• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • University of Alaska Fairbanks
    • UAF Graduate School
    • Arctic and Northern Studies
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • University of Alaska Fairbanks
    • UAF Graduate School
    • Arctic and Northern Studies
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of Scholarworks@UACommunitiesPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypeThis CollectionPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsType

    My Account

    Login

    First Time Submitters, Register Here

    Register

    Statistics

    Display statistics

    Northern vistas: a retrospective of the rural Alaskan Volunteers in service to America program 1965-1971

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    Hoefler_C_2022.pdf
    Size:
    4.588Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    Download
    Author
    Hoefler, Carol Fuiten
    Chair
    Ehrlander, Mary F.
    Committee
    McCartney, Leslie
    Wight, Philip
    Keyword
    Voluntarism
    Volunteers
    Community development
    Community health services
    Rural development
    Rural conditions
    Rural poor
    Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/11122/13073
    Abstract
    This thesis examines the Volunteers in Service to America program as it operated in rural Alaska from 1965 to 1971. Oral histories, correspondence from the volunteers, trainers and stakeholders offer a rich historical perspective of the program's successes and failures. Remote and underdeveloped village conditions presented daunting operational challenges to the program and its volunteers. During the study period, rural Alaska underwent dramatic social and political changes as recent statehood and looming resource development necessitated resolution of Native land claims. A series of new federal anti-poverty initiatives and the transfer of existing agencies to state and local oversight presented opportunities for volunteer participation. From a national perspective, the program struggled as political tides shifted and conflicting ideologies impacted its mission. Through analysis of interviews and written accounts, this study raises questions about the volunteers' perceived mission as it relates to these rapidly changing conditions. It provides a lens for evaluation of the program's successes and failures. It recognizes the volunteers' efforts and reveals the serendipitous outcome of continued Alaskan civic participation from many of its original volunteers. This study highlights their efforts and demonstrates how the rural "VISTA Alaska" contributed to the development of a cohort of young professionals committed to lasting careers in service areas that have benefited rural Alaska and underserved populations.
    Description
    Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2022
    Table of Contents
    Chapter 1. Introduction: The EOA programs and their role in rural Alaska. Chapter 2. Methods and literature review -- 2.1. Methodology -- 2.2. Literature Review -- 2.3. VISTA in a national and regional context -- 2.4. The broad benefits of volunteerism -- 2.5. VISTA in an Alaskan context -- 2.6. Personal published accounts. Chapter 3. Operational details and individual recollections -- 3.1. Motivations and recruitment -- 3.2. Program inception: Original administrative structure in Alaska -- 3.3. Volunteer training. Chapter 4. Honey buckets, hauled water and a culture of visiting -- 4.1. Assignments, adjustments, immersion, initiatives -- 4.2. VISTAs' perceptions of poverty across rural Alaska. Chapter 5. Interactions with schools, private businesses, and government agencies -- 5.1. Schools, churches, private businesses -- 5.2. Individual and program successes -- 5.3. The RurAL CAP legacy programs -- 5.3.1. Head Start -- 5.3.2. Alaska Legal Services -- 5.3.3. Community Economic Development Corporation -- 5.4. Operation grass roots, budget uncertainty and the quest for llocal control -- 5.4.1. Operation grass roots -- 5.4.2. Budget uncertainty for Alaska State Community Action Program -- 5.4.3. Transitions - state- and national-level program revisions -- 5.5. Conflict and termination -- 5.6. Program suspension and restructuring. Chapter 6. Aftermath - continued service in Alaska. Chapter 7. Conclusions and Discussion. Bibliography -- Manuscript Collections -- Appendices.
    Date
    2022-08
    Type
    Thesis
    Collections
    Arctic and Northern Studies

    entitlement

     
    ABOUT US|HELP|BROWSE|ADVANCED SEARCH

    The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, educational institution and provider and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual.

    Learn more about UA’s notice of nondiscrimination.

    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.