About the South Cumberland Plateau VISTA Project 

AmeriCorps VISTA is a one year long service program dedicated to poverty alleviation in communities across the United States. At the University of the South, The South Cumberland Plateau VISTA Project is a collaborative partnership between the University of the South, South Cumberland Community Fund, and the project’s community partners which began in 2014. The focus of the program is to help grow and strengthen communities through programs focused around Education, Economic Development, and Healthy Futures.

Program Objectives
  • Develop capacity and overall effectiveness of the project partner sites.
  • Develop and implement useful resources and programs that benefit community members and residents throughout the project service area.
  • Strengthen community connections between the VISTA project members and area residents through program outreach and implementation.
  • Provide VISTA members with the opportunity for both professional and personal growth through community outreach, workshops, conferences.
To apply e-mail Vicki Borchers at vmborche@sewanee.edu

Our Work

South Cumberland Summer Associate VISTA Program

The Summer Associate VISTA Program provides an eight-week opportunity for graduated high school seniors, current college students, as well as college graduates with the opportunity to serve their communities throughout the summer.

Summer Meal Program

The South Cumberland Summer Meal Program (SCSMP) provides kids and teens with free summer meals and summer fun throughout Grundy, Franklin, and Marion Counties. SCSMP is a partnership between the University of the South McClurg Dining Hall and Office of Civic Engagement, the Tennessee Department of Human Services, the South Cumberland Community Fund and numerous community partners throughout the South Cumberland Plateau.

Our Community Partners

The South Cumberland VISTA Project currently works with eleven partner organizations throughout the Plateau. Each partner site works to address various aspects of poverty in our local communities. Through Action Based Community Development, each of these organizations and the VISTA's who represent them are committed to developing initiatives and programs to serve the Plateau in effective and meaningful ways. 

 

Information for Potential Partner Sites

The South Cumberland Plateau VISTA Project values the partnerships it has established with community organizations. From health and education to economic development each site and the projects associated with it work to alleviate poverty here on the plateau. If your organization has an interest in joining the VISTA Project as a partner site please refer to the materials provided below. 

In order for a community organization to join the South Cumberland VISTA there are various qualifications that must be met.  

Inquiries about the VISTA Project and becoming a potential site are always welcomed. Please contact VISTA Coordinator, Vicki Borchers at vmborche@sewanee.edu