Community Youth Development Individual Placement – Shenandoah National Park Trust

Job Overview

Title:  Community Youth Development Lead Individual Placement

Service Site: Based out of Charlottesville, VA; Shenandoah National Park Trust

Dates of Service:  32-week term starting on April 6th, 2026

Pay: $800/week paid biweekly ($600/week living stipend + $200/week additional member benefit)

Status: This is a full-time 40 hour/week, temporary 900-hour minimum AmeriCorps National Service position.

Questions? Contact [email protected] 

Please submit a resume and cover letter via our website, www.appalachiancc.org/individualplacements. Applications will be accepted until January 31st.

Appalachian Conservation Corps:

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 Community Youth Development Lead Individual Placement (IP) is responsible for providing meaningful, creative, and engaging volunteer opportunities for youth, to increase skills and build a pipeline for workforce development. This position is a grant funded 32-week temporary position, with an opportunity for renewal based on funding. This position ultimately reports to the Director of Programs and Partnerships at Shenandoah National Park Trust and is co-managed by the Rivanna Trail Foundation (RTF) and Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC).

This member will engage local youth, schools, and community organizations in stewardship, recreation, and volunteer opportunities in pursuit of building and sharing values of conservation, preservation, and public lands. It will expand upon existing programming and prioritize outreach to new audiences. This position will also co-lead and work alongside a youth trail crew for 6-8 weeks during the summer in Charlottesville and in Shenandoah National Park.

This position will be predominately working at Shenandoah National Park Trust headquarters in downtown Charlottesville, VA. The typical schedule will be Monday- Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, but the candidate will need to be flexible to accommodate some evening and Saturday work. Reliable transportation is required, and free parking is provided.

Housing is NOT provided for this position. We are seeking candidates who reside in the surrounding area.

Project goals: 
In 2024, the Shenandoah National Park Trust in partnership with the Rivanna Trail Foundation, Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club, the Appalachian Conservation Corp. and the City of Charlottesville formed a partnership to create a 6-week summer Youth Corps program, known as Trailblazers: Charlottesville to Shenandoah focusing on building a strong outdoor youth workforce to work on trails in the Charlottesville community and ultimately in Shenandoah National Park. The primary role of this position will be to build recruiting and engagement efforts for the Trailblazers opportunity in Charlottesville, co-lead the Trailblazers Crew in the field and begin to explore expanding this opportunity to other communities bordering Shenandoah National Park.

Essential roles and responsibilities include:

• Identify, plan and host outreach and volunteer opportunities aimed at broadening and increasing youth participation in the Charlottesville community and Shenandoah National Park.

• Collaborate with existing partners to identify outreach goals and host events to engage local youth and community groups in Charlottesville and Shenandoah National Park.

• Create and manage a broad pool of youth volunteers interested in conservation, preservation, and public lands.

• Co-lead 6-weeks of in the field volunteer work alongside ACC Crew Leader conducting trail maintenance and invasive species removal in Charlottesville and in Shenandoah National Park.

• Assist partner organizations in identifying and sharing information on volunteer opportunities and special events.

• Identify opportunities to engage previous Trailblazer participants.

• Willingness to learn and/or expand knowledge of non-profit work, including grant writing and research.

Individual Placements will take part in Crew Leader training, Driver Training, Leadership and Risk Management, and other professional development opportunities during their service term.

Qualifications:

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 21 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. If you do not have a current First Aid/CPR certificate, you must be willing to complete certification prior to hiring. In addition, applicants must:

• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Have an interest in working with and managing youth programs.
• Enjoy working outdoors in the summer, including required overnight camping in Shenandoah National Park.
• Be a natural, forward-facing communicator comfortable presenting to small groups.
• Be detail-oriented, and highly organized, with excellent time-management skills.
• Be a self-starter with the ability to communicate in a professional manner and respond well to feedback.
• Work well independently and within a team.
• Be excited to create memorable events and inspire others to connect with nature.
• Be passionate about conservation and eager to make a difference.

Benefits:

• $800/week paid biweekly ($600/week living stipend + $200/week additional member benefit)
• $3,697.50 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of a 900-hour minimum service term (award amount varies based on length of commitment and can be used for paying off federal student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college)
• Option to enroll in health, vision and dental insurance
• Travel reimbursement fund
• Eligibility for the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon successful completion – noncompetitive hiring status for two years when applying for federal positions.
• Federal student loan forbearance and interest payoff
• Member Assistance Program– 3 free sessions of support with a counseling or work-life balance specialist
• Additional subject-specific certifications and trainings may be offered (Chainsaw training, pesticides, etc)
• Depending upon the academic institution and program, positions may fulfill internship requirements
• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, alumni listserv, etc.) and exposure to natural resource career paths

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.