Equestrian Center Programming Facilitator

The Equestrian Center Programming Facilitator plays a vital role in advocating for and enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities within Polk County Conservation. This position focuses on expanding Veteran’s programming, youth mental health initiatives, and enhancing current Equestrian Center program offerings. AmeriCorps Volunteers serving with the Equestrian Center will have dual enrollment in the Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC) that is a nationwide initiative. Participants gain valuable practical skills through professional trainings and certification programs. The YMHC program is limited to individuals who are between the ages of 18-24; persons outside of that age range are ineligible for enrollment. 
 

This position is supportive and preventative in nature, not clinical. Volunteers do not provide therapy, counseling, diagnoses, or independent crisis intervention, nor are they expected to manage mental health emergencies beyond their training and comfortability. Instead, they help connect youth with appropriate staff and resources while contributing to a supportive outdoor environment. Through this service, Volunteers advance Polk County Conservation’s mission by making outdoor recreation and conservation education more accessible and meaningful for local youth, while helping foster the development of social connections and supportive experiences that contribute to the well-being of Polk County residents.   
 

One Quarter-Time Equestrian Center Programming Facilitator will serve with Polk County Conservation as part of the Polk County Conservation AmeriCorps Program. AmeriCorps volunteers develop skills that build a strong, leadership-packed résumé; earn a living stipend ($6,270) paid equally over the course of 450 hours of service; and receive a Segal Education Award upon successful completion ($1,956.35) to pay for higher education or qualified student loans. This position is Quarter-Time; Volunteers will serve a minimum of 450 hours over the course of 32 weeks, serving a minimum of 10 hours/week from January to May and a minimum of 24 hours/week from June to August. 

This posting is not a direct position of Polk County Conservation, and successful applicants will not be employees of Polk County. Successful applicants will not be subject to terms and conditions of Polk County employment and will not be eligible for any employee benefits provided by Polk County. However, these positions will be serving with Polk County Conservation, a host site of the Polk County Conservation AmeriCorps Program, and will be subject to AmeriCorps rules, benefits, and federal requirements.   

Volunteer Schedule 

January to May  

• January program orientation and YMHC trainings 
• Volunteer will spend a minimum of 10 hours/week participating in position-specific orientation and trainings. Some elements of the orientation and training can be completed via teleservice, but requires prior approval from Program Coordinator 
• February program sessions begin: Monday evenings 4pm-8pm; Volunteer will complete YMHC tasks to meet the minimum of 10 hours/week 

June to August 

• Summer youth programming sessions begin: Monday-Thursday 7am-2pm; 24 hours/week 

• A 30-minute meal break will be allocated to the volunteer if they serve five consecutive hours in one service day; these 30 minutes cannot be counted towards the required 450 service hours 
• Every service day will include one 15-minute break; additional breaks must be taken if the temperature is above 85 degrees 
• Volunteer may serve during special events that take place on some weekends 
  • A minimum of two weeks’ notice will be given to Volunteer prior to the event occurring 
  • Volunteer will be allowed to flex hours during the week if there is an event occurring over the weekend to promote a healthy workload 

* Volunteers must not serve any hours on the major federal holidays – New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.  This includes checking emails, self-directed training, or teleservice.  If the Host Site is open on one of these holidays and volunteers are expected to serve, the site supervisor should work with Program to gain approval for this volunteer service prior to the holiday.  For any of the other federal holidays, including MLK Day, Presidents Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Veterans Day, Host Sites will communicate expectations of volunteer service in advance.  If the Host Site is closed on one of more of those lesser holidays (including the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas eve) or the Host Site recognizes other workdays when major federal holidays fall on weekend days, volunteers should not check their email, complete timesheets, or do teleservice on those days either unless they follow the procedure above. Sick or personal leave, and holidays is allowed, but such time off does not count towards the required number of hours needed to successfully complete the term of service. There are additional benefits offered if the volunteer has a compelling personal circumstance. 

The Quarter-Time Equestrian Center Programming Facilitator will receive two weeks of comprehensive training focused on the Jester Park Equestrian Center. Volunteers will become familiar with the facility, current equine services offered, current public outreach efforts, basic equine husbandry, fundamentals of speech to communicate with program attendees, and basics of program development. Volunteers will continue to receive on-the-job training outside of the first two weeks to improve their understanding of the changing needs of the public demographic that utilizes the Jester Park Equestrian Center.  

All participants in the Polk County Conservation AmeriCorps Youth Mental Health Corps Program that serve around youth or vulnerable adults are required to complete the following trainings: 

• CPR/AED and first aid certification through the American Heart Association via online modules and an in-person practical skills test 
• Mental Health First Aid  
• Iowa DHS Mandatory Reporter Training 
• ACEs 360 

Volunteers may select between two YMHC workforce pathways based on their personal career goals. 

Community Health Worker: 

• Public health for community health workers training (12 hours total) - required 
• Youth mental health foundations training (2 hours total) - required 

School-based Mental Health Navigator: 

• Volunteers enrolled in this pathway must select a minimum of one of the listed programs to meet the minimum requirements. 
• Direct support professional behavioral and mental health certificate through DMACC (54 hours total) 
• Registered behavioral technician certificate through University of Kansas (40 hours total) 
  • Requires additional registration for exam and passing of exam to receive certificate 
• Paraeducator certification program (90 hours total)  

Additional Optional Trainings: 

• Motivational Interviewing (2 hours total) 
• School Mental Health Training through University of Iowa (multiple module options to choose from) 
• Iowa Area Education Agencies (catalogue of additional trainings) 
• Community Health Worker Specialization Trainings – must complete initial community health worker trainings 
  • Maternal Health Training (6 hours total)  
  • Mental Health Training (4.5 hours) 

Essential Functions: 

• Develop and facilitate deliverable mental health programming that centers around outdoor recreation and the outdoors – primary audience of individuals between the ages of 13-24 
  • Volunteers may also create handouts, infographics, social media videos, blog posts, or other forms of public resources for education and advocacy of mental health topics 
  • Volunteers will receive access to Canva for the creation of deliverables as well as a Google account for the development of program offerings 
  • All public deliverables must be approved by the Polk County Conservation Community Outreach staff before it can be utilized with Polk County residents 
• Provide knowledgeable support to Polk County Conservation staff when navigating behavior management of program participants  
  • The Volunteer will utilize the information and skills developed from the training they complete and will provide appropriate resources to program participants as needed 
  • Establish a resource list that can be distributed to Polk County staff, community members, and other local organizations 
• Design and facilitate a minimum of one equine-assisted service tailored to the needs and interests of Veterans and youth demographics during service term 
  • The volunteer-developed program will be focused on improving the emotional regulation and well-being of community members through the use of horses 
• Facilitate and manage professional connections with Veteran service organizations and healthcare providers in the Polk County area to identify community members who could benefit from equine-assisted services and outdoor recreation opportunities 
  • The volunteer is responsible for communicating with partner organizations via email and phone about program opportunities to share with persons that utilize respective services 
  • The volunteer is responsible for promoting the program opportunity to partner organizations and prospective partner organizations to increase the number of individuals that the program positively impacts 
  • Assist with the promotion of the program by collecting photos of consenting program participants during programming to utilize for social media posts and for use on the Jester Park Equestrian Center website 
• Work closely with full-time Equestrian Staff to develop, enhance, and diversify program offerings by incorporating new activities, therapeutic riding opportunities, and community outreach initiatives to better serve the needs and interests of the community 
• Educate program participants on the physical and mental health benefits of equine-assisted activities and the therapeutic value of outdoor recreation 
• Monitor program participant progress and outcomes through ongoing assessment and evaluation of program effectiveness through participant check-ins and surveys 

Non-Essential Functions: 

• Engage in professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills related to the environment, mental health, or youth management 
• Record and maintain data such as number of program participants, type of program offered, location, average age of individuals, activity completed, etc.  
• Conduct public surveys to determine how to effectively support Polk County residents when it comes to navigating mental health challenges and biases 

Volunteers may engage in other allowable activities that are not specifically outlined in the position description but that support the AmeriCorps program design and that will help the Program meet its goals. Under no circumstances will volunteers be asked to perform prohibited activities. 

Desired Skills/Qualifications: 

• In pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, human services, education, environmental science, outdoor recreation, or other related field AND/OR interest in providing support for community members navigating mental health challenges  
• Comfortable working around horses of varying sizes and basic knowledge of equine-based recreation 
• Experience working with children 
• Passion for utilizing outdoor recreation for the purposes of improving mental health in a non-clinical format  
• Knowledge or awareness of present-day mental health challenges 
• Comfortability with public speaking and presenting programming independently  
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills 

Eligibility Criteria: 

• Be between the ages of 18 to 24 during the duration of the service term; persons outside of this age range are ineligible for the position at this time 
• Pass a national service criminal history check prior to first day of service  
• Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident 
• Possess a valid driver’s license and previous driving experience:  
  • Candidate must be comfortable with driving on all road types (gravel, grass, highways, rural, and city roads)  
  • Candidate must be comfortable driving in any environmental conditions (daytime, nighttime, rain, fog, sleet, ice, and snow)  
  • Candidate must be willing to drive to any location within Polk County, Iowa  
  • Candidate must pass a motor vehicle record check before they can operate any county vehicle  
  • Candidates with limited driving experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis 

 Benefits: 

• Education Award received upon successful completion of their term of service. 
• Living Allowance 
• Childcare coverage if the volunteer qualifies 
• Housing opportunities provided by Polk County Conservation upon request 
• Student loan forbearance and interest payments for eligible loans 
• Certification in CPR/AED and first aid 
• Mental Health First Aid Training 
• Iowa DHS Mandatory Reporter Training 
• ACEs 360 Training 

Performance Evaluation & Reporting Requirements:  

• Volunteer Performance Evaluation requirements during the term  
• Regular bi-weekly submission of volunteer timesheets 
• Regular weekly submission of project data from each task a volunteer works on  
• Daily progress reports to Polk County Conservation staff