July 2010, new AmeriCorps VISTA member, Laura Banos relocated to north western Pennsylvania to serve in a coordinated VISTA position with the Crawford County Children's Advisory Council and Crawford Central School District's Meadville Area Middle School (MAMS). Laura’s VISTA assignment description indicated that she would develop coordinated programming through a mutually beneficial relationship with Allegheny College. With support from MAMS’ administrators, Laura set to work identifying what administration, teachers and students most desired and needed to reach individual academic and personal success. A year later and a second AmeriCorps VISTA term, Laura supported the development of a sustainable in-school tutoring program and after school mentoring program. The MAMS Academic Tutoring program offers MAMS students the opportunity to seek help Monday through Friday during every study hall. Students are met by two or more consistent Allegheny College student volunteers who offer one to one or small group tutoring in the tutoring classroom. As sense of community is created within the tutoring classroom that helps to de-stigmatize the need to ask for academic help and assists in the forming of caring relationships between tutor and tutee. Allegheny College students who commit to at least one semester, with many committing for the entire academic year, are provided with experiential learning opportunities that both complement their academic endeavors and prepare them for professional aspirations. Approximately eighty-five MAMS students utilize the tutor services of approximately sixteen Allegheny College students who serve an average of 4-5 hours per week. The MLK Mentoring Program meets two hours, two days per week, after school to provide forty MAMS students with academic support, opportunities to develop social skills, activities to promote character and community building and service-learning experiences. The mentoring program is staffed by a volunteer director, retired educator, Dr. Armendia Dixon, a retired teacher, two Allegheny College Bonner student service leaders, and twenty-two Allegheny College volunteers. To prepare Allegheny College students to serve as effective tutors and mentors, Laura organized professional development trainings each semester. She took the trainings to a new level by joining fellow AmeriCorps VISTA member, Marisa Frey, serving with Allegheny College and Allegheny College Bonner student service leader, Nancy Chen to organize the first ever All Youth Volunteer Training in February 2012. The training included a keynote address and breakout sessions. In addition to developing these programs, Laura has introduced MAMS to service-learning including community service events including Make a Difference Day and Global Youth Service Day and has partnered MAMS students with Allegheny College students to participate in monthly Service Saturday events. Laura coordinated school-wide participation in the community French Creek Clean-up in which MAMS was awarded $1,000 for the educational institution with the most volunteers. Laura dedication to service has provided MAMS with the necessary resources to impact their students both academically and personally leading MAMS to be renamed as a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.