This summer, AmeriCorps VISTAs are serving in the Up2Us Sports VISTA Program at over 60 different host sites all over the country. Each VISTA has the opportunity to grow the sports-based youth development movement and impact the communities they are serving. By contributing to their host sites, each VISTA is gaining valuable experience that has the opportunity to impact their future professional careers. 

Amanda Kaufman is a 2022 Summer VISTA at SG United Foundation. SG United Foundation’s mission is to empower young girls through sport and physical activity in York, Maine. They use the acronym “FUEL” (Fun, Unity, Empowerment, and Leadership) as the core values that drive their program initiatives.  When asked about programming that SG United Foundation offers Kaufman said, “One of our biggest programs is FAM, a mentorship program that pairs a girl with a collegiate female athlete mentor!” In addition to FAM, SG United Foundation also offers Strong Girls U, Strongs Girls Community Teams, Events with Impact, and Strong Girls on Demand.

Amanda’s role as the Marketing and Community Engagement VISTA allows her to increase awareness for SG United Foundation. Her main responsibilities include creating posts for SG United's Instagram page and conducting community outreach by emailing college athletic departments to find female athletes for FAM. Through her work on the marketing and community engagement team, Amanda has gained new experiences at her host site that merged two of her professional worlds together. “My first project was to create a Title IX countdown series on our Instagram to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX in June. In my past experience as a VISTA at the Women’s Sports Foundation I worked on the beginning stages of their latest research report about Title IX so this was a full circle moment and felt very meaningful,” Amanda explained. With plenty of time left in the summer, Amanda has even more exciting upcoming opportunities and projects. “I think I’m most excited about our Mental Skills Monday Instagram series. Every Monday we feature a simple mental health tip on our Instagram. I am starting graduate school at the University of Miami Ohio in the fall for sports psychology so this is an area I have a lot of interest in.”

SG United Foundation is starting registration for FAM, their mentorship program, soon. This year will also see the inaugural SGU book club for anyone in fifth grade or older. To stay up to date on all the opportunities offered by SG United Foundation follow them on Instagram @stronggirlsunited.