Community Volunteer Ambassador - Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

Community Volunteer Ambassador – Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

Location: Paterson, New Jersey

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.

We feel that the best way to get involved in the community is to provide programming to schools and participate in community events. Our partners include those in education and youth development. We will continue to work with our partners from - the Paterson Museum, Paterson Public School District, Passaic County Technical Institute, Passaic County Community College Cultural Affairs Department, and the local private, nonprofit the New Jersey Community Development Corporation. We are specifically looking to increase youth volunteering through educational and internship opportunities.

Site Description

This position is located at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Paterson, NJ home to one of the nation’s most powerful waterfalls.  This water of the Passaic River was harnessed to power new industries that played a key role in building the U.S. economy.  Volunteers provide orientation and information, special programs, and participate in special events, such as large scale clean-ups.

Position Responsibilities:

Learn about park operations by participating in interpretive programming, visitor services, and assistance at events. Be able to train volunteers and interns.

Improve and increase volunteer opportunities that is sustainable for our park staff. We would like to add 2-3 new weekly volunteers. This spring, a significant portion of the park will be closed for construction of a new visitor center, and yet, we will be expected to continue to provide our robust interpretation and education programs on-site. We will need weekly volunteers to provide value added programming for park visitors during construction and once the visitor center opens in 2025. Having a small, well-trained, and committed volunteer corps will help us achieve this goal.

Assist Park staff in re-designing the park’s volunteer program so that it complies with new agency guidelines. Re-start the quarterly volunteer newsletter.

Take a lead role on the park’s internship pilot with Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI), a local high school. CVA will help train volunteer high school students to assist park staff and volunteers in presenting curriculum-aligned educational programs for school groups. CVA will oversee logistics and administration. The goal would be to get feedback on these programs from the interns, have assistance providing these programs, and provide a mechanism to move these students from volunteer interns to our Great Falls Youth Corps (GFYC) program with the New Jersey Development Corporation (NJCDC), and/or applying for seasonal NPS positions and/or applying for seasonal NPS positions. Additionally, if the pilot is successful, the park may be asked to participate in PCTI’s “School to Experience” program.

Create a Mentor Position for the Great Falls Youth Corps - The mentor will collaborate with both organizations to create the best program possible for our high school GFYC interns who receive volunteer hours towards a PLC hiring authority.

Assist park and non-profit youth corps partner to formalize the position description and provide clear responsibilities for a youth corps mentor who will also serve as the liaison between the park and non-profit. This liaison will assist both organizations to plan training, educational field trips, and provide, day to day mentoring/coaching for the youth.

CVA Minimum Requirements:

Positive, can-do attitude and a commitment to get the job done

Excellent interpersonal skills; customer service-oriented

Prioritizes a team approach; is communicative and collaborative

Organized and adaptable self-starter who is able to work both independently and collaboratively with others.

Attention to detail in all aspects of the duties and responsibilities.

Prioritizes personal, coworker and visitor safety

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:

Teaching skills with a background in science and/or history a plus.

Public speaking and writing skills.

Ability to conduct basic research for information.

Social media skills

Local to the area

Ability to speak Spanish preferred but not required.

Additional Information:

Our park is committed to our community (Paterson, NJ). We have a "grow your own" philosophy, meaning that we recruit locally for positions at the park, whether they be federal summer jobs, or paid internships through the park's Great Falls Youth Corps. We also have strong partnerships with educators from the Paterson Public Schools, local charter schools, and county's community college, which is located in Paterson. Our goal is become even more involved in the community through our educational mission and attendance at an increased number of local events.  For reference, Paterson is the largest school district in the state and one of the most diverse cities. More than 40 languages are spoken in the schools. Weekend and holiday work required.

Benefits:

$600/week living stipend.

$150/week in housing allowance.

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 , 202 4 , and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 2 0th , 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 10 th , 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.

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