Community Volunteer Ambassador - Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Position Details:

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, 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 will work with both interpretive and protective park rangers to rebuild the volunteer in parks program, which has been in hiatus since March 2020. The CVA will assist the park in rekindling and restoring programs that engaged local volunteers, with a focus on native Hawaiians and youth. Kalaupapa National Historical Park works alongside other government agencies and non profit organizations to collectively manage the north coastline of Molokai Island. The CVA will assist park staff in increasing collaboration by identifying strategies to align our volunteer opportunities with those offered by our neighbors to provide volunteers with a broader more comprehensive understanding of climate change on Molokai. The CVA will support staff in capturing the qualitative data through images, video and reflections of our volunteers to share the impacts of their contributions and highlight their experiences with a broader audience. The CVA will represent the Park in community events such as Earth Day and Career Day and support education outreach and curriculum development that may lead to volunteerism related to climate change.

Site Description:

Kalaupapa National Historical Park is located on a peninsula at the base of an almost 2,000-foot-tall sea cliff. Its remote location is home to a variety of native and endemic plants and animals. This same characteristic made it ideal for a quarantine settlement for those afflicted with Hansen’s disease between 1866 and 1969.

More than 8,000 cured former patients have a history with Kalaupapa, with only a handful remaining as residents today. The NPS stewards the natural and cultural resources of this special place by relying on both western and traditional Hawaiian knowledge, practice and values, in order to provide safe and meaningful access and connection between Kalaupapa and the descendants of patients, the Hawaiian community, and the public.

The volunteer in parks program provides opportunity for the Park to work with the local community and Native Hawaiian organizations to co-steward resources through increased community engagement and Hawaiian culture based curriculum and activities. Having a maximum elevation of 66 feet, Kalaupapa peninsula is highly susceptible to climate change, and the longitudinal relationship and observations of the local permanent community is imperative to the success of long range resiliency planning and management. Youth engagement inspires the next generation to pursue education and careers in fields relevant to Kalaupapa ensuring a future of continued local stewardship that meets both community and federal standards of excellence. Kalaupapa has a population of 82 and Molokai island under 8,000.

Position Responsibilities:

• Participating in planning meetings to identify ways volunteer opportunities might align with curriculum and service learning projects with schools and partner organizations that focus on climate change.
• Help research and write content for website and social media that attracts potential volunteers, shares the accomplishments of volunteers and builds transparency and follow up engagement.
• Work with both cultural and natural resource management staff with projects to increase working knowledge and be able to build meaningful and efficient opportunities for volunteers.
• Join staff in the implementation of safety protocols associated with all proposed work projects, and provide feedback for improvement.
• Assist in the native plant nursery and conducting work associated with certain cultural assets (such as rock walls, heiau, grave markers) to prepare projects for volunteers.
• Conduct appropriate native Hawaiian protocols associated with particular areas or activities.
• Assist with community outreach to recruit volunteers and match them with appropriate and meaningful projects.
• Collect qualitative and quantitative data, media and observations for reporting and for sharing volunteer accomplishments as necessary.
• Plan and present on behalf of the park at community events such as Earth Day and Career Day, sharing volunteer accomplishments and opportunities.

CVA Minimum Requirements:

• Strong Hawaiian language and culture background or experience.
• Comfortable working outdoors with others for several hours at a time, including areas near the ocean and highly vegetative areas. May include short hiking, carrying a pack no more than 25 pounds.
• Strong computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft and social media applications.
• Must be able to work independently, with the guidance of once a week check ins with supervisor, and a weekly work plan.
• Decent written and verbal communication skills and photography skills.
• Strong organizational skills
• Serve on a team, with diverse groups of people and manage conflicts.
• Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in late March/early April 2024 (date TBD)
• 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:

• Local applicants
• Native Hawaiian
• Experience working in conservation
• Effective communication skills
• Experience working with federal law or policy and native Hawaiian communities
• Experience managing small projects, facilitating meetings and following through with tasks.

Additional Information:

Kalaupapa is a remote area, accessible by daily flights via commuter plane or a three mile hike down a 2,000 foot cliff. The park operates on a 4 day/10 hour schedule, Monday through Thursday. Local Molokai residents have the option to commute daily, though most have a residence in park for the work week. Park housing will be provided by the Park at no cost to the CVA. Housing will be in dorm like facilities, with a shared en-suite bathroom and community kitchen and lounging area. A gym and several recreational facilities are available to residents. Swimming beaches and community garden are also available. Having a driver’s license is not necessary but is helpful. A bicycle will be provided for commuting and traversing the park. There is a very small grocery store on the peninsula. Daily mail and freight service available. No medical facilities or emergency response on site. Limited cell service is supplemented by Wi-Fi hot spots. State of Hawai’i Department of Health Kalawao County regulations apply. General public access is restricted. Population of Kalawao County is 82.

Benefits:

• CVA will receive a weekly stipend of $600
• Housing provided at site.
• Limited health care/childcare benefits
• The position is eligible for an AmeriCorps Education Award $6,895.00 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of the program
• $1,200 in professional development funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel.
• 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, January 22nd, 2024, and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 20th, 2024. Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2024. 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 Sunday, December 10th, 2023. 

For Application Questions: 

Please contact Geoff Elliot, Program Director at gelliot@conservationlegacy.org 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, 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 a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.