Job Description

PLEASE NOTE : Applicants will need to apply here: Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.

Position Title: Community Volunteer Ambassador – Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Woodstock, VT

Application Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 8, 2024 .

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025

• End Date: Friday, December 19, 2025

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program combines the strength of a national leader in conservation service with the National Park Service to train a diverse group of emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities.

We are seeking a CVA with excellent communication skills, a service-oriented attitude, strong attention to detail, and a willingness to work in the field. During the park's open season from May through October, the CVA will work 5 days a week, including weekends, as both weekend days are required due to the busy season. In the winter and spring, the schedule will typically shift to Monday through Friday. During this period, the CVA will assist with volunteer and intern program planning, event organization, volunteer recruitment, and the development of community programs.

In 2025, the CVA will collaborate directly with NPS staff and local climate organizations dedicated to addressing the climate emergency.

Site Description

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park interprets the evolution of conservation thinking and practice in America and beyond. Although the site is named after three influential families from the 19th and 20th centuries, the park's programming extends beyond traditional narratives to embrace intersectional stories relevant to all audiences.

As the only national park site with an active forestry program, the park manages its 550 acres with a focus on both historic landscape integrity and climate change adaptation. This approach creates opportunities for fruitful and nuanced discussions with visitors about 21st-century land management. Rangers strive to inspire a broader understanding of the environment and foster a commitment to stewardship in the face of global challenges.

Located in the charming town of Woodstock, Vermont, the park collaborates with local organizations, including Billings Farm & Museum, to offer a diverse array of public programs and events.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park hosts a dedicated group of diverse volunteers who enhance the visitor experience and embody the park's stewardship mission. Each year, 30-40 local volunteers contribute an average of 3-9 hours per week during the open season from May to October. Volunteer positions include Trail Rovers, Mansion Tour Assistants, Front Desk Volunteers, Accessibility Cart Drivers, Garden Volunteers, and Special Event Volunteers.

Description of Duties:

• Volunteer recruitment

• Host volunteer orientation and training

• Update and publish weekly volunteer newsletter and schedule

• Work with division leaders (natural resources, maintenance, curatorial, interpretation) to create and support volunteer positions

• Collect and organize volunteer data for national reporting

• Assist in the planning, promotion, coordination, and execution of community-focused park events

• Build connections with NPS staff and local climate organizations to enhance focus on a climate-friendly future.

• Support the development of a community science program in collaboration with the education program, natural resources program, and Northeast Temperate Network.

• Assist with the park’s youth program and collaborate with summer youth corps and interns.

• Plan and lead special volunteer programs and events for Days of Service.

Qualifications:

• Willingness to learn new things

• Respect towards people of all ages and backgrounds

• Organized and self-directed

• Ability to work independently on tasks after being trained

• Interest in working with the public

• Willingness to occasionally work in the field with volunteer groups (ex. Event set up, trail work, etc.)

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien

• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award

• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

• Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in March 2025 (date TBD)

• Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old)

• Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position

• Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check

Preferred Qualifications:

• Customer service experience

• Public speaking and/or experience facilitating group trainings

• Experience working with senior/retirement community

• Interest in the field of visitor services and/or interpretation

• Interest in creating climate-friendly programming

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• This position is expected to serve a 40-hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary and will be set by host site.

• Lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.

• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

• Week-long, in-person training on NPS volunteer program management and leadership skills.

• Year-long continuum of learning supporting professional development

• $1,200 in Professional Development Funds

Additional Information:

• Opportunity to participate in two-park intern cohort that meets weekly to discuss a variety of issues and undergo specialized professional development. Topics range from resume building to facilitated discussions on increasing diversity in the NPS.

• Opportunities to participate in a broad range of professional development opportunities in the fields of interpretation, visitor services, natural resources, maintenance, and curatorial, based on the participant's individual interest.

• Broad range of training opportunities depending on participant interest

• Opportunity to work closely with staff at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park (home of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens)

• Shared housing available at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395

• Living Allowance of $600 per week.

• Additional Benefit of $150 per week, if housing is not provided.

• Healthcare Coverage

• Childcare Coverage

• Loan forbearance

• Interest Payments

• $1,200 in Professional Development funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel.

• Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations

• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority

• Week-long in-person training at NPS site with travel/meal expenses covered.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

How to Apply

Please visit Community Volunteer Ambassador (cvainternships.org) to review “Member Positions” by region and find instructions on how to apply.

The CVA position will start on Tuesday, January 21, and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 19, 2025.

PLEASE NOTE : Applicants will need to apply here: Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.

Please ensure your cover letter addresses how your experience aligns with the CVA program, your experience working with diverse populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in.

Applications Deadline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 8, 2024 .

For Application Questions:

Please contact James Gasaway, Program Director at [email protected]

hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Internship, Summer internship, Local area, Shift work, Night shift, Sunday, Monday to Friday,

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