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 Digital Capacity and Parent Engagement VISTA, Fiona Felix.
Hometown: All around Chicago and the suburbs
Favorite hobby: Currently I really enjoy caring for my houseplants!
Favorite childhood book: It’s a tie between Go, Dog, Go! or any of the Frog and Toad books
Hats I wear at TTP: As the Digital Capacity and Parent Engagement VISTA, my main responsibilities are managing our digital platforms and engaging parents through our new virtual programming. I’m the voice behind many of our blog posts and work with The Digital Hub community and user management. I am the parent partner for Sumner Elementary families and connect with parents through Mobile Meetings, The Family Room events, and through classrooms at the school. More recently I’ve worked on creating video projects to make our Digital Hub more engaging and accessible for all. I’ve also become a go-to person for any random projects TTP needs done. Need a new spreadsheet? I’m on it.
Why I chose to serve with AmeriCorps VISTA: I graduated from college in the Spring of 2020. I was already feeling nervous about what my future would look like, then the pandemic hit and made post-grad life that much more uncertain. After considering my options, I remembered AmeriCorps and it dawned on me that a year of service would be the perfect transition into the professional world. I would be able to spend the year gaining valuable experience, use my skills to assist those in need, and learn from parents, educators, and the community.
Most interesting aspect of my service with TTP: I think our transition to virtual programming is really interesting. It’s inspiring to see how both TTP and the communities we work with continue to adapt to an ever changing world. I love analyzing what is working for the community and what isn’t, and finding creative solutions and new ways to meet their needs in a virtual environment.
What I’ve learned about myself through service: Before working with TTP, I had little knowledge of elementary education outside of my personal experiences. Through this year of service, I’ve learned so much about literacy, learning environments, and the public school system at large. In learning all this new information about education in order to best support parents, I was reminded that I can do anything I set my mind to. As cliché as it is, learning something new and being able to successfully apply it has given me the confidence to continue to step outside my comfort zone and accept new challenges.
What I hope to gain from my time with TTP: At the end of my VISTA year, I would love to be able to say I made a lasting impact on the organization and the community, whether that be through expanding our digital capacity, or building meaningful relationships with the families we are currently connected with. I hope to be able to carry these experiences with me in my future endeavors and use them to motivate me to continue to work towards building a more equitable world.