University of Montana Mansfield Center
Position Type: VISTA
Service Commitment: August 10, 2026 – August 9, 2027
Final Application Deadline: July 12, 2026
Car required? Recommended
Driver’s License Required? Yes
Position Summary:
Founded by an Act of Congress in 1983, the Mansfield Center is a central part of the University of Montana fostering globally minded leaders of integrity. The Mansfield Center is the sole Rural West nonpartisan institution supporting youth and communities through civic and international education guided by the Mansfield Legacy of ethical leadership, civic responsibility, and an unconditional commitment to the public good.
The goal of this project is to build capacity for the Mansfield Center’s Civic Education programs that provide civic education in underserved communities across the state of Montana. These programs invest in high-quality curriculum materials, comprehensive teacher development, and meaningful student civics events that can be used and adapted over time by school systems. The VISTA member will accomplish this goal by creating materials and developing the systems for the Civics Education team in expanding the scale, reach, efficiency, and effectiveness of its new programs to underserved schools in Montana and in the creation of civic education experiences. To address the challenges of civic education in underserved communities, the curriculum and workshops foster in students and teachers a better understanding of founding documents, constitutional government, local governance, public policy, and community organizing. This project alleviates poverty by equipping underserved youth with the leadership, advocacy, and professional skills needed to navigate economic systems and dismantle systemic barriers.
VISTA will enhance K-12 civics by researching existing curricula and developing original curriculum and materials to promote civic engagement in Montana. The VISTA member will create curriculum content for civics education to accompany a 20-episode video series about Mike Mansfield’s engagement with and promotion of civics issues and values. VISTA will develop strategies and tools to increase student engagement through partners statewide. By providing research-based recommendations, the VISTA member will refine programming to better serve the educational needs of k-12 schools, particularly 5th, 8th, and 11th-grade classrooms.
VISTA service will enhance partnerships with Montana schools, specifically focusing on underserved rural and tribal communities. To ensure sustainability, they will collaborate with experts to collect and analyze data on program reach, knowledge gains, and engagement quality. These efforts aim to measure the efficacy of civic initiatives and foster deeper community involvement, ensuring that these programs meet the long-term needs of Montana’s diverse student populations & educators.
Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement (MCNCE) serves as the intermediary for this project. MCNCE is a coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to fostering civic engagement, service learning, and volunteerism across Montana. Led by CEOs from participating institutions, MCNCE works to improve community life and educate students on civic and social responsibility, preparing them to be thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged leaders.
Benefits Include:
- $24,962 VISTA Living Allowance (full year) = $957.46 bi-weekly
- $7,395 Education Award or $1800 cash award
- Relocation Allowance
- Health Insurance
- Personal & Medical Leave
- Non-Competitive Federal Hiring for one year
- University of Montana access & resources
- Access to regular professional trainings through MCNCE & University of Montana
Professional Skills You Will Gain
- Communications
- Curriculum Development
- Higher Education Administration
- Indigenous Community Outreach
- Intercultural Relations
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Partnership Development
- Partnership Management
- Post-Secondary Education
- Program Assessment
- Program Development
- Public Speaking
- Student Affairs
- Teamwork
- Time Management