Americorps Environmental Educator

The Oakland Mills Nature Center of the Henry County Conservation Board is seeking a qualified individual willing to commit to a school-year term of service as a temporary AmeriCorps 4-H Environmental Education Member. The quarter-time position requires the successful completion of at least 450 hours of service by term end (8 months, approximately 14-15 hours weekly on flexible schedule). Regular work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. however, some activities may require a member to serve during early morning, evening, and/or weekend hours. In addition, some activities may require a Member to serve during holiday hours. The Member will receive: a living allowance of approximately $3,704 to be distributed equally by month over the term of service, approximately $1,612.43 Segal Education Award upon completion of the term (that stays good for 7 years), student loan deferment, leadership and skill development, as well as hands-on experience.

The Oakland Mills Nature Center now seeks a motivated, out-going person with a background in natural resources, biology, parks/recreation, or education. The candidate should have strong communication skills, a desire to serve with youth and diverse groups of people, and a passion for community stewardship. This is an excellent opportunity for an individual to gain valuable experience in educating about the importance of Iowa’s native resources and conservation practices. Ideal position for a college student or retired teacher.  

Under general supervision of the Naturalist/Director, the Member will: develop, promote, and conduct interpretive and educational programs for community school and public groups, especially youth that are not currently encompassed by our summer programming and give under privileged children the chance to attend such programs. The AmeriCorps Member will be responsible for researching, developing, preparing, and presenting recurring quality environmental education programs to youth in Henry County. The school year programs will be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and will be held in the schools or at the Oakland Mills Nature Center by way of class field trips. The public programs will be held at Henry County Conservation Department (HCCD) campgrounds, local parks, libraries, and the Oakland Mills Nature Center. Additional locations may be added. Members will have the freedom to choose the topic of the programs they present (unless otherwise noted) but these programs must comply with the 4-H priority topics of Healthy Living, STEM, Citizenship and Leadership, and Communications and Arts as well as NGSS. The AmeriCorps Member will also be responsible for aiding (as needed) HCCD staff with their programs: in-school programs, after-school programs, Toddler Time, Maple Syruping in February/March, May 12, 13,14th Pioneer Days, Fall Annual Night Hike October 17th, library programs, movie nights, full moon/evening hikes, trivia activities, campground programs, birthday parties, scout groups, At the Park activities, Parent’s Night Out, select Mt Pleasant Chamber activities, nursing homes, civic groups, as well as ACORN and other adult educational programs. In addition, the AmeriCorps Member will maintain the nature center including the live animals, environmental education classroom, and outdoor classroom which includes the live raptors with other staff. They will be trained by HCCD staff on animal husbandry for the live animal displays that we have as to be able to use those animals in live programming. The person in this position will also be expected to advertise and promote their own programs and work with their site supervisor to develop a schedule of programs throughout their term of service. To reach the target youth, some of these programs will be held outside normal business hours so this Member must be able to work occasional nights and weekends. Impromptu nature center tours and occasional weekend nature center staffing are also part of the Member’s duties.  

As a safety precaution, Member must be CPR certified or must attend a CPR certification course chosen and paid for by the Henry County Conservation Department.  

AmeriCorps Members are required to attend trainings and other events throughout the year as per AmeriCorps’ requirements. This position is through AmeriCorps 4H, a partner of Iowa State University; Henry County Conservation is where this position is located; and the salary is funded through the federal government. The position is predominately environmental education. Member is responsible for all required AmeriCorps paperwork including fingerprinting, reports, timesheets, reflections, and surveys. AmeriCorps mandatory dates of service are January 20th; 2nd week in March; and April 13-15th, all in 2020. AmeriCorps mandatory training is currently set for October 17-18, 2019, and potentially June 5, 2020.   Term of Service:  Quarter-time beginning October, 2019, and ending May, 2020.