Community Volunteer Ambassador - George Washington Memorial Parkway
Community Volunteer Ambassador – George Washington Memorial Parkway
Location: McLean, VA
Position Details:
Stewards Individual Placements 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 role is a highly collaborative and dynamic position as part of the volunteer management team. The CVA is responsible for helping to maintain and improve long-standing volunteer programs as well as develop new programs to meet changing needs in the park through volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling, recognition, and records management.
The position is a combination of hands-on field work and office work. The CVA will act as a leader during a variety of service events including but not limited to trash cleanups, trail repairs, and tree plantings. Volunteer programs the 2022 CVA will help support include an interpretive position at the Marine Corps Memorial, a bike patrol program, and invasive species removal “weed warrior” invasive plant removal program. Administrative tasks such as the maintenance of volunteer databases, output reports, and volunteer correspondence will be a regular part of the position.
The CVA will promote the volunteer program with stories and photos through an internal newsletter and social media. The CVA will have many opportunities to develop their leadership skills through supervising youth in school service days, Eagle Scout projects, and a three-week youth internship program.
Site Description:
The George Washington Memorial Parkway stretches 25 miles along the Potomac River connecting more than two dozen unique park sites, each significant in their own right. These sites include iconic memorials, one of the most biologically diverse natural areas in the NPS, and sites of national significance relating to the founding of the nation, the Civil War, and War II.
Originally created to honor the legacy of the nation’s first president, the parkway continues to serve as a place to commemorate and celebrate American ideals. The parkway also provides diverse recreation opportunities and some of the most scenic and recognizable vistas of Washington, D.C., which it preserves for millions of visitors each year.
Position Responsibilities:
- Participate in community and events to promote park volunteer and educational events.
- Host community engagement activities associated with national stewardship events. (Events should include Earth Day, National Trails Day, National Public Lands Day, and Martin L. King Day of Service).
- Staff an information table at signature park events and mobile visitor center appearances.
- Organize, coordinate, and lead volunteer workdays, while ensuring compliance with NPS regulations.
- Manage, organize, and coordinate with existing volunteer groups and partner organizations, and explore new community relationships to meet the volunteer goals of the park.
- Support the needs of the volunteer program by conducting site visits for potential projects, reviewing position descriptions, creating web and social media content, and managing volunteer emails.
- Create a regional CVA community to support each other in park, region, and national CVA efforts.
CVA Minimum Requirements:
- Hardworking person who is self-motivated
- Friendly and kind
- Passionate about natural and cultural preservation
- A positive and creative outlook while navigating challenges
- Must be able to work as a team with people of many different backgrounds and perspectives
- Must be interested in both outdoor and office work
- Able to complete assignments independently
- Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in early April 2023
- Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
- Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old)
- High School Diploma/GED
- Pass fingerprint-based FBI, state criminal, and a national sex offender checks.
- Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check
- Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position
Preferred Qualifications:
- Project planning and coordination skills
- Ability to provide clearly written project descriptions for staff and instructions to volunteers.
- Organized and detail oriented with the ability to track and document items and maintain files.
- Leadership experience and/or desire to develop leadership skills
- Must be comfortable speaking in front of large groups, or willing to work on these skills.
- Ability to use small power tools (or willingness to learn).
- Willingness to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions and to perform occasionally difficult manual tasks such as loading equipment into a pickup truck or hauling trash through uneven terrain.
- This position is best suited for applicants local to the DC area.
Additional Information:
The Park is unique for its diversity of sites and volunteer programs. Whatever your passion is you can find it here. The inclusive and supportive staff are dedicated to providing youth employees with professional developmental opportunities within their area of interest.
As part of the National Capital Region this CVA position will have a network of CVA peers within a short driving distance. This additional support system is an opportunity to experience more sides of the National Park Service.
The CVA will work a somewhat irregular schedule to meet the need of volunteer programs. The CVA will typically work Monday - Friday, 8 - 4:30 but will need to adjust to attend the many events that take place on weekends. On average the CVA will work 2-4 weekend days in the month and can choose which day to take off to make up for the time. For example, if there is a Saturday event the CVA can choose to take off the following Sunday and Monday or may wish to take off the following Friday for a three-day weekend. The schedule is flexible as long as the CVA is maintaining a 40-hour work week.
GWMP does not offer housing. Most interns coming from out of the area find shared housing through online services without assistance from the NPS. Since housing costs are high in the DC metropolitan area, we highly recommend this position for local to individuals who already have established living situations.
Benefits:
- CVA will receive a weekly stipend of $500 (additional $65/week, if housing is not provided)
- Limited health care/childcare benefits
- The position is eligible for an AmeriCorps Education Award $6,495.00 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of the program
- Professional development funds
- 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.
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 6th, 2023, and run for 50 weeks until Friday, January 19th 2024. Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application. 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 Friday, December 9th.
For Application Questions:
Please contact Geoff Elliot, Program Director at gelliot@conservationlegacy.org
Stewards Individual Placements Program does not and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.