more about Eco3 and AmeriCorps VISTA:
- Ecolibrium3’s AmeriCorps VISTA program
- The Benefits of Serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member
- AmeriCorps VISTA page
- How to Apply to AmeriCorps VISTA
We are committed to the health and safety of our AmeriCorps VISTA members, if you have any questions about serving during the COVID-19 pandemic, please reach out.
Get to know the Northland!
Our VISTAs serve across the Northland in many communities, but our nucleus is in the City of Duluth.
Duluth is a beautiful city located right on the shoreline of Lake Superior. Easy access to the beach, hiking trails, winter sports, live music, restaurants, and a community of passionate individuals and organizations are just some of the reasons to spend your year of service here.
Check out the links below to learn more about Duluth and the Northland!
View our positions:
Review the position descriptions below and follow the links to apply through the MyAmeriCorps Portal.
Open Positions:
Available Positions
Ecolibrium3 VISTA Corps is a dynamic program on the shores of Lake Superior. You’ll work with passionate individuals to build community resilience and develop coordinated anti-poverty strategies.
Ecolibrium3 is a nationally award-winning nonprofit organization as we innovate solutions and implement programs to decrease the economic, educational, environmental, and health disparities experienced by low-income members of our community.
Ecolibrium3’s mission is to lead and inspire change in our community toward an equitable and sustainable future. We accomplish this mission through four program areas including Climate and Energy, Food Systems, Lincoln Park Resilience, and Eco3 VISTA. We excel at using design-thinking to create effective and innovative programs and projects to address many of our community’s most pressing challenges.
Our awards include White House Champion of Change Honors for building resilient communities, EPA Climate Showcase Communities Seeds of Change Award, and Main Street America’s Main Street Forward Award.
The Eco3 VISTA is a 45-member program designed around the Community Resilience Framework emphasizing capacity building in the areas of health and wellness, climate, energy, housing, economic development, disaster preparedness, and food access/sovereignty. Members serve at a variety of hosts sites, participate in the larger Eco3 VISTA cohort for valuable training and project assistance, and learn valuable skills while addressing poverty in Minnesota.
Member Duties:
1) Build the capacity of the Ecolibrium3 VISTA Corps members and community project sites by building member skills and facilitating members’ personal growth.
2) Expand community awareness of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA Program and understanding of the mission of AmeriCorps VISTA.
3) Support VISTA Corps members personally and professionally throughout their service.
4) Assist VISTA members to construct work plans and goals in relation to each member’s VISTA Assignment Description (VAD) and performance measures.
5) Refine the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA Communications Plan
6) Coordinate bi-weekly All-VISTA Meetings and inter-cohort communications.
7) Lead outreach and recruitment for new VISTA members.
8) Create and refine member support resource list.
Positions Currently in Service
If you’re looking for a work environment that offers work-life balance with ample opportunities for training, development, and career growth as well as the opportunity to contribute to improve the community resiliency in Carlton County, then apply to join our team today.
Carlton County Community & Family Initiatives Department seeks to improve community resiliency through improving connections to programs and resources for individuals within our community. As well as building a strong marketing campaign that will share local stories about resiliency, impact perspective and program overviews through our online platforms.
The VISTA will develop and maintain a relationship with local organizations that serve our community. The relationships will help to build capacity on our different online platforms and make connections to resources. The development and planning on these platforms will help to build long-term sustainability within our community.
The VISTA member will also research, design and assist with the development of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainings that will be built into our county’s training capacity. The VISTA’s work is expected to be diverse as it will be strongly dependent on what the needs are of the community as well as promoting resiliency and well-being among community members.
VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborate on projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings. Additionally, cohort members will jointly complete one community service project of their cooperative design.
Member Duties:
1) Build capacity, trust, and relationships with local organizations.
2) Conduct research on different resources and services that are available to the local community to build the capacity and maintain up to date information on online platforms for region specific services.
3) Build a marketing campaign that includes a calendar, outreach strategies, and a standard operating practice for press releases that help to address needs of families and promote their overall wellbeing.
4) Capture the local stories with a guide developed by Wilder Foundation of resiliency, impact perspective and program overviews to share through marketing. This will be done through interviews with community members.
5) Assist with the develop and delivery of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainings for County staff and community partners.
6) Assist with research and development of programs that address local youth and family needs.
7) Assist with the development of a countywide community calendar.
8) Work as part of the team to develop intervention strategies to strengthen opportunities for youth & families.
Support ecological justice along the shores of Lake Superior by improving healthy food access and ecological health in Duluth, Minnesota.
Community Action Duluth’s mission is to empower and engage our community to eliminate poverty. As an AmeriCorps VISTA member you will work directly with our natural resources team in Seeds of Success, our food access programming, as well the Duluth Stream Corps, our programming that improves stream and forest health in the city of Duluth.
VISTA members will spend a majority of their service time with the Seeds of Success program, which is focused on increasing access to fresh and healthy food in Duluth. Mostly working in the Lincoln Park and Central Hillside neighborhoods, SoS operates two food access-focused farmers markets and a deep winter greenhouse, and will be expanding our low-cost grocery program, the Mobile Market.
Our VISTA member will help to increase the reach and sustainability of the Mobile Market and farmers market programs, including growing volunteer and educational programs. The member will spend approximately one day a week with Duluth Stream Corps, which works with a variety of government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses to improve our stream and forest health in the city of Duluth and beyond. Duluth Stream Corps works in the field to remove invasive species and in the community to educate citizens about ecosystem health. The VISTA member will have an opportunity to work hands-on in the field and assist with grant writing and partnership building.
VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings. Additionally, cohort members will jointly complete one community service project of their cooperative design.
Member Duties:
1) Engage the community to spread awareness of and involvement with the Mobile Market program.
2) Develop surveys, collect data, and do cost-benefit analyses of programming to track progress and ensure effectiveness.
3) Assist with grant research and management to help sustain programming
4) Support Seeds of Success’ farmers markets through research, surveying, and data collection.
5) Engage with local stakeholders including residents, local non-profits, and business owners.
6) Help plan educational activities to supplement market programming.
7) Input and track field data for Duluth Stream Corps and help coordinate our volunteer program.
8) Create and implement a plan to increase EBT and PoP spending at Farmers Markets.
Work with community partners to coordinate the design and development of up to 50 new units of emergency shelter using best practices that elevate human dignity, community, and personal growth.
As the largest provider of emergency services in Northeastern Minnesota, CHUM was a founding partner of Stepping On Up, a 9-member agency coalition working to address unsheltered homelessness. Like most communities around the country, Duluth has seen a sharp increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness. With shortages in housing overall, and waitlists for subsidized housing stretching into years, this has meant crowded shelters, more people living outside, and homelessness becoming a chronic condition. Stepping On Up hopes to alleviate the housing bottleneck as quickly as possible through improved service coordination and the addition of at least 100 new shelter units and 200 new units of permanent housing over the next 5 years.
As an Americorps VISTA member, you will work with Stepping On Up partner agencies, local units of government, and community volunteers to design and develop up to 50 units of shelter that provide more privacy and dignity than traditional congregate shelter, as well as being resource-rich and focused on community and personal skills development.
The VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings.
Member Duties:
1) Engage in research and data collection on best practices and design for emergency shelter.
2) Hold focus group meetings with people who have experienced homelessness as well as homeless service providers.
3) Work with community volunteers, partner agencies and local units of government to design a shelter model.
4) Develop a budget for construction of the facility; engage with community volunteers, unions and retailers to identify sources of pro bono labor and donated materials.
5) Develop a plan and budget for staffing, and coordinate with local partner organizations to develop a plan for onsite professional service provision, including mental health, substance use recovery, vocational and life skills training, and culturally responsive programming.
6) Work with city and county planning offices and local realtors to identify location(s) for shelter.
7) Work with CHUM grant writers and community partners to identify sources of development and long-term funding.
Research, plan, and conduct engagement activities that help to identify and implement actions and policies that advance sustainability and more equitably serve Duluth residents and neighborhoods.
The VISTA will work with the City of Duluth Sustainability Officer to research, plan, and conduct engagement activities that help to identify and implement actions and policies that advance sustainability and more equitably serve Duluth residents and neighborhoods.
Major efforts and supporting tasks include:
– Gather data on potential projects, analyze and improve metrics, and research examples and lessons learned from other cities’ progress. Use data to assess the need for program development and engagement in Duluth and identify common setbacks of potential projects or policies.
– Assist in developing strategies for sustainability metrics reporting (ex: GreenStep Cities, Carbon Disclosure Project)
– Assist in developing priorities for sustainability and climate action work planning that reduce inequities, as identified in the Duluth Climate Vulnerability Assessment
– Program planning and delivery related to sustainability goals in the Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan
– Assist in program development and delivery that support implementation of the Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan’s sustainability-related goals, including:
a) Assist in energy and equity related programs and events, within the City and community
b) Contribute to grant writing to engage residents and businesses on energy topics (green buildings, efficiency, renewables, conservation, etc.)
c) Contribute to energy and sustainability engagement and outreach in Duluth.
The VISTA member will be part of the Eco3 VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings.
Member Duties:
1) Perform research and improving metrics around energy and sustainability and research examples and lessons learned from other cities’ progress. Assess the need for program development and engagement, identify common setbacks of potential projects or policies.
2) Assist in program development and delivery that support implementation of the Climate Action Work Plan and Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plans.
3) Engage residents and communicate sustainability and energy stories, progress, and challenges.
Research, plan, & conduct engagement activities that help identify & implement actions & policies that advance transportation sustainability & more equitably serve Duluth residents & neighborhoods.
The VISTA will work with the City of Duluth Sustainability Officer and the Senior Transportation Planner to research, plan, and conduct engagement activities that help to identify and implement actions and policies that advance sustainability and more equitably serve Duluth residents and neighborhoods.
Major efforts and supporting tasks include:
– Gather data on potential projects, analyze and improve metrics, and research examples and lessons learned from other cities’ progress. Use data to assess the need for program development and engagement in Duluth and identify common setbacks of potential projects or policies.
– Assist in developing strategies for transportation sustainability metrics reporting (ex: GreenStep Cities, Carbon Disclosure Project)
– Assist in developing priorities for transportation sustainability and climate action work planning that reduce inequities, as identified in the Duluth Climate Vulnerability Assessment
– Program planning and delivery related to transportation sustainability goals in the Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan
– Assist in program development and delivery that support implementation of the Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan’s transportation sustainability-related goals, including:
1) Assist in transportation related programs and events, within the City and community, including the development of a transportation demand management program.
2) Contribute to grant writing to engage residents and businesses on transportation topics (urban street designs, multi-modal and active transportation projects and policies, etc.)
3) Contribute to transportation and sustainability engagement and outreach in Duluth.
The VISTA member will be part of the Eco3 VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings.
Member Duties:
1) Perform research and improving metrics around transportation and sustainability including research examples and lessons learned from other cities’ progress. Assess the need for program development and engagement, identify common setbacks of potential projects or policies.
2) Assist in program development and delivery that support implementation of the Climate Action Work Plan and Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plans.
3) Engage residents and communicate transportation and sustainability stories, progress, and challenges.
With disasters becoming more common in our lives, build your skills to make a difference by working with a network of community leaders preparing for and mitigating disasters, and planning recovery.
The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation is a member of the 10-state Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency and Emergency Partnership. Through this partnership, the Community Foundation has convened community leaders across multiple sectors with the goal of building capacity to mitigate the impact of, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. With a focus particularly on increasing the disaster resilience of community members experiencing poverty, homelessness, mental and physical disabilities, and language barriers, this group of community leaders formed the Ready North network with the goal of increasing disaster resilience, particularly among our most marginalized community members.
The VISTA will build the capacity of the Ready North Network and further its goal by strengthening and establishing whole-community systems and partnerships. With the leadership of the VISTA, these systems and partnerships will focus on communicating disaster mitigation and preparedness tools, and building capacity for comprehensive preparedness and recovery. This work will be founded on the VISTA engaging with community partners to analyze gaps and implement solutions to mitigate the impacts of disasters, especially among community members potentially facing the most harm from disasters. Utilizing and building upon skills in leadership, community engagement, communications and community assessment, the VISTA will collaborate with members of the network to strengthen the disaster resilience and capacity of individuals, organizations and community.
The VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings.
Member Duties:
Applying skills in leadership, community engagement, communications and community assessment, the VISTA will collaborate with members of the network to:
1) Utilize data and best practices to understand gaps and solutions for mitigating the impacts of disasters, especially among community members facing the most harm (e.g., families experiencing poverty, homelessness, mental and physical disabilities, or language barriers);
2) Strengthen the multi-sector community disaster resiliency network by establishing network agreements and implementing network best practices across working groups, including through communications;
3) Increase the disaster preparedness and resilience of the community, especially among organizations serving community members who potentially face the most harm from disasters, by developing a comprehensive preparedness campaign and publishable disaster recovery campaign, as well as communicating disaster mitigation and preparedness tools.
Eco3 is leading Duluth in climate and energy action to address environmental justice, reduce energy poverty, and build a more sustainable future.
Ecolibrium3 is a nationally award-winning nonprofit organization as we innovate solutions and implement programs to decrease the economic, educational, environmental, and health disparities experienced by low-income members of our community.
Ecolibrium3’s mission is to lead and inspire change in our community toward an equitable and sustainable future. We accomplish this mission through four program areas including Climate and Energy, Food Systems, Lincoln Park Resilience, and Eco3 VISTA. We excel at using design-thinking to create effective and innovative programs and projects to address many of our community’s most pressing challenges.
Our awards include White House Champion of Change Honors for building resilient communities, EPA Climate Showcase Communities Seeds of Change Award, and Main Street America’s Main Street Forward Award.
The Eco3 VISTA is a 45-member program designed around the Community Resilience Framework emphasizing capacity building in the areas of health and wellness, climate, energy, housing, economic development, disaster preparedness, and food access/sovereignty. Members serve at a variety of hosts sites, participate in the larger Eco3 VISTA cohort for valuable training and project assistance, and learn valuable skills while addressing poverty in Minnesota.
Member Duties:
1) Work to improve access to energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households to reduce energy costs.
2) Develop and coordinate outreach strategies for multiple climate and energy projects.
3) Increase citizen participation in the Duluth Citizens’ Climate Action Plan.
4) Coordinate community engagement on the DOE supported Local Energy Action Plan process.
5) Assist in the development of a community resilience hub by building resources to add solar and battery storage to ensure functioning during grid outages.
6) Work with multiple nonprofit and environmental organizations to expand impact through strategy alignment. Apply your skills to advance an equity approach to climate action that prioritizes the economic and health needs of low-income households.
Eco3 leads community efforts to reduce poverty in our community and increase the ability for all to thrive. Key to this work is the development and coordination of effective and strategic communications.
Ecolibrium3 is a nationally award-winning nonprofit organization as we innovate solutions and implement programs to decrease the economic, educational, environmental, and health disparities experienced by low-income members of our community.
Ecolibrium3’s mission is to lead and inspire change in our community toward an equitable and sustainable future. We accomplish this mission through four program areas including Climate and Energy, Food Systems, Lincoln Park Resilience, and Eco3 VISTA. We excel at using design-thinking to create effective and innovative programs and projects to address many of our community’s most pressing challenges.
Our awards include White House Champion of Change Honors for building resilient communities, EPA Climate Showcase Communities Seeds of Change Award, and Main Street America’s Main Street Forward Award.
The Eco3 VISTA is a 45-member program designed around the Community Resilience Framework emphasizing capacity building in the areas of health and wellness, climate, energy, housing, economic development, disaster preparedness, and food access/sovereignty. Members serve at a variety of hosts sites, participate in the larger Eco3 VISTA cohort for valuable training and project assistance, and learn valuable skills while addressing poverty in Minnesota.
Member Duties:
1) Develop and coordinate a strategic communications plan for Ecolibrium3 programming and projects.
2) Improve systems to optimize social media and Eco3’s web presence.
3) Build systems and content to increase participation in low-income programming options.
4) Coordinate with partner organizations on communications plans.
5) Expand skill in all areas of communications including social media, graphic design, web design, press relations, and community outreach and engagement.
The ideal candidate is an excellent writer/copy editor, is comfortable with social media and web design, and preferably brings graphic skills. The candidate should be self-driven, work well with a diverse team, and have a passion for making our community better.
Eco3 Rain Ready Housing Development Specialist, Ecolibrium3, Duluth, MN
Expand green infrastructure along Lake Superior in Duluth, MN, by helping neighborhoods combat household flooding with educational outreach and infrastructure practices.
Ecolibrium3 is a Minnesota 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to “lead and inspire change in our community toward an equitable and sustainable future.” Ecolibrium3 works on all aspects of resilience building including housing, energy, resource management, economic development, and health, and is the convening organization in low-income neighborhoods along Duluth’s St. Louis River. In collaboration with the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, Ecolibrium3 is working to help individual homes and neighborhood blocks in underserved communities become more resilient to flood events and reduce damaging impacts from extreme precipitation events.
This collaboration is part of a larger partnership, known as the Great Lakes One Water Partnership, which will offer guidance and support throughout the appointment. The overall mission of the Great Lakes One Water Partnership is to increase civic engagement, resilience awareness, and innovation capability for communities around the Laurentian Great Lakes. For the Lake Superior team in particular (the team you will be working with), our mandate is to prepare communities for extreme precipitation events, accelerate the use and adoption of innovative green and grey water infrastructure, and create communities resilient to large coastal storm events.
The VISTA will conduct a landscape analysis within marginalized socio-economic neighborhoods of Duluth to identify the needs of these communities in developing rain ready housing, apply for funding opportunities to implement solutions, and coordinate collaboration with community stakeholders.
Member Duties:
1) Conduct neighborhood assessment in Duluth, MN, and host community-wide meetings regarding household flooding.
2) Establish and maintain collaborations with community organizations and individuals.
3) Apply for funding opportunities to fund project implementation and prioritize and scale actionable items.
4) Implement rain ready housing action items within a neighborhood of Duluth, MN.
5) Present results of landscape analysis and project implementation at local and regional conferences/meetings.
Tackle healthy food access issues in a low-income neighborhood of Duluth, MN, by expanding capacity of an urban farm, assisting in development of a food hub, and expanding nutrition education.
Ecolibrium3 is a nationally award-winning nonprofit organization as we innovate solutions and implement programs to decrease the economic, educational, environmental, and health disparities experienced by low-income members of our community.
Ecolibrium3’s mission is to lead and inspire change in our community toward an equitable and sustainable future. We accomplish this mission through four program areas including Climate and Energy, Food Systems, Lincoln Park Resilience, and Eco3 VISTA. We excel at using design-thinking to create effective and innovative programs and projects to address many of our community’s most pressing challenges.
Our awards include White House Champion of Change Honors for building resilient communities, EPA Climate Showcase Communities Seeds of Change Award, and Main Street America’s Main Street Forward Award.
The Eco3 VISTA is a 45-member program designed around the Community Resilience Framework emphasizing capacity building in the areas of health and wellness, climate, energy, housing, economic development, disaster preparedness, and food access/sovereignty. Members serve at a variety of hosts sites, participate in the larger Eco3 VISTA cohort for valuable training and project assistance, and learn valuable skills while addressing poverty in Minnesota.
Eco3 is managing a 2.5-acre urban farm site with 6,000 s.f. of high tunnel production area. The Eco3 Farm is located at Lake Superior College and will be undergoing its first full season of production in 2022.
Member Duties:
1) Develop an urban farm management plan including planting schedule, regenerative agriculture approach, financial plan, and processing/distribution.
2) Recruit and manage volunteers to ensure optimized production.
3) Create and test food growing and nutrition education courses for delivery to low-income households experiencing health disparities.
4) Liaise with nonprofit organizations interested in distributing food grown at the urban farm.
5) Assist in the design and implementation of a food hub commercial kitchen.
6) Develop food growing spaces and programming that are accessible to individuals with limited mobility.
Eco3 seeks a member that is self-motivated and works well with diverse individuals.
Serve on the Fond du Lac Reservation to enhance tribal food sovereignty working with the Agricultural Division to manage our 36-acre farm.
VISTA members will be serving on the Fond du Lac Reservation working on the Band’s food sovereignty efforts working alongside the Agricultural Division. Activities will include program development, Tribal-based trainings, grant writing, and attending meetings to coordinate and support Tribal efforts to address poverty-related food insecurity.
The VISTA member will be based at the Fond du Lac Reservation’s Gitigaaning (gardens and farm) and Na’enimonigamig (kitchen/cannery) and will work with all Agricultural division staff throughout their term. Some travel to offsite trainings may occur. The project site, located in the Sawyer, MN, is a thirty-six-acre farm that will be the initial core of activities as well as potential onsite housing, with opportunities in other locations on the Reservation.
Our VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings. Additionally, cohort members will jointly complete one community service project of their cooperative design.
Member Duties:
1) Research innovative food programs that use small agricultural properties to support education, economic development and food production.
2) Develop components for a business plan that could be implemented at various agricultural properties to expand community garden projects to other underserved tribal members.
3) Assist with developing programming that is listed as priorities in the Local Foods Strategic Plan and Food Sovereignty Assessment.
4) Educate community on Food Sovereignty efforts through a marketing campaign using print, social, electronic and radio media outlets including development of a media guide for future use.
Help to address planning and economic development opportunities for the Fond du Lac Reservation and to build capacity and coordinate the development GIS program for the Fond du Lac Planning Division.
The Fond du Lac Reservation is located next to Cloquet, MN just 20 miles southwest of the city of Duluth. The Treaty of 1854 between the United States Government and the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa established the Reservation, comprising 101,400 acres.
The VISTA will work to address planning, GIS and economic development opportunities for the Fond du Lac Reservation. Work with Planning Division staff to build capacity and coordinate the development GIS program for the Fond du Lac Planning Division.
The Eco3 VISTA is a 45-member program designed around the Community Resilience Framework emphasizing capacity building in the areas of health and wellness, climate, energy, housing, economic development, disaster preparedness, and food access/sovereignty. Members serve at a variety of hosts sites, participate in the larger Eco3 VISTA cohort for valuable training and project assistance, and learn valuable skills while addressing poverty in Minnesota.
Member Duties:
1) Research GIS needs and uses for the Fond du Lac Planning Division.
2) Assist staff develop projects and programs to better support future Planning Division Community and economic development efforts and increase internal capacity of the staff.
3) Support and research grant writing efforts.
Support children and families in the Lincoln Park neighborhood by recruiting and managing volunteers, doing community outreach and working on Policy, System, and Environment changes.
Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative (LPCFC) is a non-profit in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth that works to support children and families by connecting them to resources and opportunities, embracing our cultures, and building community and well-being through strong and equitable leadership.
We aim to do this by creating age and culturally appropriate, stimulating, safe, and welcoming environments for children and families to connect with LPCFC staff, volunteers, and each other.
We organize programming, in collaboration with other organizations, businesses, and institutions that provide a variety of support for children and their caregivers.
The LPCFC VISTA will ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of these programs through building and maintaining community partnerships, participating in fundraising and grant writing efforts, recruiting, managing, and supporting volunteers for all programs, and assisting in other organizational needs regarding our Strategic Plan, serve on Board Committee, work with staff, volunteers, community members in the Health POWER program to plan monthly Grocery Giveaway events, weekly Walk and Talks events, participate in community gardening projects, and help build a new program that focuses on creating a Youth Advisory Committee that will work towards reducing e-cigarette and commercial tobacco use.
LPCFC’s VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and training. Additionally, cohort members will jointly complete one community service project of their cooperative design.
Member Duties:
1) Participate in LPCFC’s efforts in reaching, selecting and supporting volunteers, and assist in creating and/or revising policies and procedures to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of volunteer recruitment as needed.
2) Participate in outreach systems and assist in building and maintaining partnerships with community organizations in order to enhance the quality and spread the word about LPCFC programs. Develop targeted marketing materials.
3) Serve on Development Committee, which advises and assists the director and board with fundraising goals to support LPCFC programs.
4) Assist the committee in developing resources to support fundraising efforts.
5) Manage the Big Red Bookshelf program and facilitate the Big Red Bookshelf Coalition.
The Community Partnerships Coordinator will promote equity and inclusion by enhancing and facilitating Mentor North’s community connections to support high quality mentor-mentee relationships.
Mentor North’s mission is to celebrate youth and support their families through one-on-one mentorship and community engagement. We enroll Twin Ports-area youth ages 7-14 and match them with adult volunteers based on interests, personality, values, identities, lived experiences, and goals. Our goal is to create a vibrant and inclusive mentorship community.
The Community Partnerships Coordinator (CPC) will streamline and enhance Mentor North’s community engagement initiatives to support our enrolled youth, their families, and our volunteer mentors. The CPC will develop and maintain partnerships, organize and communicate events, and foster equity and inclusion in all program activities.
Ultimately, the CPC will help build a more structured, intentional community engagement program that fosters equity, inclusion, and community collaboration. The CPC’s activities will help Mentor North’s enrolled youth and mentors access a wider array of experiences, see themselves as valued members of the community, and develop essential skills for future success.
The VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings. Additionally, cohort members will jointly complete one community service project of their cooperative design.
Member Duties :
The Community Partnerships Coordinator will expand Mentor North’s capacity to offer enriching community engagement opportunities so that our program participants receive a steady and diverse menu of ways to discover and access meaningful experiences in the place where they live.
Specifically, the CPC will:
1) Analyze current community engagement strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
2) Develop and implement strategies and systems for improved, inclusive and safe community engagement, including a detailed online catalog of community engagement opportunities for mentors and mentees (matches), waitlist youth, and families.
3) Cultivate mutually beneficial collaborations with fellow nonprofits to help deliver our mission and remove barriers to participation.
4) Collect data, stories, photos/video, and feedback to demonstrate impact.
By strengthening our community engagement program, the CPC will help our program participants follow their unique interests, decrease isolation, and increase opportunities for new experiences, active play, creative expression, volunteerism, skill-building, and attendance at cultural events. Opening new doors together enhances the mentor-mentee relationship and deepens a sense of confidence, identity and belonging across identities and backgrounds. Active community engagement also supports mental well-being, addressing our shared human need for social connection.
Help build a new generation of community initiators, leaders, facilitators & mentors, with people underrepresented in Food, Ecology, Youth Development & Community Resilience.
Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation, & Education (PRAIRIE): “Uniting compassionate hearts & skills from many cultures for a renewal of health, agriculture & community.” PRAIRIE is co-creating interrelated initiatives involving underserved people in Regenerative Agriculture, Food Security, Habitat Restoration, Youth Development, & Leadership. We seek to empower grassroots COMMUNITY INITIATORS to address community-based leadership gaps. We engage extraordinary individuals with varying levels of training –technical, college, graduate & non-traditional learners, with interest, life experience, intelligence, good will & commitment. — Latino, BIPOC, or other underrepresented, aspiring organizers, youth workers, educators, gardeners, farmers, & environmentalists with a passion to serve & lead their communities.
The VISTA member will assist with a variety of initiatives working with Prairie Rose Farm, Urban Food and Ecology, New Root Farm Incubator, Prairie Folk School, and Farmland Conservation Partners. The VISTA will take on the role of “community initiator/facilitator” while identifying & supporting additional community members to take on that role.
The VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings.
Member Duties :
1) Build collaborative relationships with community partners.
2) Engage people in Latino, Indigenous and Immigrant communities in participatory research & planning on their own issues & needs in community learning circles.
3) Identify community initiators & form and support grassroots leadership cohorts.
4) Recruit participants for community food gardens, farms and land stewardship projects and facilitate their participation.
5) Help to connect local food system organizations, advocates and K-20 schools to create career pathways.
6) Assist community participants in pollinator gardens & habitat restoration at schools, public spaces & natural areas and to explore natural resource careers.
7) Employ photo-mapping and digital storytelling to document activities and post to websites and social media.
8) Assist in building the capacity of PRAIRIE to develop and maintain organizational systems for managing our initiatives.
Help create systems to get locally grown produce to low-income families while responding to climate change! Be part of our diverse network of BIPOC, Immigrant, & Latino community partners.
PRAIRIE is a MN non-profit focused on equitable food production, ecological research & demonstration, land stewardship, social renewal, and creating access to land, training and resources with BIPOC and other underserved individuals. This project pilots several interrelated initiatives that will impact local urban food systems and ecological services including water quality, carbon sequestration, and pollinator habitat. It will further impact educational opportunities and career pathways as youth & adults learn employable skills in regenerative agriculture, and ecology-related fields such as soils, water quality, food systems, and social services dealing with food and environmental health.
VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings. Additionally, cohort members way work with one community service project of their design.
Member Duties :
1) VISTA will help develop systems that support Youth Stewards & adult partners as they respond to climate change, focusing on the need for locally grown produce for food shelves and low-income families and on creating pollinator habitat.
2) VISTA will research & develop a system to match local excess fresh food with hungry people.
3) VISTA will help design curriculum that supports neighborhood-based, youth, and family gardens to expand food access with a focus on educating youth as food producers and land stewards.
4) VISTA will help to establish the need, interest and a local demonstration of an urban lot.
5) VISTA will explore creating access to land, organic practices, & resources for BIPOC & underserved urban gardeners.
6) VISTA will work with K-20 students & faculty to build long-term support for local food production through creating a “Food & Ecology Career Pathway” by linking community gardens, farms, & developing employable skills.
Join Wilderness Health to address the root causes of health inequities in our community. Build internal capacity while collaborating to connect public health practice to social justice.
Wilderness Health is a collaborative of independent providers working together to improve health care in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin. We believe there is value in keeping health care local. Creating sustainable health care models that aim to low costs and increase quality of care helps us keep health care in our communities. Through smart strategies, such as shared services and accountable care organizations (ACOs), Wilderness Health will lead the transformation for rural health care systems.
Throughout their service our VISTA will help us provide support to network initiatives that address the root causes of health inequities through the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation process. They will further build internal organizational capacity; collaborate across the network to connect public health practice to social justice; engage network members and community partners; develop partnerships and coalitions; assist in identifying and analyzing health inequities; aid in designing and implementing strategies; develop effective communication efforts; and conduct evaluations.
The VISTA member will be part of the Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort serving in northeastern Minnesota. Although each member is serving in a unique position, all cohort members will participate in VISTA specific activities such as regular cohort meetings, collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, and trainings.
Member Duties:
1) Support Wilderness Health Network strategy connecting public health concepts to member hospital operations.
2) Foster a network-wide culture of centering policies, procedures and practices that are aligned with principles of health equity.
3) Support the Child & Teen Checkup program to improve access and preventative health.
4) Assist with development of policies and procedures.
5) Research, collect data, and support evidence-based strategies to address health inequities.
6) Assist with grant writing and project implementation.
On beautiful Lake Superior, work with an arts and community development organization to build long-term systems change, creating more inclusive, sustainable, and creative communities.
Zeitgeist Center for Arts & Community builds inclusive, creative, sustainable social systems in people, institutions, and communities. That means taking down systems of oppression, piece by piece, in creative ways. In their place, Zeitgeist builds connections to more inclusive, sustainable, and creative systems that address the cultural, social, and economic determinants of health in long-lasting, cycle-breaking ways.
To achieve those goals, the VISTA will work with our programs: Healthy Hillside (an effort to reduce health disparities and build community vision) and Places for People (a program that cultivates placemaking, neighborhood design, and active equitable transportation to increase neighborhood vitality).
A main goal this year for Places for People is to build a community vision and strong coalition to help transform 6th Ave East – an outdated old Highway that ripped a neighborhood apart and negatively impacts the health of local residents – into a reimagined street that works for everyone of all ages/abilities and all modes of getting around. Designing city streets for everyone and all modes advances public health, safety, equity, access to jobs, economic vitality, and sustainability. A stronger, more connected community is possible and this VISTA will help make that happen.
Daily tasks could include: research, grassroots organizing, coalition building, campaign development, messaging/framing, and event coordination. This work will also include building out creative ways to share stories and community voices through our org’s artistic venues including theater, film, and visual arts.
Member Duties:
1) Work with the Zeitgeist Community Team to build a community vision and strong coalition for 6th Ave East Redesign by conducting research, grassroots organizing, coalition building, campaign tactics development, messaging and framing, and event/activity coordination.
2) Help to research, develop, and implement creative ways to share community vision and local stories that help to bring attention and shared understanding of community challenges and opportunities.
3.) Integrate this work into internal Zeitgeist systems, policies, practices and evaluation.
Summer Positions
How to Apply or Get More Information:
If you would like more information check out these resources:
- AmeriCorps VISTA national website
- Current Ecolibrium3 AmeriCorps VISTA members and host sites
- Contact Patrick at Ecolibrium3 with questions or inquiries
- Apply using the national AmeriCorps portal