Americorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America) is a national service program sponsored by the federal government under the Corporation for National and Community Service. Participants are offered a modest living allowance and hands-on experience in exchange for their commitment to a year of working to fight poverty and improve the lives of people in need. There are 15 VISTA members in the Minneapolis Public Schools for the 2010-2011 school year who are housed in schools or district offices and work under the direction of Volunteer MPS. The Volunteer MPS VISTA program increases the capacity of the Minneapolis Public Schools to engage community resources in our efforts to improve the academic achievement of students in need. Volunteer MPS VISTA members do not preform typical MPS staff functions, but rather work "behind the scenes" establishing partnerships, expanding programs and developing tools and infrastructure to improve how schools and district departments access and utilize community resources. There are three focus areas of the Volunteer MPS VISTA program: