Position Title: Volunteer Program Assistant – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

Shenandoah National Park

3655 US Hwy 211 E Luray VA 22835

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 6/15/2026
• End Date: 8/23/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)

Purpose:

• The Shenandoah Volunteer Program equips many people with career skills such as trail work, facilities maintenance, and environmental education. This plan will help the Volunteer Program to reach more potential volunteers and connect them with skills and experiences.
• The Summer Associate(s) at Shenandoah National Park will enable Shenandoah to host more volunteers and to provide a better experience for volunteers. It will enable a higher ratio of staff to volunteers, enabling people to build more personal relationships with the park, be monitored for safety and best practices, and to feel recognized for their contributions.
• The SHEN Volunteer Program Assistant Summer Associate will support Shenandoah in welcoming dozens of youth and young adult volunteers to the park in the summer of 2026. They will help NPS staff and partner employees to plan projects, they will gather materials and maintain organized caches, they will help collect data, paperwork, and records of service events. The Associate will enable Shenandoah NP staff to host more volunteers during their tenure and provide a more robust experience for volunteers.

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.

• Liaise with colleagues and volunteers to coordinate service projects
• Prepare tools, materials, personal protective equipment, and paperwork for service events
• Ensure volunteers are working safely and using equipment appropriately
• Maintain a welcoming environment and share park information with volunteers
• Train small groups of volunteers and maintain expectations for best practices
• Track and document service project data in a shared database
• Collect and document volunteer feedback
• Support storytelling by taking and documenting photos
• Assist with record upkeep
• Assist with volunteer recognition events to foster and build community within the program

Qualifications:

• Car recommended;
• Desired education level: High School Diploma
• 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
• Permits working at another job during off hours;
• Permits attendance at school during off hours;

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.
• Uniforms provided and required

Benefits:

• 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:

Corrina Wendel
corrina_wendel@nps.gov
(719) 221-4711

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.