Community Volunteer Ambassador - Southeast Utah Group

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2025 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references. 

Position Title:  Community Volunteer Ambassador – Southeast Utah Group - AmeriCorps 

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements 

Site Location:  Moab, UT 

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.  

The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) will support all aspects of the Southeast Utah Group’s (SEUG) volunteer program. This dynamic program supports volunteers at four incredible national park units: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument. The CVA’s work will involve a combination of administrative duties, like responding to volunteer requests and scheduling volunteer groups, and directly supervising volunteer projects out in the parks. The CVA will work on various special projects: the development of a quarterly volunteer newsletter, the expansion of the Trail Stewards volunteer program, and the creation of training materials about Volunteer.gov for volunteers.  This position will be best fitted for someone who can work independently on projects but also enjoys interacting with people.  

Site Description  

The Southeast Utah Group (SEUG) volunteer program spans four national park sites: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument. Although each park site is unique, they showcase some of the most iconic geologic formations of the Southwest, including the famous Delicate Arch. This vast desert landscape and its thousands of years of human history attract visitors from across the world.    
  
The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) will spend most of their time at Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Arches National Park contains the largest concentration of natural arches on earth (over 2,000). In addition, Arches National Park protects a notable array of cultural sites and features that reflect the many different ways people have occupied and used Colorado Plateau landscapes over the last 12,000 years. Canyonlands National Park protects the confluence and associated ecosystems of two major western rivers, the Green and Colorado, which have shaped the complex natural and human histories of the park and surrounding region.   
  
Between all four park sites, SEUG volunteer program usually hosts around 350 total volunteers per year. Most volunteers serve at Arches National Park. For this reason, the CVA intern will be stationed closest to Arches in Moab, UT; a small but vibrant community of 5,300 permanent residents and over 3 million tourists a year. Moab has all basic amenities (grocery stores, restaurants, a library, gas stations, banks, gyms, coffee shops, etc.). The town hosts several community events throughout the year, including concerts in the park, science-themed movies, art & crafts festivals, science talks, art walks, farmers’ markets, etc.    

Description of Duties: 

Assist CVA supervisor with most administrative aspects of volunteer program (volunteer paperwork & hours management, responding to volunteer requests, scheduling volunteer groups and projects, recruiting new volunteers, training volunteers & volunteer supervisors, planning volunteer recognition events, etc.)   

Directly oversee single day volunteer groups in trash pick-up and invasive plants removal projects.   

Recruit volunteers for, facilitate, and oversee monthly Service Saturday trash pick-up events.   

Develop interpretive programs about Leave No Trace ethics and other topics to present to volunteer groups.   

Develop and distribute a quarterly volunteer newsletter in partnership with CVA supervisor.   

Assist with expanding the Arches Trail Steward volunteer program to Canyonlands through volunteer recruitment, interviews, onboarding, training, and logistics.    

Create training materials (including videos) for volunteers and volunteer supervisors in the use of volunteer.gov for digital paperwork and volunteer hours tracking.    

On an intermittent basis, participate in community outreach events to connect with underrepresented local populations and recruit local volunteers.  

Qualifications: 

Organized and self-directed.   

Excellent attention to detail.   

Strong verbal and written communication skills.    

Ability to work independently on tasks after being trained.   

A positive, friendly attitude.   

Respect towards peoples of all ages and backgrounds.   

Interest in stewardship and the outdoors.   

Access to a personal vehicle.  

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:  

Experience engaging general public, especially youth.    

Experience organizing or facilitating group projects/trips.   

Strong computer and digital skills including Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and basic photo & video editing.    

Comfort with public speaking.  

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:  

The CVA intern will typically work Tuesday through Saturday (and evenings on rare occasions)   

The CVA will spend approximately 70% of their time in the office and about 30% of their time out in the field.   

The CVA will be given numerous cross-training and job shadowing opportunities with other NPS teams to support the CVA’s career development.    

The CVA will be integrated into a larger of community of SEUG interns through a handful of in-person intern community development events.    

As part of orientation, the CVA will explore and learn about all SEUG park units. This will allow the CVA to experience the parks’ many natural and cultural wonders firsthand.  

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: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2025 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 jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org  

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to 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.