Member Onboarding
ACTION Item: Onsite Orientation & Training (OSOT) Plan
VISTA and IAMNCC offer program-wide orientation and training to members. Onsite Orientation & Training (often referred to by VISTA as OSOT) is how members get acclimated to and trained for their specific site and VISTA position.
VISTA requires that we collect an Onsite Orientation & Training plan for each member. Plans are due no later than two weeks before your VISTA starts (upload your document using the link below). There is no template or format you need to follow; your site may already have a template for onboarding new staff or volunteers that you can follow.
That said, the plan must:
Account for the first two weeks of the VISTA's service
Include the Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) and VISTA Oath Ceremony from 2-3:30pm on their first day of service (this is mandatory by CNCS and if they do not attend, they will not be considered a part of the program).
Include Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact VISTA Program Orientation
Typically the first week in September
OSOT Checklist & Ideas (these are not required components of your OSOT but can be used as a resource for getting started)
AmeriCorps Onboarding Paperwork
Members will receive emails directly from AmeriCorps asking for pre-service documents. These need to be completed prior to their start date (ideally at least a week before). You will log into your My AmeriCorps portal and complete:
Direct Deposit
W-4 Form
Designation of Beneficiary of Unpaid Compensation
End of Service Option: Education Award of $6,895 or cash stipend of $1,800
NOTE: It's best to choose the education award because you can switch to stipend later, but you cannot switch from stipend to ed. award later.Create account on VISTA Campus
VISTA Terms, Conditions, and Benefits (TCB) online course (in VISTA Campus)
NOTE: you need to be logged into the VISTA Campus and you need to be logged out of the My AmeriCorps portal when you are taking the Terms and Conditions course otherwise the system won’t register that you’ve completed the course.
Additional information related to these required documents and forms can be found at the VISTA Campus
Save the Dates - Member Orientation
First day of service - 2:00-3:30pm : Mandatory AmeriCorps Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) & Swearing in Ceremony (details in emails from AmeriCorps)
Tentative: First Friday in September - 10am-noon : Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact VISTA Program Orientation
ACTION Item: Teleservice Request Form
Effective January 31, 2023, the VISTA Teleservice & Virtual Service Site Request and Agreement Form migrated to the My AmeriCorps Member Portal; and approvals can now be done by site supervisors and project directors through the eGrants Portal.
Linked here is a 'Reference Guide' that details the new process for requesting and approving teleservice for your VISTA Member.
For more information on VISTAs new teleservice policy, visit our Teleservice page.
This page includes a full list of member benefits, including those offered by AmeriCorps VISTA and Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact.