OSMRE AmeriCorps Member at West Virginia Mine Wars Museum

Position Title:  OSMRE AmeriCorps Member at West Virginia Mine Wars Museum

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: West Virginia Mine Wars Museum
112 Mate St., Matewan, WV 25678

 

 Terms of Service: 10 weeks

• Start Date: 09/28/2026 
• End Date: 12/04/2026
• Application Deadline: 08/24/2026
• Number of Positions Available: 1
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 Hours

Stewards Individual Placements
Stewards Individual Placements, a division of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural and cultural resources.  Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to build institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health.

 

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE)
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Established in 1977 under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), OSMRE's primary mission is to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner and that the land is restored to beneficial use following mining operations. The office provides oversight and assistance to state and tribal regulatory programs, promotes reclamation of abandoned mine lands, and supports research and training to improve reclamation techniques. OSMRE is committed to balancing the nation's need for coal as an energy source with the need to protect and restore the environment.

 

West Virginia Mine Wars Museum
The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum was founded in 2015 in Matewan, a National Historic Landmark town in Mingo County, West Virginia. The Museum’s mission is to preserve and share stories, artifacts and lessons about the struggles of coal miners and their families for workers’ rights, civil rights, and justice in the early 20th century. As a people’s history museum, we lift up the legacy of the multi-racial, multi-lingual effort to unionize the coalfields, when white mountaineers, Black migrants from the South, and immigrants from eastern and southern Europe joined in solidarity. We foster connections between the Mine Wars era and injustices that confront working people today in Appalachia, the nation, and across the globe. The Museum educates youth, builds community partnerships, and promotes regional economic development.

Position Role of AmeriCorps Member at the West Virgina Mine Wars Museum
Stewards Individual Placements, in partnership with the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, is seeking a Preservation & Tourism Development Steward to support Courage in the Hollers – a multi-site labor heritage trail connecting seven Mine Wars-era communities across southern West Virginia.   The trail preserves and interprets the history of the coalfield labor struggles that shaped the region and connects that history to present-day community identity and economic development.

 
Description of Duties:
To achieve the goals of this position, the Ameri-Corps Member will:

• Historic Preservation Support - Support the National Register of Historic Places nomination process for the Clothier site in coordination with the WV State Historic Preservation Office
  • Research and document the history of the Clothier site (deeds, historic photographs, newspaper archives, oral histories)
  • Draft and assemble supporting materials for the National Register nomination in coordination with museum staff, Clothier community members, and WV SHPO
  • Attend SHPO review meetings and respond to requested revisions
  • Photograph and document current site conditions
• Trail Community Outreach — Build and sustain relationships with all seven Courage in the Hollers trail communities, with focused, sustained outreach to Racine
  • Represent the museum at community meetings and events across the seven trail towns
  • Build relationships with town officials, civic organizations, and residents
  • Design and carry out a targeted outreach effort in Racine to raise participation to parity with other trail towns
  • Maintain outreach records in the project's tracking workbook and support newsletter/social media outreach
• Heritage Asset Mapping — Inventory and map Mine Wars-era heritage sites across the seven trail towns to support tourism planning and development
  • Conduct a field inventory of Mine Wars-era heritage sites, structures, and markers across the seven trail towns
  • Collect location data and photographic documentation for each asset
  • Coordinate with WV DEP's AML program and WV Tourism to cross-reference sites located on or near reclaimed/reclamation-eligible land
  • Compile findings into an asset map/database to support trail and tourism planning

 
Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Be between the ages of 18-30 (or up to age 35 with Veteran status)
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
• Able to commit to 10 weeks of service
• Has the ability to drive, with an insurable driving history
• Basic proficiency with office/computer software (email, spreadsheets, word processing)

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Bachelor's degree (or in progress) in history, public history, historic preservation, geography, GIS, tourism, economic development, or a related field
• Prior experience in community engagement, outreach, or public-facing work
• Interest in or familiarity with Appalachian and Mine Wars-era labor history
• Experience with archival research or historic preservation processes
• Familiarity with GIS or digital mapping tools

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 Monday – Friday, 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
• OSMRE Members are part of a cohort and meet virtually online on a bi-weekly basis; the OSMRE cohort space is established for OSMRE Members to collaborate and support one another on various projects, while also discussing various personal and professional development topics

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities
• Orientation to Courage in the Hollers project history, goals, and current status
• Community engagement and meeting facilitation training
• Cultural competency and Mine Wars-era labor history training
• Orientation to the National Register nomination process (WV SHPO guidance materials)
• Archival research methods training
• Museum orientation on regional Mine Wars and labor history
• Site safety orientation for visiting historic structures and former mining land
• Field documentation methods training

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1565.08 pre-tax
• Stipend of $800 per week, pre-tax ($700 Living Allowance + $100 Additional Benefit)
• $1000 Relocation Benefit ($500 issued at start of term, $500 issued upon successful completion at end of term)
• Access to all member and alumni benefits of Conservation Legacy 
• Opportunity to make a HUGE impact on your community
• Service opportunities can help propel your career forward with intentional experience and professional connections
• OSMRE Members have opportunities to connect and collaborate with other OSMRE Members in the bi-weekly virtual OSMRE Cohort space

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.

Application, Resume and Cover Letter:
To apply, please click on the green “apply” button in the top right corner of the page.  In addition to uploading your resume to this application, please also upload and attach a cover letter.  In your cover letter, please note your interest and qualifications in the position. 

Recruiter & Program Coordinator Contact Information:
Susie Schroer
Stewards Individual Placements Program Coordinator
sschroer@conservationlegacy.org
970-317-9131 

We are 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.