VISTA Cohort Meeting #1 – Program Orientation

Tuesday, August 8th

12:00pm – 4:00pm

Alliance Training Room

AGENDA

Welcome and Introductions

12:00 – 12:30pm – ArrivalLunch

It’s a meet and greet and eat!

12:30 – 1:00pm – Life in a Bag Introductions

Introduce yourself and your unique story with your special bag of mysteries.

1:00 – 1:15pm – Introduction to MN Alliance With Youth

Learn about the Alliance and State Office Role in your VISTA Service.

VISTA Program Logistics

1:15– 1:30pm – Training Calendar

Remember to share our training schedule with your supervisor!

1:30 – 1:45pm – AmeriCorps VISTA Benefits

Learn about the many advantages that service provides.

1:45 – 2:00pm – My AmeriCorps Portal Overview

It’s not (quite) as complicated as it looks.

2:00– 2:15pm – Performance Measures

All the ways we share your achievements with the world!

Professional Development Opportunities

2:15– 2:45pm – Professional Development Plan

Fill your PD Plan with your professional curiosities, fascinations and ambitions!

2:45– 3:00pm – VISTA Collaboration

There might even be food left…

State of Educational Equity in Minnesota

3:00– 3:55pm –Presentation from GradMinnesota Program Manager Cammy Lehr

Learn about Minnesota’s achievement gap and how GradMinnesota is working to close it.

Announcements & Closing

3:55 – 4:00pm – Announcements

Thursday, August 10th: MCN Nonprofits Essentials Conference

One on One meetings with VISTA Leader Sam in coming weeks

We are still recruiting for Promise Fellows and Minnesota Youth Council Members!

The next Alliance VISTA Cohort Meeting is Monday, September 11th 12:30 – 4:30pm

4:00 – 5:00pm – Urban Growler Expedition

Join us at a St. Paul classic for a casual and optional outing and end to the evening!

Today’s Speaker – Cammy Lehr Ph.D, GradMinnesota Program Manager

We are fortunate to have Cammy speak to us today about the critical work that GradMinnesota is doing to help close the graduation gap in Minnesota.

Prior to working with the Alliance and GradMinnesota, Cammy worked as an Education Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education for nine years. She led a project focused on building statewide capacity for effective implementation of educational practices in partnership with staff from the National Center on State Implementation and Scaling up of Evidence Practice (SISEP).

She directed a federal grant focused on dropout prevention and played a key role in developing and disseminating a statewide early warning data system that identifies youth in grades 6 and 9 who may need additional supports to graduate from high school.

Cammy has over 25 years of experience in education including work as a school psychologist, researcher and university instructor. Outside of work, Cammy enjoys gardening, trips to her cottage near Lake Superior, planning for retirement in Ely and being with family and friends.