AmeriCorps Member - Capacity Building / Volunteerism
Concrete Safaris has prepared youth in East Harlem and beyond to lead healthy lives and shape their environment through outdoor education, play, exploration, and community engagement since 2008. This is an opportunity for individuals (ages 18+) enrolled in a STEAM-related college major to apply for an AmeriCorps Member role at Concrete Safaris’ PlacemakingCorps. Concrete Safaris’ PlacemakingCorps offers individuals 300, 450, and 675-Hours of national service (like the Peace Corps but in the United States) to explore a career in public and environmental health and placemaking, while supporting youth development and community building.
Qualifications and Requirements:
- Must be age 18+
- Must be currently enrolled in a college/university
- Must be a US citizen or US national or lawful permanent resident
- Must pass criminal background checks
- Must be interested in pursuing a career in the field of public health or a STEAM-related field
- Must be able to and willing to get to and from Concrete Safaris’ East Harlem campus
- Must be fully COVID vaccinated
- Must be able to ride a two-wheeled bicycle in NYC traffic
Benefits:
- Up to $8,087 bi-weekly living allowance (paid in increments every other week if you meet your minimum required service hours)
- Up to $2,817.14 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of the program (includes required service and eduction/training hours)
- Student loan forbearance
- Up to $3,375 Concrete Safaris’ Scholarship (includes required service and eduction/training hours)
Work Schedule:
- Approximately Hours/Week, vary pending start date or 300 - 675 hours of service during the school year, summer, or overlapping. See more details here: https://concretesafaris.org/csplacemakingcorpsservice2025to26/
- Monday-Friday, Select Saturdays
Program Start/End Date
450 and 675 Hour Terms: October - June or January - August
300 Hour Term: June - August
Different Service Options Below:
Option 1: October 2026 - June 2027
Option 2: October 2026 to August 2027
Option 3: January 2027 - June 2027
Option 4: June 2027 - August 2027
Shifts: 9am - 2pm or 1-6pm
Reduced Half-time position ( Hours vary pending start date ) - Must complete 675 hours. Receive a Living Allowance of up to $8,087 (broken up into 2 week increments), Segal Education Award of $2,817.14 plus Concrete Safaris’ Scholarship of $3,375 (Once you complete all trainings and hours).
Quarter Time position ( Hours vary pending start date ) - Must complete 450 hours. Receive a Living Allowance of $5,393 (broken up into 2 week increments), Segal Education Award of $1,956.35 plus Concrete Safaris’ Scholarship of $2,250 (Once you complete all trainings and hours).
Summer Associate position ( 28 hours pre week ) - Must complete 300 hours. Receive a Living Allowance of $3,595 (broken up into 2 week increments), Segal Education Award of $1,565.08 plus Concrete Safaris’ Scholarship of $1,500 (Once you complete all trainings and hours).
AmeriCorps members serve children and youth with outdoor, experiential education to build environmental, health, and placemaking skills during school, after school, and camp within public housing based gardens and on city streets.
Role Responsibilities:
This AmeriCorps Member’s Purpose in the Program will be to recruit, orient, train, lead, evaluate, and/or recognize volunteer groups to support maintenance of outdoor garden and play spaces created by the children and youth enrolled in CS' programs. This also involves hosting community garden events, workshops, or classes on environmental topics and outdoor play.
Volunteer Management: Members are responsible for designing and implementing recruitment plan, developing an official organizational orientation for volunteers, training the volunteers during events and/or workshops, registering and checking in volunteers, leading various aspects of a volunteer event, developing, distributing, and analyzing volunteer surveys, and creating and implementing a volunteer recognition program, including a culminating celebration.
Garden Management and Maintenance: Members are responsible for all aspects of a garden's life cycle. This includes preparing garden beds, planting seeds and seedlings, weeding, watering, and harvesting. You'll need to know or be willing to learn about organic gardening practices, pest control, and soil health. You will lead garden volunteers in the gardens from start to end of each event, including set up, the day’s activities, and cleanup.
Administrative Tasks: Members will track and collect data on garden productivity and volunteer engagement through workshops, events, and outreach, and submit regular reports to PlacemakingCorps Coordinator.
Physical Stamina: The service is physically demanding and is done outdoors in all types of weather. You must be able to lift heavy items (like wheelbarrows, tables, and garden, photo, or outdoor play equipment, as it relates to your role), and stand / squat for long periods of time.
Must be a US citizen or able to work in the US. Must have a High School diploma or GED equivalent
All application materials, incl. background checks, must be completed before start date.
To learn more and apply visit: https://concretesafaris.org/csplacemakingcorpsservice2025to26/ or send resume to Christopher Hartsfield, Program Director at christopher@concretesafaris.org