The Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA program places AmeriCorps VISTA members in full service with our campus and community partners for one year. During this year, members spend 35 hours per week on their host site’s campus or with one of that campus’s community partners to work on building systems and programs that support low-income college students and community members. The VISTA members’ work is to build capacity, meaning that rather than directly serving the community, they enhance or create systems, structures, and resources that support the direct anti-poverty work. Campus Compact functions as the central VISTA program hub, performing program administration, offering training and support to VISTA members and their projects, and connecting the work happening in individual projects both to similar work happening nationwide and back to AmeriCorps. For detailed program information and FAQs, please visit our website.
Service Term:
August 10, 2026 - August 9, 2027
Please note that this start date is subject to change. Start dates are based on a federal calendar and are not flexible. Regardless of start date, the term of service lasts exactly one year.
Summary of Position Details:
The National Museum of the Pacific War (NMPW), founded in 1967, provides the nation’s most comprehensive account of World War II in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. Our mission is to use our collection to promote responsible citizenship and leadership by inspiring all generations to understand the enduring impact and relevance of the Pacific War. The VISTA member will play a pivotal role in the continuation of the traveling trunk project and ensuring its sustainability after the end of the Campus Compact VISTA project term.
This project aims to address educational disparities and cycles of poverty by providing underserved schools with access to artifacts from our Educational Outreach Collection and high quality educational curriculum. Since the start of the project, we have created two traveling trunks with curriculum and artifacts. As of February 2026 over 200 students from Title I schools have interacted with the trunks. Since this is the final year of the project with Campus Compact, the VISTA member will be tasked with not only expanding the reach of the project into additional regions, but the VISTA member will also help create a sustainability plan for the future of the traveling trunk program. Other responsibilities for the VISTA member this term include developing new traveling trunks from their research in our collections and creating materials that consist of lesson plans aligned to state and national educational standards, supplemental activities, and artifacts from our Education Outreach Collection.
Responsibilities:
● Conduct in-depth research to identify educational needs within underserved schools and best practices for traveling trunk programs.
● Coordinate with educators for effective trunk delivery and pick up
● Travel occasionally required to ensure the traveling trunk is safely delivered or picked up from educators.
● Edit and refine the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the National Museum of the Pacific War’s traveling trunk program.
● Develop and use existing templates to create curriculum for the traveling trunk program, including creating lesson plans, presentation materials, and supplemental activities.
● Work closely with the curatorial and education team to utilize primary sources in the trunks.
● Select artifacts from our Education Outreach Collection to use for the traveling trunk program
● Research and understand the needs, interest, and concerns of educators and students to ensure resources and programs are relevant, impactful, and needed through survey data.
● Ensure that all elements of the program, including lesson plans, activities, and artifacts align with the trunk topic and relevant state and national standards
● Attend orientation, weekly meetings, days of service, and trainings/retreats coordinated by Campus Compact
● Complete data collection and reporting activities required by Campus Compact and AmeriCorps
Preferred Qualifications:
● Demonstrates Initiative, flexibility, creativity, and resourcefulness; high energy and a passion for education and the Museum’s mission.
● Experience with project management, program creation, and/or K-12 curriculum development.
● Strong research and writing skills with an ability to engage different audiences.
● Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to collaborate cross-departmentally and work independently without close oversight.
● Proficiency in Microsoft Office Software, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
Requirements:
● Must have some college experience, preference is given to a BA/BS or equivalent experience
● US citizen, national, DACA status, or legal permanent resident.
● Must be able to complete a federal background check
● Access to personal vehicle
● US Citizen, national, DACA status, or legal permanent resident
● Must be able to complete a federal background check
Logistics:
● Status: In-person
o Note: Remote in this case refers to not regularly going in person to the office; VISTA members must be located within commuting distance of their host site.
● Hours: M – F 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Benefits:
AmeriCorps VISTA Benefits:
● Bi-weekly living allowance of $957.46
● End of service award (AmeriCorps member must choose one of two options; requires completion of full term of service to receive)
○ Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($7,395)
○ End-of-Service Cash Stipend ($1,803.10)
● Relocation stipend for candidates moving more than 50 miles ($750)
● Mileage reimbursement for the candidate moving more than 50 miles ($0.40/mile)
● Healthcare benefits (AmeriCorps member must choose one of two options)
○ Healthcare allowance for out-of-pocket expenses
○ Basic healthcare coverage
● 10 Days Personal Leave
● 10 Days Sick Leave
● 14 Days Holiday Leave
● Child care assistance for children under 13 years of age (income dependent)
● Student loan forbearance or deferment for certain loans
● 1 year of noncompetitive eligibility for federal positions*
● Access to professional development opportunities provided by Campus Compact & AmeriCorps
Additional Host-Site Benefits:
● Parking
● Free classes: professional development opportunities, webinars
How to Apply:
You can apply for this position in two ways:
1. My AmeriCorps.gov Application
a. Visit this link and apply to the position through the my.AmeriCorps.gov system
i. Note: The myAmeriCorps system is sometimes finicky and can be hard to update – if that website says “no longer accepting applications,” please feel free to reach out to our team via email at vista@compact.org to check.
ii. For support using the myAmeriCorps portal, please see this document.
2. Apply Directly to the Site
a. Reach out to the site contact, Jared Van Auken, via email at jvanauken@nimitzfoundation.org with your resume and information
i. Title the email “VISTA Application: Your Name” to ensure it’s not missed
Deadlines:
The last day to apply for this position is June 24th, 2026, however, positions are filled on a rolling basis, and we recommend applying as soon as possible.