Stewards Individual Placements (SIP) is a national nonprofit that builds partnerships connecting people to meaningful environmental and community-based opportunities. SIP works with local organizations to strengthen systems that expand education, workforce pathways, and outdoor experiences in local communities. This VISTA project is based in southern West Virginia near the New River Gorge National Park. The project focuses on increasing long-term access to conservation and outdoor career pathways for youth by building sustainable education and program infrastructure. The VISTA will contribute to the development of internal curricula, planning tools, and partnership frameworks that support outdoor education programming for middle and high school-aged youth. The project aligns with the goal to build organizational capacity through the creation of scalable educational resources and program models. These resources will be used by staff to deliver extracurricular outdoor education programming, inform the future development of a youth conservation corps model, and strengthen connections between outdoor education and conservation careers. Through this service opportunity, the VISTA will gain experience in curriculum development, research, program design, and systems-building while working in a region rich in cultural heritage and outdoor assets. The role is ideal for applicants interested in education, environmental studies, workforce development, or nonprofit program design.Member Duties

• Develop structured, staff-ready outdoor education curriculum frameworks for middle school programming
• Create planning tools and documentation to support future youth conservation corps program models
• Research best practices from comparable youth and outdoor education programs and synthesize findings into internal guidance materials
• Draft partnership mapping tools and engagement frameworks for use by staff
• Produce training and orientation resources intended for future staff-led implementation
• Document program workflows, timelines, and sustainability considerations to support long-term use
• Participate in professional development opportunities to inform curriculum and program design work

Program Benefits

Childcare assistance if eligible, Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend, Health Coverage*, Relocation Allowance, Training, Living Allowance. *For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit https://americorpsvista.imglobal.com/.

Terms

Permits working at another job during off hours, Permits attendance at school during off hours, Car recommended.

Service Areas

Education, Environment, Children/Youth, Community and Economic Development, Community Outreach.

Skills

Education, Team Work, Leadership, General Skills, Youth Development, Fund raising/Grant Writing, Environment, Recruitment, Trade/Construction, Communications.

SUMMARY

Program Type: AmeriCorps VISTA
Program Start/End Date: 02/09/2026 - 02/08/2027
Work Schedule: Full Time
Education level: College graduate
Age Requirement: Minimum: 18 Maximum: None
Program Locations: WEST VIRGINIA
Languages: English
Accepting Applications From: 01/13/2026 To: 05/03/2026
Contact: Addie Gilkerson, 330 Harper Park Dr, Beckley, WV 25801, 3045331211, agilkerson@conservationlegacy.org, https://stewardslegacy.org/vista
Listing ID: 128261