| OCR Text |
Show Women in the Labor Force 215 organization in such fields as education, recreation, health, and social and community service. Work is limited to 15 hours weekly, including employment in projects connected with community action programs. Participating institutions receive Federal allotments to pay for 90 percent of the working students' wages. Colleges and other em ploying agencies pay the remainder. Students' salaries are expected to be. commensuratewith the work involved and equal to the "going rate" of pay for such work in the area. In addition, students in the work -study program can be aided by loans under the National Defense Education Act. The total number of students participating has not yet been determined, but it is expected to be substantial. Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).-A domestic version of the Peace Corps, VISTA offers Americans the opportunity to join the war on poverty at home by working on a volunteer basis with the disadvantaged. Any person 18 years of age or older may apply; married couples are eligible if iboth the husband and wife qualify for service. Selected applicants are invited to participate in a 4- to 6-week training program at the beginning of their I-year service period. They are trained for the job and location to which they are assigned as requested by interested jurisdictions. Training, which stresses su field pervised experience, is conducted by local private and public or ganizations, including selected colleges and universities under the guidance of the Office of Economic Opportunity. These volunteers help teach, train, and counsel impoverished Ameri cans in rural and urban community action programs, Job Corps camps, migrant worker communities, Indian reservations, hospitals, schools, and institutions for the mentally ill or mentally retarded. Their assignments may be in any of the 50 States, the District of Co lumbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Applicants may, however, express an area preference. Volunteers receive a monthly living allowance varying according to locality, and are reimbursed for medical and dental expenses during service. In addition, they receive a readjustment allowance of $50 for each month of satisfactory service, to be paid upon completion of service. By June 1965 almost 20,000 men and women had applied. OOmJm11lnity action programs.-Under these programs individual communities decide how they want to do the job of fighting poverty through the use of existing private and public resources supplemented by Federal assistance. Programs may be in such areas as employment, job training and counseling, health, vocational rehabilitation, welfare, housing, home management, and remedial education. |
