New York Campus Compact
AmeriCorps VISTA
impact (mpkt) – n. the power of making a strong, immediate impression
capstone (kpstn) – n. the top stone of a structured wall, high point, crowning achievement
The Impact Capstone Project is your opportunity, as a New York Campus Compact VISTA member, to share your experiences with your campus and community, and to create a tangible product that helps define your year of service.
Purpose
¶ Over your year as a VISTA member, you will deepen your understanding of service, volunteerism, education, poverty, and what it takes to inspire individuals to action. You will develop a unique knowledge of how these concepts apply to your campus and community, and it is important that you share that knowledge.
¶ Preparing for a Capstone allows you to assess your goals for the year, how they were accomplished, and what goals need to be set for the future.
¶ The Capstone presentation provides a better understanding of the VISTA project among campus administrators, staff, and community members, and will aid the next VISTA in continuing your efforts.
¶ Presenting your accomplishments will outline the quantitative and qualitative benefits of the VISTA program on the campus and community, and will work to leverage additional resources for the VISTA work in the future.
Recommendations
In terms of format and content, you can tailor your Capstone to your talents and the audience you are hoping to reach. We recommend that you provide information about the following topics at some point throughout the presentation:
¶ Campus Compact and AmeriCorps VISTA
¶ The main highlights/accomplishments of your year
¶ The impact of your work (e.g. total number of volunteers recruited, dollar value of contributions secured, changes that have occurred in the community based on your work, stories of individuals who benefited from the program, other concrete data that helps VISTA, CNCS, and the campus see the value of your work)
¶ Thank-yous and acknowledgements
Format
A Capstone can take a variety of forms. Be creative! Design something that is appealing to you, definitive of your work, and beneficial to the campus. It is best to initiate planning with a conversation between you and your supervisor to identify your target audience and the logistics of your presentation (i.e. time, date, location, cost, food, etc.). Some ideas for a Capstone are:
¶ A short documentary
¶ A Powerpoint presentation
¶ An awards/recognition ceremony
¶ A speech/presentation at a community event
¶ A community art project
¶ A mural or mixed-media collage