AFS VISTA Community Memory Access Specialist

AFS VISTA Community Memory Access Specialist

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland is a free contemporary art museum for Ohio residents and all youth, located in University Circle and rooted in a long history of connecting Cleveland to contemporary art and artists. Low income students, families, older adults, and neighborhood residents often face barriers to cultural learning, public history, civic belonging, and exposure to creative career pathways. The VISTA Community Memory Access Specialist will build sustainable systems for moCa Legacy Project, a multi-year effort to organize and share the museum history, community stories, artist relationships, exhibitions, and civic impact.

This VISTA role will not replace archival staff or perform routine cataloging as a staff function. The member will develop volunteer research systems, partner workflows, story intake templates, educational access tools, public‑facing frameworks, and resource development materials that make the project useful to under‑resourced audiences. The member will learn museum history, community engagement, cultural documentation, volunteer systems, and public humanities project design while creating tools that remain in use after the service year.

• The VISTA member will conduct a capacity assessment of moCa Legacy Project materials, access barriers, partner opportunities, and volunteer needs.
• develop volunteer research role descriptions, recruitment materials, training procedures, and tracking templates.
• create partner outreach systems for schools, colleges, artists, neighborhood groups, libraries, and older adult partners.
• develop draft learning prompts, story intake workflows, and public access guides.
• evaluate pilot tools with staff and partners.
• finalize a sustainability toolkit with procedures, templates, a partner database, resource development prospects, and recommendations for the next phase.
• The member will not replace staff or provide routine direct service.

• Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend
• Education award upon successful completion of service
• Living Allowance
• Stipend
• Childcare assistance if eligible
• Health Coverage*
• Training
• Relocation Allowance.

• Permits attendance at school during off hours
• Car recommended
• Permits working at another job during off hours.

• Community Outreach
• Education
• Children/Youth.

• Community Organization
• Fund raising/Grant Writing
• Recruitment
• Writing/Editing
• Education
• Youth Development.

AFS VISTA Community Memory Access Specialist