In the spring of 2020, AmeriCorps VISTA founded the Food Security Initiative (FSI) to respond to the critical need for food access across the country exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the FSI served as an opportunity to explore the impact of larger, statewide projects as opposed to smaller, more concentrated projects targeting specific communities.
A major component of the FSI introduced “Learning Communities” to VISTA programming, bringing together select VISTA sponsors to connect online via virtual meetings. For over three years, participating FSI sponsors met bimonthly to brainstorm solutions to common issues, share their successes and challenges of running their VISTA projects, and learn from not only each other, but subject matter experts invited to Learning Community sessions. The Learning Community allowed the VISTA program to facilitate sponsor engagement during a time when the COVID19 pandemic made in-person convening infeasible.
This report details the genesis of the FSI Learning Community as an outgrowth of the VISTA Food Security Initiative, outcomes of sponsors’ participation in the community, and ultimately how the VISTA program can best replicate similar learning communities in the future.