2023-2024 Eco3 VISTA Cohort Leaves an Impact

AmeriCorps VISTA members dedicate a year of service to help eradicate poverty in Duluth and surrounding areas by building the capacity of the organizations they serve. This month we have 12 VISTAs completing their year of service. We are so grateful for their commitment to improving the lives of others in the Northland and can’t wait to see the lasting impacts in our community. 

Here are some highlights from this service year:

Smiling person stands next to a table with a tablecloth reading Wilderness Health.

Andrew Pratt – Wilderness Health

  • Provided capacity building services to 18 additional organizations through Wilderness Health resource partnerships.
  • Engaged and served nearly 3,000 community members across the Northland by connecting them with medical resources and studying the needs of healthcare providers. 
  • Highlighted and shared resources for healthcare services to improve access to medical care within the community by tabling, hosting and participating in various roundtable discussions, and other community outreach activities.

Brandon Thomas – Fond du Lac Band Technology

  • Worked on the Tech Steering Committee to redesign the IT project request form, creating structured processes and procedures. 
  • Facilitated a process for IT employees to provide feedback, leading to an honest and productive discussion about how the team can improve.
  • Assessed IT division operations to pinpoint and resolve inefficiencies by analyzing data and streamlined workflow through automating processes.
Head shot of Brandon Thomas
Person speaks into a microphone. Room is wood paneled and colorful banners hang from the ceiling.

Ella Stewart – City of Duluth Energy and Sustainability

  • Implemented actions in the Duluth Climate Action Plan and Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan through community outreach and events, applying for grants, accounting for greenhouse gas emissions, and data collection and analysis. 
  • Leveraged $440,000 of cash and in-kind donations.
  • Applied for and received a grant to fund the Sustainable Duluth Series at Dovetail Cafe—a once-a-month workshop on different sustainability topics. Ella coordinated all of the workshops, planned the events and worked with partners to present at the workshops.

Josh Sutherland – UWS Mental Health and Wellbeing

  • Served over 650 individuals, connecting them with mental health resources and opportunities to work on their wellness.
  • Expanded the Live Well incentive program. His contributions led to over 70 Better Together activities, which amassed over 100 participants, making significant strides in comparison to previous years. 
  • Worked with the Student Health and Counseling Center to survey students, collecting data that will be used to support policy change regarding smoking on campus. 
Two people wearing gardening gloves smile outside a home, one person is holding a full trash bag
VISTAs in a row 2 Mayoral Proclamation 24
Making signs MLK day 2024
Three smiling people sit behind a table with lots of papers and information.

Josif Nieto – Community Action Duluth Ecological Justice

  • Worked with Zeitgeist and community members to plan and execute mural projects in two locations in Duluth.
  • Worked with the Stream Corps to improve the capacity of the program by enhancing job training opportunities for Corps Members, aiding the professional and skill development of Corps Members. As part of this, Josif acquired certifications in several outdoor forestry related skills such as equipment and pesticide usage.
  • Supported mobile market operations and outreach.

Kory Powell – PRAIRIE Seeding the Future VISTA

  • Developed curricula and models for a neighborhood-based youth and family garden with a focus on land stewardship and producers. 
  • Facilitated a new youth stewardship program, supporting youth skill development and exploration of career paths related to food and ecology.
  • Established new pathways for locally grown food to be accessed by families experiencing hunger in the community.
people stand in a group and smile

Laec Lekander – Ecolibrium3 Digital Design

  • Created a portal for VISTA staff members to support VISTA service activities. 
  • Developed a video game design course for a high school summer credit recovery program, building the community’s capacity for technology and educational resources. This class will further allow Ecolibrium3 to pilot community activities in its computer lab
  • Supported the technological expansion of the VISTA program, increasing the capacity of VISTA staff members.

Mikey Garvey – Carlton County Community Resilience

  • Helped coordinate and facilitate a Summer Credit Recovery program for youth, assisting in two theater camps and a video game design course.
  • Created and presented a Pride 101 DEI training for Carlton County. Through this training, he helped his colleagues significantly improve their understanding of diverse identities. 
  • After receiving a donation from local groups, Mikey was able to shop for and distribute holiday gifts to local families who otherwise would not be able to afford holiday gifts for their kids.
Person spoons food onto another person's plate. They are both wearing Eco3 VISTA shirts.
Group pic MLK day 2024
Two people look at a clipboard near a crosswalk.

Miles Hansen – City of Duluth Transportation

  • Leveraged $1.8 million through a planning grant to help the city reimagine the I-35 highway in downtown Duluth. 
  • Worked with City staff and the Duluth Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to create a five-year bikeway plan.
  • Worked on the West Superior Street Reconstruction Project to analyze parking needs in the community and what kind of effects the project may have.

Reese Van Houten – Ecolibrium3 VISTA Leader

  • Supported a total of 24 VISTA members over the course of the service year. 
  • Conducted three focus groups to study the household impacts of power outages and natural disasters. 
  • Developed and facilitated a nonprofit and social service emergency tabletop exercise to help coordinate community disaster response.
Person looks over table with markers. Two people face him from the other side of the table.

Simon Giese – Mentor North Community Partnerships

  • Engaged in Disabled Mentoring Training as a team, then collaborated to develop an inclusion action plan for the organization
  • Helped kick off Mentor North’s March into Mentor Initiative which promoted mentorship through a nomination process. The Initiative received 150 nominations. 
  • Updated participants in Mentor North’s Activity Passes program, adding seven additional organizations to the program. 

Thomlin Swan – Zeitgeist Community Development

  • Developed the 2023-2024 Transportation Equity Doc and Talk series that included 12 films covering a range of transportation equity topics. 
  • Initiated strategic planning process for the Community team, and developed a mission and vision statement for the Transforming Transportation work.
  • Received a grant to conduct an oral history project on 6th Avenue East and the Hillside neighborhood.
Four smiling people pose in front of a colorful mural.

Our VISTA Members have made powerful positive impacts at their host sites and in the community. We thank them for all their work and wish them the best in their future endeavors! And, we look forward to welcoming 20 new members in the coming weeks!