Special Initiatives (Research & Analysis) VISTA

About The Collective Blueprint

The Greater Memphis area has more than 45,000 young adults, aged 16-24, who are out of school and out of work. Nearly half of these young adults are in poverty, and only 1% will be on the path to a living wage by the time they are 28.

The young adult population represents the next generation of community, business, and political leaders. It is imperative that they are equipped with the skills and supports they need today in order to guide Memphis forward tomorrow. The Collective Blueprint advances a community framework that reflects the personal and economic aspirations of the city’s young populace.

The Collective Blueprint was started in 2016 and is the only local organization specifically tailored to the needs of young adults. We provide relationships, resources, and a network of support to help young adults discover and develop their unique talents in order to advance their personal and professional objectives. Our Vision is that all young adults have the power to live their best lives and the tools to make that a reality. 

The Collective Blueprint Model 

The Collective Blueprint is building the framework to reach economic equity for all young adults in the following ways: 

1) Initiatives: Build coalitions that create systemic solutions to ensure more young adults complete education and continue on to careers 

2) Programs: Be the go-to organization for how to support and partner with opportunity youth as they begin their careers 

3) Advocacy: Build a movement toward a more economically just Memphis by positioning young adults as leaders and advocates

About The Americorps VISTA Program

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that helps millions of Americans improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service. The CNCS AmeriCorps VISTA Members will serve for a year at The Collective Blueprint, building capacity by conducting outreach and growing partnerships. The role of VISTAs on our team is unique in that they are not employees of The Collective Blueprint. VISTA members are paid and receive benefits through CNCS. Visit www.nationalservice.gov for more information about CNCS and AmeriCorps VISTA. 

Please see the VISTA position descriptions below for more detailed information. To apply for these positions, you will need to create a MyAmeriCorps account at my.americorps.gov. Once you create an account and an application, search for this position within the My AmeriCorps system. In addition to the living allowance from CNCS, The Collective Blueprint offers VISTA members a competitive incentives package including generous rent, grocery, wellness, and gas assistance.

Position Responsibilities:

The VISTA will collaborate with program staff to develop, test, and refine effective approaches to

continuing to grow the alumni-led Systems Change initiatives, including shepherding the collective

planning for systems change projects. This includes recruitment to grow the collective membership, to

positioning collective members to lead the framing of project plans and timelines, to alumni-led

implementation of the project.

1. Engagement and Systems Change Strategy Development

Project Goal: Help refine systems for engaging TCB program members, alumni, and other young adults in advocacy and systems change initiatives.

• Through research / literature review and work with current Systems Change collective members, the VISTA will assist with developing and refining recruitment and engagement strategies;
• The VISTA will develop approaches, frameworks and templates for the collective members to use to plan their projects, including goals, timelines, action steps, and evaluation methods;
•  VISTA will capture and assess program effectiveness, evaluating the tactics and outcomes of collective systems change projects.

2.  Developing Research Initiatives

Project Goal: The VISTA will develop and refine TCB's capacity and infrastructure for conducting community based participatory research to inform program/service delivery and systems change practices, and will develop frameworks for implementing programs and activities in response to research findings.

• In collaboration with TCB staff, the VISTA will articulate research methodologies and agendas, with the goals of research inquiry, and the approaches/questions to achieve research goals.
• Develop and implement structures for conducting research projects, including establishing the frameworks for recruiting research participants; structures for focus groups, interviews, and other data collection methods; and methods by which research findings will be shared with stakeholder groups including research participants and community;
• Create approaches for analysis, packaging, and dissemination of research findings, and frameworks for evaluating the success of research projects and refining/improving methodologies for future research projects;
• Assist in the development and implementation of projects designed to apply the findings of research to the ongoing alumni-led systems change initiatives, to inform goals, strategies, and tactics utilized by the alumni in their work.