About Stewards:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health.

For more information regarding Stewards, please visit our website.

About the Site and Position:

This position is a 365 day (1 year) public service term lasting from July 15, 2024 – July 14, 2025.

Living Allowance: $62.69/day ($22,881.85/year)

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy hosts a program to engage trailside communities across the 14 Trail states. The program has focused on building relationships to support Trail stewardship and hiker services. Through an application process that requires communities to meet specific criteria for designation as an A.T. Community, communities demonstrate a commitment to supporting and stewarding the A.T. as an asset to their community. While serving as the A.T. Community Coordinator, the main objective is enhancing these partnerships by managing relationships with community members while actively listening to what can assist them in meeting their economic, stewardship, and community needs. This includes providing sustained communication with community members to field questions and comments, maintaining contact lists, sharing regional funding resources, hosting quarterly trail-wide calls with network partners, facilitating educational opportunities, distributing a quarterly e-newsletter to community members, and assisting prospective A.T. Communities through the application and designation process. Additionally, the A.T. Community Coordinator will responsible for working closely with ATC staff to launch a new community conservation initiative, leading the thoughtful engagement of community partners, resource providers, and expanded collaboration in the planning process. The results will inform investment in projects that will advance conservation outcomes at the community level. This planning process towards a Community Conservation Strategy will expand the A.T. Community Program, providing the road map to launching new, innovative, and effective programming for capacity-building among community partners that will foster more regional collaboration and greater access to funding for community-led conservation projects.

Member Duties:

• Collaborate and ensure consistent communication with and between participating communities.
• Grow the capacity of local business and community partners by creating newsletters and resources that benefit communities.
• Manage community contact information, the designation application process, general community outreach and marketing, and support fundraising activities through research and grant writing.
• Develop interactions with communities and new partner relationships that generate capacity and peer exchange to increase network participation and engagement.
• Conduct independent research and data gathering about the current conservation resources and enabling conditions for community-led conservation in the A.T. geography.
• Lead logistical planning and agenda creation for regional forums on community conservation along the Appalachian Trail.

Service Areas:

• Environment
• Neighborhood Revitalization
• Community Outreach
• Community and Economic Development
• Education
• Entrepreneur/Business

Program Benefits:

• Segal Education Award ($6,895) OR Cash Stipend (~$1,800) upon successful completion of service
• Living Allowance ($62.69/day, disbursed every 2 weeks)
• Regular Training and Professional Development Opportunities (free and virtual)
• Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 in-moment support)
• Childcare*
• Healthcare*
• Non-Competitive Eligibility upon successful completion of the term*
• Networking and Mentorship
• Access to a nationwide cohort of like-minded peers

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

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

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

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

APPLY HERE:My AmeriCorps - Home Page

For more information, contact Addie Gilkerson (she/her) at agilkerson@conservationlegacy.org.

Stewards Individual Placements does not and will not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application, interviewing, and/or onboarding process, please send your request to the hiring manager in your preferred method of communication.

Required Skills

Recommended Skills:

• Community Organization
• Writing/Editing
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Marketing/Design
• Fundraising
• Grant Writing
• Communications
• Urban Planning
• Business/Entrepreneur
• Public Speaking
• Environment
• General Skills

Required Experience

Recommended Skills:

• Community Organization
• Writing/Editing
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Marketing/Design
• Fundraising
• Grant Writing
• Communications
• Urban Planning
• Business/Entrepreneur
• Public Speaking
• Environment
• General Skills