Community Volunteer Ambassador, Antietam National Battlefield – 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, Antietam National Battlefield – AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements Program
Site Location: Antietam National Battlefield
5831 Dunker Church Rd., Sharpsburg, MD 21782
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.
Antietam National Battlefield preserves the site of America's bloodiest single-day Battle. After twelve hours of fighting, nearly 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
Antietam National Battlefield has a thriving volunteer program that draws on many of the small, local communities as well as the larger, urban areas surrounding Sharpsburg, MD. We engage a large number of event volunteers through our Annual Memorial Illumination, in which hundreds of volunteers build and place 22,720 luminaries to represent each casualty of Antietam. This fiscal year, we hosted two public workdays, as well as workdays for several corporate and non-profit groups focused on landscape restoration, headstone cleaning, and invasive plant management. Most of our long-term volunteers, who number around 125, provide interpretive services, but we also have smaller, active programs in natural and cultural resource management.
The CVA will be tasked primarily with expanding volunteer opportunities in the Natural and Cultural Resources division, including starting up a headstone cleaning crew and building our Weed Warrior program, which we started last year. The CVA will assist with making improvements to the safety and efficiency of the largest park volunteer event, the Annual Memorial Illumination, which occurs the first Saturday in December every year. In addition, the CVA will assist with the day-to-day administration of the volunteer program.
Description of Duties:
Logging volunteer hours and compiling statistics for annual reporting
Working directly with volunteers and volunteer groups for public workdays and group workdays
Continuing to build the Weed Warrior program
Assisting with the start up for a crew of headstone cleaning volunteers
Assisting with making improvements to the Annual Memorial llumination
Assisting in planning and carrying out volunteer recognition
Occasionally staffing an information desk
Occasionally providing short interpretive or service-learning programs.
Qualifications:
Ability to work effectively in teams of individuals from differing backgrounds
Interpersonal skills
Excellent organizational skills
Ability to manage several tasks simultaneously
Ability to work independently and take initiative
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:
Knowledge of native and invasive plants and manual invasive plant management methods
Knowledge of and interest in history
Experience with volunteer management and/or event coordination
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:
Weekend work will be required and applicants must be able to drive and have a personal vehicle to succeed in this position. Several other National Park sites are in close proximity (within 40 miles): Harper's Ferry, Catoctin, Monocacy, and the C & O Canal. Housing is not provided by host site, CVA will be responsible for finding housing in the local area.
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.