Lake County Volunteer Program VISTA

Students in rural and underserved communities can face economic hardship and limited access to academic support and enrichment opportunities, while schools in these low-income areas may have limited capacity to provide individualized writing support. Writing Coaches of Montana (WCM) addresses this need by training community volunteers to work one-on-one with public school students on their classroom writing assignments, helping students become more confident and capable writers while supporting teachers. By providing support to help students succeed as writers and thinkers, we can address educational barriers associated with poverty and help students be prepared for whatever career or education they choose to pursue beyond high school.
WCM is now working to build the relationships, volunteer network, and systems needed to bring this program to Lake County schools. This VISTA Volunteer will help develop this new program by learning about local needs, building relationships with schools and community organizations, recruiting and engaging volunteers, developing community-informed training, and helping coordinate initial pilot programming.