A Year of Service
AmeriCorps VISTAs serve nationally to build capacity at local organizations that serve low income communities. At Turning the Page (TTP) they are fundamental to strengthening relationships with families and school staff and by developing long-lasting partnerships with local organizations, museums, and universities. VISTAs play a unique role in most aspects of TTP programs including volunteer outreach, development, communications, student curriculum development, and supporting Carpe Librum bookstores. Our latest VISTA Spotlight shines on Program Associate Nicola Meredith.
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Favorite hobby: I love cooking and dancing (salsa primarily)!
Favorite childhood book: I can’t remember what my favorite book was from when I was young but I do remember begging my sister to read me the Harry Potter series in elementary school.
Hats I wear at TTP: As our programs have shifted into virtual learning/support for parents, I have been involved in setting up and managing our Digital Hub. This involves curating and organizing resources that are disseminated through the Hub and recruiting parents to join. I also hold Mobile Meetings and provide one-on-one support with parents from one of our D.C. partner schools, Turner Elementary. In addition to working on the Digital Hub and holding Mobile Meetings, I provide logistical support for other TTP programs including book drop-offs and Family Room events.
Why I chose to serve with AmeriCorps VISTA: After attending University abroad, I wanted to return to my hometown (D.C.) to engage in the community in a meaningful way. In University, I was able to research socioeconomic inequalities in D.C. and through this research, became interested in city-level initiatives to address these inequalities. I chose to serve with AmeriCorps VISTA to expand my existing knowledge and develop a deeper insight into the forces that make up D.C.’s social fabric.
Most interesting aspect of my service with TTP: I have loved being able to work with and learn from community partners for our live Family Room events. It has been fascinating to learn about the work of different individuals and organizations and rewarding to connect our parents to their digital resources.
Biggest accomplishment at TTP thus far: My biggest accomplishment has been taking on new projects through the transition to providing virtual support to parents due to the pandemic. I had only been serving at TTP for just over a month when the pandemic hit and TTP had to react quickly and address the changing needs of schools and parents.
What I hope to gain from my time with TTP: I hope to continue to develop a strong relationship with parents I am currently engaged with and start to develop relationships with new parents. I am also excited to strengthen our new digital systems to ensure they are sustainable and that they directly suit the needs of the communities we work with.