POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4525
Position Title: Education Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Shenandoah National Park, Luray, Virginia
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 02/15/2027
End Date: 02/14/2028
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 7,395.00 upon successful completion of position (pre-tax)
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 675.00 per week, fixed rate (pre-tax)
- Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck) (pre-tax)
- Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- For 52-week positions only:
- Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
- Childcare Coverage (opt in)
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, June 14, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 14, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: Education; Environmental Education; STEM; Distance Learning; Fieldtrips
PURPOSE
This Education Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. This position will contribute towards the conservation, stewardship, and interpretation of the natural resources that define Shenandoah National Park. As a relatively wild, natural place in the east near many urban areas, we have the opportunity to provide our varied visitors with engaging educational programs and informal interactions in the field on the topic of natural resources and public land stewardship and how our visitors’ experiences and values relate to and effect the park’s mission. This SIP would collaborate with local schools and students from rural and urban settings as well as travel to other parts of Virginia to provide hands-on environmental education opportunities to a wider audience. With these outreach efforts in 2026, the SIP position reached over 400 students in Fairfax County, VA. They also engaged with students in multiple states and countries through the distance learning program. The quantitative and qualitative feedback from teachers proves that having this position filled does create a lasting impact on students in all of the surrounding counties and beyond.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The participant will join our seasonal and permanent staff in providing curriculum-based environmental education programming through virtual distance learning, visits to classrooms, going to community events, and in-park programming. Typically, our education program provides distance learning and in-classroom visits in the winter, on-site classroom fieldtrips to the park in spring and community events throughout the year. Using already-established outlines and curriculum, this SIP will assist current education staff by conducting independently-delivered distance learning programs on a variety of natural science topics including ecosystems, habitats, geology, and history in our state-of-the-art distance learning studio. There will be opportunities for creating new programming throughout the season. In a team of staff, this SIP will also conduct late Spring/early summer experiential hands-on environmental education experiences to students during on-site classroom field trips to the park. The SIP will coordinate with classroom teachers and community members to set up special events, test calls, distance learning scheduling, and answer field trip questions in order to align learning objectives with teacher curriculum, classroom preparedness, and special needs and requests. The SIP will assist with program structure and outreach, connecting students to current, ongoing conservation efforts and changes in the ecosystem, including invasives, fire ecology, and forest health. The SIP will be invited to cross train and collaborate with other divisions to learn new skills to utilize during education programming as well as to create new programs, particularly for summer groups. All programs will follow National and/or Virginia state standards for school curriculum as well as focus on STEM-focused activities and learning objectives to enhance the school’s curriculum while providing valuable and fun experiences for school children to provoke learning, inspire stewardship, and contribute to an active lifestyle of children ages PreK through high school. The SIP will be encouraged to cross train with other staff to enhance their skills and knowledge for the position as well as for career development. The focused projects of the SIP are curated based on need in the park while collaborating with various divisions including interpretation and education as well as resources and history. In the past, projects have included night sky program creation,d teacher relationship development, and more.
DELIVERABLES
The goal of this position is to support the park’s ongoing educational programming and to allow for an expanded number of students, schools, and community members reached in this effort. Most staff is limited to a sixth month season from late April-early November, meaning that environmental education is severely limited during the school year. One additional staff person (this SIP) will allow our small education staff to provide dozens of additional distance learning programs to schools across the Nation as well as to visit schools in their classes throughout the winter. We currently have greater demand than we can meet. The 9-month SIP position reached thousands of people during their term. The 2026 SIP reached over 400 students in one week during an outreach trip to Fairfax, Virginia. By having this position for a year, it allows for greater professional development and growth opportunities to enact real impact. It also provides the ability to offer more programming in spring, summer and fall, particularly throughout the summer when we have multiple requests in a day. New watershed and night sky programming are being piloted that need staff to maintain the ability to provide the programs and allow them to grow. The program manager has recently met with the Natural and Cultural Resources managers to ask for additional collaboration efforts. As the world changes, it is our responsibility to educate and inspire the next generation about real world and local environmental issues. This position will focus on teaching about those projects. Additionally, by enhancing and expanding ecosystem-health programming, the education office will be able to be relevant and pivotal in the communities surrounding the Park.
QUALIFICATIONS
- United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
- Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
- Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
- The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Upper-level college coursework in elementary or high school education, environmental education, and/or natural resources related subject matter such as ecology, geology, wildlife biology, botany, changing environments, earth science, and environmental studies. • Good public speaking skill is crucial, as is a desire to interact with children ages 5-18. • Proficiency with computers and basic office equipment is essential. • A valid driver’s license with a good driving record and submit to a standard background investigation as per National Park Service regulations.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Shenandoah National Park lies along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in north central Virginia. The park consists of more than 197,000 acres of mountains, forests, meadows, and streams including 79,579 acres of designated wilderness. The park includes the famously scenic Skyline Drive, more than 500 miles of hiking trails, and numerous historical sites. Weather is variable throughout the season from cold, wet conditions in early Spring to hot, humid mid-Summer conditions, and crisp, cool Fall days. Temperatures are usually 8-10 degrees cooler on the mountain than they are in the surrounding lowland areas. Once the participant has completed their initial training and orientation, they will independently conduct interpretive programs throughout the park at a variety of locations to possibly include amphitheaters, visitor centers and overlooks/pullouts. They will deploy a variety of visual aids and materials to enhance their programs. Being able to lift ~20 pounds is a necessity as is walking at least 2 miles or for 45 minutes. At visitor centers, the SIP will serve alongside or in rotation with other staff to provide visitor assistance and information and will participate in basic operational duties to include light cleaning, stocking supplies, and opening/closing associated facilities. Due to the variability of duties, a sturdy pair of hiking boots is necessary. A government vehicle will be provided for commuting from their duty station to programs and events. The location of daily shifts will vary throughout the park to include visitor centers, hiking trails, outdoor amphitheaters, picnic areas, overlooks, etc. There are numerous species of insects in Shenandoah National Park including gnats, stinkbugs, and ticks. Some ticks carry Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses so SIPs will have to use precautionary practices and be diligent about performing daily tick checks; tick-related safety information will be provided during orientation and throughout the season. The park is home to approximately 500 black bears, 2 species of venomous snakes, and a variety of other wildlife. The SIP will be trained in how to safely share bear-habitat. The park enjoys the full four seasons and the SIP’s duties will be conducted indoors and outdoors during occasional inclement weather and during very warm or cool/cold days.
HOUSING
Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant.
Housing will be in a single or double bedroom in a shared house at one of the following locations within the park: Park headquarters (near Luray), Big Meadows or Skyland (park interior near Big Meadows visitor center), or Front Royal (near Dickey Ridge visitor center). The SIP will share a kitchen, bathrooms, and living area with other SIPs, volunteers, and/or seasonals and may share their room with one other staff person. The occupant will have to bring bedding, towels, pillow, and toiletries. Depending on the location of the participant's housing, the distance to the nearest large grocery stores, pharmacies, post offices, doctor's offices, etc. ranges from 5-20 miles.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.
OUR COMMITMENT
Stewards Individual Placements and Conservation Legacy are 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 Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact Us!”
TIME REQUIREMENTS
- This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary based on project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
- 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 pertinent project and site training from the host site throughout the term.
- Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff.
EVALUATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of minimum AmeriCorps hours, 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, monthly accomplishment tracking, a mid-term report, and a final report.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.
Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five (5) Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect, or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Scientists in Parks program will host the Education Assistant at Shenandoah National Park.
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 Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact Us!”
