Position Title: Capacity Building Summer Associate – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

Great Basin National Park Foundation Education & Digital Communications

100 Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV 89311

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 6/1/2026
• End Date: 8/9/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)

Purpose:

• In Nevada, only 34% of students are proficient in science. Our education programs inspire students to learn about, and care for, their environment through next-generation place-based science learning. Students are invited to think like scientists and to learn from experts in the field. Education is a path to higher income. Exciting youth about science learning and career exploration opens doors them. Youth are exposed to people, places, and concepts that promote their self confidence. Through self confidence and education, youth are more likely to succeed and move away from poverty. In rural Nevada, the majority of youth do not have college educated parents. And the youth we work with from urban areas, that are from Title 1 schools, generally do not have college educated parents. Being exposed to science, scientists, and conservation careers, inspires youth to contemplate higher education.
• The digital communications part of this project will especially grow our capacity to engage new people to join our community of support for Great Basin National Park.
• The Summer Associate will divide their 10-week term equally between strengthening the Foundation’s digital communications and supporting in-person and virtual education programs. Approximately 50% of the role will support hands-on education and outreach. The Associate will assist with program delivery and logistics of camping programs for underserved youth from Las Vegas as well as deliver virtual education programs. The remaining 50% will focus on social media and communications. The Associate will develop and implement a content calendar, create engaging posts across platforms, capture photography and short-form video, track engagement metrics, and create a content library.

Description of Duties:

The Summer Associate will focus on capacity-building activities that produce internal planning resources, documentation tools, and community engagement materials. Duties may include compiling labor market research summaries, developing workforce resource inventories, creating community asset maps, organizing environmental data sets, drafting partnership coordination frameworks, designing planning templates and resource guides, and assisting with public-facing informational workshops, outreach campaigns, or site observations. Activities are designed to strengthen host organizations’ capacity, guide long-term workforce and environmental program development, provide tangible connections between planning tools and community needs, and support measurable outcomes in workforce access, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

The AmeriCorps VISTA member will serve with the Great Basin National Park Foundation in partnership with Great Basin National Park, supporting education, outreach, youth engagement programs, as well as social media content creation, monitoring, and strategy. Primary duties include assisting with camping programs for underserved youth from Las Vegas, leading science based education programs, helping create and manage digital communications and social media. The member will receive training and mentorship while developing skills in interpretation, program coordination, community engagement, and communications. Housing is provided in the rural community of Baker. This position is ideal for a self-starter who is organized, trustworthy, adaptable, and passionate about the outdoors and working in a remote environment.

Qualifications:

• Desired education level: Some College
• Language requirement: English
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 17 years of age
• 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.

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:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time, 35-40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Car recommended;

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service.

Benefits:

• Housing is provided in the rural community of Baker
• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,565.08
• Living Allowance of $957.46 (taxable) every other week.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• Recreational Opportunities
• Professional Development Opportunities

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate, performance will be evaluated on whether the Summer Associate has completed the required number of hours, whether the Summer Associate has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the Summer Associate 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.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Erin Adams

eadams@conservationlegacy.org

330 Harper Park Drive

Beckley, WV 25801

(304) 860-0578

Host Organization Contact:

Aviva O'Neil
executivedirector@greatbasinfoundation.org

775-983-6171

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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