Cultural Steward Individual Placement

Job Overview

Title: Cultural Steward Individual Placement

Location: Jamestown, VA

Dates of Service: May 18th, 2026 – November 13th, 2026 (26 weeks)

Pay: $720/week ($600/stipend + $120/additional member benefit)

Status: This is a full-time, temporary, AmeriCorps National Service position.

Questions? Contact [email protected]

Applications will be accepted until March 15th or until the positions have been filled. Submit your resume and cover letter through our website, www.appalachiancc.org/individualplacements

Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC):

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.

As an AmeriCorps program, participants commit to a term of service at their placement site in order to gain hands-on experience and a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.

Position Summary:

The Cultural Stewards Individual Placement Program is based in Jamestown, Virginia, headquarters of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. This area has great historical importance as it is the home of many Indigenous communities and the earliest European settlements. The National Park Service works to conserve these cultural resources and educate the public on their significance.

Individual Placements will train with NPS staff from the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Colonial National Historical Park, as well as with other non-profit partners to learn and apply principles from the divisions of Interpretation and Education, Law Enforcement, Facility Management, and Resource Stewardship and Science at multiple parks in the area as well as Werowocomoco, a historic site that was a place of politics, trade, and ceremony for multiple Tribal communities that is stewarded by the National Park Service in collaboration with Virginia Tribal Nations.

This position is a great opportunity for people interested in history, anthropology or education to gain a wide array of experience working in a park setting. IP’s time will be divided between the divisions as opportunities allow.  Examples of opportunities provided may include:

• Developing interpretive and education programs

• Participating in summer camp and school group programs

• Caring for the grounds and buildings at Werowocomoco

• Working on shoreline restoration projects

• Estimating the deer population at Werowocomoco

• Inventorying native and invasive plant species

• Assisting with archeological monitoring and excavation

• Participating in collections management

• Observing/ride-along with law enforcement rangers

Job Responsibilities are varied and change often during the IP’s term. Daily tasks include but are not limited to:

• Manage email and personal work calendar

• Participate fully as a trail team member, including attending weekly all-staff meetings, required NPS policy trainings and provide document review.

• Participate in day-to-day operations of a national trail, including public outreach, workshopping programs with teammates, answering inquiries, managing inventory of materials, event preparation

• Develop and present interpretive programming

• Research time to complete and support project goals

• Multiple professional development training opportunities are provided, both virtual and in-person.

• Additional duties, projects and tasks will be assigned based on IP’s personal interests and skillset.

The goal is for the participants to develop potential career paths leading to opportunities with the National Park Service and other federal sites. The position provides the Individual Placement with non-competitive hiring authority under the Public Lands Corps Act. This hiring authority lasts for two years and makes the Individual Placement eligible for certain job positions within the NPS and other federal land management agencies.

Participants will be provided a thorough two-week training upon onboarding, including Introduction to the NPS, trail history, NPS regulations and policies, how to present interpretive programming, customer service, conflict resolution, and an introduction to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Additional training offerings (if available) include Operational Leadership, kayak certification, off-road vehicle certification, and safety trainings such as CPR and First Aid.

Typically, Individual Placements will primarily report to work at trail headquarters in Jamestown, VA. Additional work locations include Yorktown and Gloucester, VA and the local vicinity for other work-related training opportunities. Individual Placements will undergo a background check to attain the necessary credentials for accessing NPS buildings, computers and vehicles.

Benefits:

• $720/week ($600/living stipend + $120/housing allowance), paid bi-weekly

• $3,697.50 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of 900-hour minimum service term (award can be used for paying off federal student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college)

• Professional development fund of $1,434

• Option to enroll in medical, vision, dental, and mental health insurance.

• Eligibility for the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon successful completion – non-competitive hiring status for two years

• Possible student loan forbearance

• Depending upon the academic institution and program, this position may fulfill academic internship requirements

• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, alumni listserv, etc.) and exposure to cultural resource career paths

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in public facing roles, customer service.

• Interest or education in history, anthropology, recreation, or education

• Familiarity with Virginia tribal communities.

• Experience working with Native American youth and young people

General Qualifications:

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. In addition, applicants must:

• Possess a valid driver’s license

Time Requirements:

• These positions are full-time, 40 hour/week.

• Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday to Friday, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.

• Service may include occasional weekends, evenings and federal holidays for special events.

• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

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.

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. 

Our Promise:  

Conservation Legacy is 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.