VISTA, OR "VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE TO AMERICAN," IS A PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 1964 TO DEAL WITH POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES. VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED FOR SIX WEEKS AND ASSIGNED TO LOCAL AGENCIES WHO SERVE AS SPONSORS AND PROVIDE SUPERVISION AND INSERVICE TRAINING. A STUDY HAS FOLLOWED 126 VOLUNTEERS, TRAINED IN FIVE CYCLES BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1965 AND JULY 1966 AT THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK FOR URBAN COMMUNITY ACTION AND ASSIGNED TO 43 URBAN PROJECTS, FROM THE INCEPTION OF THEIR TRAINING THROUGH THEIR YEAR OF VISTA SERVICE. THIS REPORT COVERS THE TRAINING PERIOD AND THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS ON THE JOB. PART I REPRESENTS A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE VOLUNTEERS, THEIR TRAINING AT COLUMBIA, THEIR SPONSORING AGENCIES, AND THEIR LIFE ON THE JOB AND IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY SERVED. PART II IS AN EVALUATION OF TRAINING AND JOB EXPERIENCE BY VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR SUPERVISORS, AS EXPRESSED IN STRUCTURED FIELD INTERVIEWS AND ON RATING SCALES. IMPLICATIONS ARE DRAWN FOR VISTA TRAINING, PLACEMENT, AND ADMINISTRATION. FUTURE REPORTS WILL PRESENT ANALYSES OF 11 ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL TESTS ADMINISTERED TO EACH VOLUNTEER AT THE INCEPTION AND CONCLUSION OF TRAINING AND AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF SERVICE, VOLUNTEER REACTIONS TO THEIR TOTAL EXPERIENCE, AND THE IMPACT OF VARIATIONS ON TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS. (AJ)