MTCC AmeriCorps VISTA - Home ReSource Youth Sustainability Program

Located in Missoula, Montana, Home ReSource is a nonprofit community sustainability center that aims to reduce waste and build a more vibrant and sustainable local economy. They collect and sell reusable materials and channel those materials to those in need, as well as providing meaningful work opportunities, educational opportunities, and zero waste programs.

This VISTA project will focus on enhancing and expanding the work of Home ReSource, working to reduce waste and build a vibrant, sustainable, circular economy where people of all backgrounds can thrive. The project will support youth education programs including the Zero Waste Ambassadors Program (ZWAP!) with curriculum development, systems building and support, and helping to pilot new schools or curriculum exposing youth to future green careers. The project will also support the Youth Internship Program, celebrating green trades professions and engaging high school aged students in paid, hands-on opportunities to explore future careers, with a focus on marginalized students. The role will also support Zero Waste Systems, helping to connect community members with Zero Waste resources and volunteers with zero waste opportunities. 

Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) serves as the intermediary for this project. MTCC is a CEO-led coalition of colleges and universities that support civic engagement, service learning, and volunteerism across the state. Every year we place cohorts of full-time, part-time, and summer AmeriCorps members with schools, colleges, nonprofits, and government agencies in Montana. The AmeriCorps projects we facilitate increase educational equity, break down barriers between higher education and community organizations, and address the root causes of poverty in communities across the state.

The AmeriCorps VISTA will grow Home Resource’s partnerships, community outreach programs, and educational programs. This includes expanding programming like the Zero Waste Ambassadors Program (ZWAP!), a zero waste and materials economy education program that highlights future green careers in thirty 5th-grade classrooms in and around Missoula, including all area Title I elementary schools. The member will also be responsible for strengthening Home ReSource’s Youth Internship Program. In addition to expanding programming focused on youth, the VISTA will collaborate with Missoula College’s Sustainability Program to increase opportunities for college students. The VISTA will also support Pledge Zero, a program that provides zero-waste consultations for local businesses and leads green efforts at local events. Learn more by visiting https://mtcompact.org/available-positions/