Stewards VISTA: WVDEP Northern Basin- AmeriCorps

Job Overview

Position Title: Stewards VISTA: WVDEP Northern Basin- AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements, East

Site Location: Wheeling, WV 26003

City, State or Full Address: 131 A Peninsula Street

Terms of Service:

Start Date: May 4, 2026

End Date: May 3, 2027

Must serve a 365-day (1 year) service term

Living Allowance: $68.39/day ($24,962.35/year)

Use this link to apply: My AmeriCorps – Home Page

Purpose:

This AmeriCorps Program strengthens watershed protection and community revitalization efforts in northern West Virginia by supporting collaborative environmental restoration, outreach, and long-term planning across Appalachian communities.

This AmeriCorps Position builds internal capacity for watershed organizations and partner agencies by developing resource databases, community development planning tools, and a multi-year engagement framework that supports improved water quality, habitat health, recreation, youth programming, and public well-being. Through partnership with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and local stakeholders, the position advances sustainable systems that enable coordinated action, funding readiness, and lasting community impact beyond the VISTA term.

The AmeriCorps VISTA member will build capacity and develop sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty in underserved communities.

Description of Duties:

• Identify and document community assets within targeted watersheds that can serve as the foundation for environmental restoration and community revitalization projects.
• Develop a toolkit to promote watershed association success stories through websites, digital applications, and print publications to support outreach and partner engagement.
• Create a structured planning guide for staff to prepare and submit grant applications that support enhancement of priority community assets.
• Develop a project team facilitation toolkit that outlines roles, workflows, and best practices to increase organizational capacity and advance environmental stewardship initiatives in West Virginia.
• Design a plan to celebrate project successes, including the development of a volunteer recognition framework to support long-term engagement and retention.
• Create and maintain a database identifying new organizations and community groups that could benefit from future project partnerships.
• Develop a recruitment plan and supporting materials to engage volunteers and identify potential new members for the organization’s Board of Directors.
• Support community-based economic development by promoting local businesses and nonprofits as project partners and identifying opportunities to strategically invest project funding to meet shared community needs.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 years of age
• College graduate
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check

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:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time (35-40 hours), but exact schedules may vary.
• 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.
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award* of $7,395.00

o   or choice of cash stipend of ~$1,800.00

• Living Allowance of $68.39 per day, disbursed every 2 weeks
• Housing Funds
• Professional Development Funds
• Relocation Allowance ($750) if Eligible
• Healthcare Coverage* if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage* if Eligible
• Loan Forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• Training and Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 support)
• Non-Competitive Eligibility* (NCE) status upon successful completion of the term
• Networking and Mentorship

*For more information regarding the Segal Education Award, check out this link as well as alternative uses for the award here.

*For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare.

*For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit https://americorpschildcare.com/.

*For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/trust/help/member_portal/non_competitive_eligibility_overview.htm.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed their required year of service; 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, accomplishment tracking, and quarterly reporting.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

For VISTA related information, contact Addie Gilkerson, [email protected]

For site related information, contact Callie Sams, [email protected]

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.