Washington ends VISTA program
May 2025
A White House decision to dismantle AmeriCorps VISTA cuts off an important source of support to several area programs, including Geneva 2030.
AmeriCorps is a national program, established in 1993, to “improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.” Workers focus on key areas such as disaster services, economic opportunity, environment, health, and veterans.
Geneva 2030 was ordered last week to “Cease All VISTA Operations Effective Immediately.” Statewide, the cuts total amost $30 million, with 1,200 positions terminated, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
In Geneva, VISTA members – many of them recent graduates of Hobart and William Smith Colleges – have played major roles in expanding opportunities for youth and families. VISTA’S yearlong service positions boosted the work not only of Geneva 2030, but of Blueprint Geneva, Finger Lakes Community College, and the Geneva City School District.
Among the local initiatives benefitting from the program:
- The Geneva High School College and Career Center, developed in partnership with FLCC and Geneva 2030, now serves hundreds of students annually with college visits, one-on-one guidance, FAFSA workshops, and career exploration through monthly Career Chats and College Chats. VISTAs designed data-informed outreach strategies, supported bilingual engagement, and collaborated with school staff to create a welcoming and effective hub for post-secondary planning.
- At Blueprint Geneva, VISTA workers have expanded food justice initiatives, launched the Just Harvest Kitchen, and helped create pay-what-you-can meals and cooperative food buying programs that make local produce more accessible. They’ve also grown youth employment programs, coordinated a tax clinic for low-income residents, and supported public gardens and community events—linking environmental justice to workforce development. Workers received a presidential service award last year.
- VISTA workers also have supported other Geneva 2030 partner organizations such as Geneva Reads and the Boys and Girls Club, offering grant writing, volunteer recruitment, and program planning to help these trusted programs scale their efforts and serve more youth.
HWS’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL) supports these efforts by offering free housing to VISTAs and helping match AmeriCorps education awards. Many faculty and staff at HWS, including CCESL Director Katie Flowers, are AmeriCorps alumni themselves.
New York is among 25 states suing the federal government for abolishing the program. “For decades, AmeriCorps members have dedicated themselves to serving others, working to improve lives and strengthen communities throughout our nation,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. “AmeriCorps volunteers and staff represent what’s best about our country: a spirit of service and commitment to others that we need now more than ever.”
Costwise, VISTA is small potatoes in the stew of federally funded initiatives. Congress approved $103 million for the program in 2024, less than then-President Biden had requested. VISTA’s budget for 2025 had been set at $136.5 million.
MORE NEWS
Nov. 13, 2024 – Frank Sykes, executive director of the Geneva Public Library, received the Youth Advocate of the Year award at the annual gathering of Geneva 2030 and Success for Geneva’s Children. Speakers at the event focused on the development needs of preschool children in Geneva.
Aug. 27, 2024 – Washington Monthly ranks Hobart and William Smith first in the nation for service. See press release.
Aug. 5, 2024 – Geneva 2030 hosts annual summit.
July 15, 2024 – Students Outside All Summer program begins.
June 15, 2024 – Hobart and William Smith Colleges grads have been pivotal in the success of the Geneva High School College and Career Center, as well as Blueprint’s Community Kitchen. See the full release.
May 21, 2024 – Geneva voters passed the 2024-2025 school budget, which totals $73.7 million, up 8.3 percent over the prior year. See story about regional school votes, in the Finger Lakes Times.
April 26, 2024 – TGIF Geneva and Geneva 2030 coordinated an event celebrating the launch of the TGIF events calendar and providing information about summer opportunities and summer child care.
March 28, 2024 – The Geneva City School District and Geneva 2030 organized STEAM Night, Students of North Street and West Street schools created take-home LED flashlights, indulged in ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, tested the engineering of making the perfect paper airplane, planted herb seeds to observe growing at home, and discovered the magic of math.
Feb. 7, 2024 – Geneva 2030 has received a $20,000 grant from the Sociological Initiatives Foundation for a community literacy study. See the full story.
Nov. 28, 2023 – Geneva 2030, the Geneva City School District and the Boys and GIrls Club join forces to address the learning loss of elementary school students during the pandemic. See the full story.
Oct. 24, 2023 – Geneva 2030 and Success for Geneva’s Children to hold annual summit. See the press release. Also read the subsequent Finger Lakes Times report on honorees Sarah Scorsone and Fred Brockway.
Oct. 10, 2023 – Geneva High Schoolers get a taste of college life during the annual 9th-grade visit to HWS Colleges. See full press release.
Sept. 27, 2023 – Geneva 2030 holds summit, with a keynote address by Geneva native Christie Smith, associate vice president of undergraduate enrollment at Nazareth University. See full press release.
July 27, 2023 – A state commission formed to develop graduation requirements for New York students has held its final meeting and will present its recommendations in the fall. More info.
July 10, 2023 – Geneva 2030 continues its tradition of accompanying local second graders on a visit to the Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Read more on the HWS web site.
July 3, 2023 – Geneva Reads, a community partner of Geneva 2030, has honored its many volunteers in a get-together postponed since the onset of the pandemic. See the Finger Lakes Times coverage.
End of 2022-2023 school year – Geneva 2030’s College and Career Readiness Action Team is grateful to the community members who shared their expertise and career pathways with local Geneva City High School students during the 2022-2023 Geneva High School Career Chats lunch series.
June 26, 2023 – Geneva 2030 hosts its 2nd annual What’s Next? College and Career program.
April 11, 2023 – It’s school budget season. Geneva 2030 analyzes the crucial role education plays in the local economy. Read more.
Feb. 28, 2023 – Heather Schwilk is joining Geneva 2030 as its new director. Schwilk, co-director of the Moodie’s Children’s Hour School in Geneva and former director of programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester, will lead the initiative starting March 6. Read more.
Oct. 14, 2022 – At the annual joint meeting of Geneva 2030 and Success for Geneva’s Children, community members celebrated Geneva’s educators and alums, and looked ahead to continued partnership..Read more.
Sept. 1, 2022 – Test scores in elementary school math and reading plummeted during the pandemic to levels unseen for decades, according to a national survey. Read more at the Washington Post.
July 26, 2022 – Mark D. Gearan, a founder of Geneva 2030, is returning to serve again as president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Gearan previously was president of HWS from 1999 to 2017. In 2018 he became director of the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.
July 19, 2022 – Hobart and William Smith collaborate on a summer college and career readiness program for local high school students. This summer, Hobart and William Smith collaborated with Geneva 2030, Finger Lakes Community College and Geneva City School District to offer a week-long, half-day “What’s Next?” college and career readiness experiential program for rising ninth grade students through graduating seniors from Geneva High School.