Community Volunteer Ambassador - Redwood National and State Parks

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 – Padre Island National Seashore - AmeriCorps 

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements 

Site Location:  Corpus Christi, TX 

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 CVA at Padre Island National Seashore will play an integral role in redeveloping the volunteer program to a scope and scale that is sustainable for park operations. Additionally, the CVA will work in collaboration with park volunteer supervisors to ensure that they are supported in their roles.  

Site Description  

Padre Island National Seashore is located on the north end of Padre Island in Corpus Christi, Texas. Padre Island National Seashore was established in 1962 to protect the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, and the park's more than 130,000 acres host a rich variety of cultural and natural resources. Located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Laguna Madre, Padre Island contains coastal prairie, wetland, and wind tidal flat habitats. Recreational opportunities include saltwater fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, birding, beach driving and camping.   
  
The seashore's volunteer program is currently undergoing a complete reorganization to align the program with national policy. Volunteers serve in the visitor center, act as campground hosts, assist with endangered species management, facilities projects, and marine debris removal.  

Description of Duties: 

Develop group volunteer experiences, such as organized beach clean ups.  

Create job aids for hiring volunteers  

Develop service descriptions and risk assessments  

Assist in the organization of volunteer recognition events  

Develop a method to track volunteer program supply inventory  

Set up, use and teach other staff members to use Volunteer.gov  

Qualifications: 

Familiarity with basic Microsoft Office programs  

Organized  

Detail oriented  

Flexible  

Kind  

Ability to work on multiple projects at one time  

Ability to work independently  

Mindful of others’ idiosyncrasies   

Ability to lift 40 pounds  

Ability to walk on uneven terrain  

Ability and willingness to work in a hot, humid environment  

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:  

Associate's degree   

Public speaking experience  

Effective communication skills  

Experience engaging diverse groups that are part of the general public  

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: 

There is no public transportation available to or from the national seashore. A driver's license and a personal form of reliable transportation to travel to and from work is required.  

Weekend and holiday work is required.  

Very early morning or evening work may be required.  

Government furnished housing is not available in the park. A variety of rental options are available in Corpus Christi, Texas.  

The park is located approximately 25 miles southeast of the city of Corpus Christi, Texas (population of the metropolitan area is approximately 430,000), 170 miles southeast of San Antonio, and 240 miles southwest of Houston. Corpus Christi has all the amenities of a small city, including a wide variety of housing, shopping, and recreational opportunities, including an aquarium, museums, sporting events, concerts, and botanical gardens.  

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.