AmeriCorps Environmental Education Member

Position Title: AmeriCorps Environmental Education 

AmeriCorps Living Stipend: $7,408 broken down into 8 equal installments of $926/ month Education Award: $3,097.50 Education Award to pay student loans or future tuition, awarded upon completion of the 900 minimum service hours.

Position Description The AmeriCorps EE Member serving at Clinton County Conservation will: ·         Complete 900 hours of service over 8-month period from March 2020 - October 2020. Start/ end are flexible. Hours may accommodate students currently attending school. ·         Average service hours are 8-hour shifts, 4 days per week. Mainly weekdays in the Spring and Fall with some evenings and Saturdays during summer. ·         Float between Rock Creek Marina & Campground, Camanche and the Conservation Headquarters in Grand Mound. ·         Attend Spring Iowa Association of Naturalists workshop, at CCC expense, March 18-20, 2020 ·         Design and perform weekly pre-school summer reading program “A Nature Story” at the Mississippi River Eco Tourism Center (MRETC). ·         Conduct roving interpretation for MRETC visitors while on duty. ·         Maintain displays at the MRETC while on duty. ·         Contribute articles and events to “The Heron” CCC’s public newsletter. ·         Serve as the Editor the Autumn Edition of “The Heron” CCC’s public newsletter. ·         Contribute article to “In The Field” CCC’s teacher’s newsletter ·         Design and perform family events for the public at our facilities that emphasis 4-H Priority Topics and environmental stewardship practices. ·         Advertise via news releases and Facebook events for the public. ·         Design and perform 4th and 5th grade, 3-day camp that emphasis 4-H Priority Topics. ·         Improve other camp offerings for other ages that emphasis 4-H Priority Topics. ·         Lead Field Trip Stations such as paddling, caving, animal encounter, pond study, hiking, birding, archery and team building. ·         Participate in occasional resource management activities such as prescribed prairie burns or trail maintenance with other CCC staff. We want to help develop the next generation of Conservation Educators. Conservationists entering the field receive resume building opportunities and tangible field experience beyond to the classroom to be able to compete for positions in the field but more importantly to be more effective communicators in those jobs during their future careers. We also want to expand our ability to deliver outdoor educational experiences for families, schools and youth groups in our area. We have a mixture of rural communities and city residents. About half of our county population is in the City of Clinton. We are looking forward to the AmeriCorps Member bringing in new ideas to our other education staff about programming goals and teaching ideas. Our AmeriCorps member will be serving many aspects of our program. The most prevalent will be: ·         Summer Day Camps. We will develop several 3-day camp, about 5 hours per day, for various age groups. The AmeriCorps member will be involved in the K-5 and Middle School grade day camps. They will design the camp for 2nd and 3rd graders, with a capacity of 20 students, with the 4-H goals and positive youth development skills at the fore front. They will also help us upgrade our other camps to include more of the 4-H goals. ·         Develop a weekly Preschool Summer Reading Program “A Nature Story”. The AmeriCorps Member will research the books to be used and supplement the story with live animals, puppets and crafts to better drive home concepts. ·         Family Campground Programs. The member will design and perform summer family programs in our campgrounds that will target families learning about nature and the outdoors. ·         Field Trips. The member will provide a multitude of field trip activities during our spring field trip season with other CCC staff. Paddling, caving, animal encounter, pond study, hiking, birding, archery and team building are some of the primary activities the member will become proficient in leading. ·         Mississippi River Eco Tourism Center Site Naturalist. The member will be a primary contact with the Nature Center portion performing roving interpretation, conduct crafting session, and provide animal encounter experiences for our visitors.

Eligibility and Responsibilities ·            Be at least 17 years of age at the commencement of service. ·            Have a high school diploma or its equivalent (or be in the process of obtaining one) ·            College coursework, college degree or equivalent experience preferred. ·            Be a U.S. Citizen, national or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. ·            AmeriCorps Member will have recurring access to vulnerable populations. Successful completion and clearance of required background checks (including: 1) a nationwide National Sex Offender check; 2.) a Statewide Criminal Background Check; and 3.) a fingerprint-based FBI Check. ·            Ability to serve approximately 32 hours per week for 28 weeks March - October, 2020. The anticipated service schedule will vary but will be set with the service member at least two week in advance. Occasional evenings and weekends are anticipated. No service on holidays is anticipated. Members will serve from a Clinton CCB area. Serving while at home is not allowed. Vacation time, sick time and holidays are not counted toward the hours needed to complete the term. Of these hours, a maximum of 20% may be spent in training and a maximum of 10% may be spent fundraising. ·            Site Supervisors will perform mid-term and end of term evaluations for members during the member’s service term. ·            Consult with your supervisor if you have ideas, issues or concerns offering analysis and solutions whenever possible. ·            Respect confidentiality of involved persons, staff and AmeriCorps members. ·            Provide data necessary for monthly reports as required by the host site within the timeframes provided.

Benefits For a half time commitment and 900 hours of AmeriCorps service, the member will receive: ·            Acquire CPR Certification ·            Taxable living allowance of $7,408 per program year ·            Student loan forbearance on qualified student loans ·            $3,097.50 educational award for student loans or tuition payments ·            Participate in Iowa Association of Naturalists Conference & Workshops ·            Build network of professionals working in field of conservation and dozens of other AmeriCorps EE Members in counties across Iowa ·            Positive youth development training from state 4-H professionals ·            Leadership experience and skill development ·            Hands-on experience in a professional setting ·            Develop a life-long commitment to the value of service to others