Community Volunteer Ambassador, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park – AmeriCorps
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-2026 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.
Position Title: Community Volunteer Ambassador, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park – AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements Program
Site Location: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
450 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Terms of Service:
Start Date: 2/23/2026
End Date: 2/5/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour Slot
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 emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park (MALU) covers about 35 acres and includes several sites in Atlanta, Georgia related to the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The park’s legislation relates to the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried. It also includes a preservation district.
Within the park are his birth / boyhood home, family home, and Ebenezer Baptist Church – the church where King was baptized and both he and his father, Martin Luther King Sr., were pastors – as well as the grave site of King and his wife, civil rights activist Coretta Scott King.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District is an area bounded roughly by Irwin, Randolph, Edgewood, Jackson, and Auburn avenues. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1974. The district included Ebenezer Baptist Church, King's grave site and memorial, King's birthplace, shotgun row houses, Victorian houses, the Atlanta Baptist Preparatory Institute site, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Fire Station No. 6, and the Mason's Building on Auburn Avenue.
The MALU Volunteer Program is offering the CVA an opportunity to participate in upgrading the program to meet the park's new strategic plan and grant investments from the National Park Foundation. The current program enlists the assistance of mostly senior volunteers who work alongside our interpretive guides as they greet the public, explain our exhibits, talk about the life of Dr. King on Auburn Avenue, and assist with special events (e.g. FIFA, A250, and existing civil rights anniversaries). The expanded program will build a better volunteer program infrastructure at the park to include effective Recruitment, Recognition, and Retention Programs as pillars of our Volunteer-In-Parks efforts. The new program will cover all divisions in the park: Resource Management, Facilities Management, Administration, Communications, and Interpretation. We would like for the CVA to assist us with developing a new plan over a three-month period. NPCA has volunteered to assist with this process.
The CVA activities, duties, and responsibilities will be used to strengthen local engagement, enhance park resources and promote stewardship at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District (MALU). MALU is in need of leveraging its existing community partnerships which are longstanding, but have not been expanded to meet current strategic needs in the park. For example, the Atlanta Woman's Club (AWC) currently volunteers weekly to maintain the International Peace Rose Garden in the center of the park. This is an important feature in the park that provides a moment of reflection and beauty given the park's subject matter. The AWC represents a cross-section of professional women of all ages, races and religions who share a common goal to work together to improve our local community, socially, physically, culturally, and educationally.
The park CVA could be instrumental in helping MALU Division Chiefs identify park volunteer opportunities that could be matched with the expertise in the AWC. This strategic plan would deepen the partnership between AWC and MALU by matching the expertise in AWC with MALU park opportunities. The CVA would also be able to provide the volunteer management, retention, and recognition necessary to have a successful program partnership. This approach could then be used to leverage other existing community partnerships with organizations including Ebenezer Baptist Church, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Georgia State University, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Description of Duties:
Day-to-day management of the Volunteer-In-Parks program at MALUDevelop and implement the VIP Plan for MALU
Work across all park Divisions to collect data on volunteer needs and deployment
Answer all data calls
Outreach to partner organizations and host meetings for recruitment
Work with park Division Chief to refine the recruitment, retention, and incentive programs
Supervise the training programs for volunteers
Manage all job descriptions
Participate in special events in the park
Qualifications:
Strong communication skills
Effective listening skills
Empathetic leader
People person
Strong work ethic
Ability to balance multiple deadlines and deliver on each
Excellent organizational skills
Experience as a volunteer in a large organization with multiple partners
AA or Bachelor's Degree or equivalent preferred
Appreciation for Civil Right, community history, and historic preservation
Tech-savvy
Experience with recruitment, retention, and training of volunteers
Ability to work with partners from multiple sectors
Ability to be flexible
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.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience engaging with international audiences
Effective communication skills both speaking and listening
Excellent writing skills
High degree of emotional intelligence
Experience engaging volunteers at different age levels - across generations
Ability to make fun break out all over the park with volunteer's energy
Our Commitment:
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.
Time Requirements:
Typically, this position is expected to serve 40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
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
$750.00 in Professional Development Funds for travel and training
Additional Position and Community Information:
MALU has its highest visitation on the weekends. However, during the school year and summer (family reunions) there are high number of buses and families in the park. Therefore, the CVA needs to have a flexible schedule to include days and weekends.
The park has housing at a reduced rental rate. The CVA must be sensitive to the King Family who have their organization directly across the street from the MALU Visitor Center. The park has many high-profile visitors and the CVA should be able to coach volunteers on protocols and procedures.
Benefits:
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00
Living Allowance of $600.00 per week.
Additional Benefit of $150.00 per week if housing is NOT provided by NPS host site at no cost to the participant.
Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
Childcare Coverage if Eligible
Loan forbearance if Eligible
Interest Payments if Eligible
10 Federal Holidays, 13 days Personal Leave, 13 days Sick Leave
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 Monday, February 23, 2026 and run for 50 weeks until Friday, February 5, 2027.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-2026
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 different populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in.
Application Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Final deadline is Friday, January 9, 2026.
For Application Questions:
Please contact James Gasaway, Program Director at jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org
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.