Community Volunteer Ambassador – Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

Community Volunteer Ambassador – Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

Recruitment began on May 14, 2025

and the job listing Expires on July 11, 2025

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Position Title: Community Volunteer Ambassador, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield – AmeriCorps

Site Location: 6424 W. Farm Road 182, Republic, MO 65738

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by June 13, 2025

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: September 8, 2025
• End Date: August 7, 2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program combines the strength of a national leader in conservation service with the National Park Service to train emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities.

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is ten miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri between the large suburbs of Republic and Battlefield. The park’s 2,400 acres preserve most of the area consumed by the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 1861. This fight was the second major battle of the Civil War, the first of significance west of the Mississippi River, and the first where a Union general died in combat. Today, the battlefield receives over 350,000 visitors a year. Visitors come for contemplative recreation on the tour road and dozen miles of trails that cross the park, to understand the impact of the battle on soldiers and civilians, and to learn more about the Civil War in the Far West, Missouri, and Ozarks. Wilson’s Creek NB has an extremely active volunteer program which engages over 200 people annually. Regular volunteers are drawn from high school and university students, local retirees, and other community members to provide services including docents for tours of Ray House, front desk support, the innovative Trail Picket program, and more. In addition, individual volunteers, living history groups, and representatives of JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, and Scouting and GSUSA units, student clubs, and other service organizations assist during special events such as the annual luminary, park anniversary, and Park Day.

Description of Duties:

• Work closely with the volunteer coordinator and volunteer supervisors to plan and facilitate special events such as National Park Week, Park Day, Battle Anniversary, and Memorial Luminary with special emphasis on external organizations.
• Assist the volunteer coordinator and volunteer supervisors to develop and deliver required volunteer training.
• Assist with routine outreach and administration tasks related to the operation of the volunteer program such as preparing communications, filing paperwork, and more.
• Work with the volunteer coordinator to expand existing volunteer and service opportunities for university students majoring in history and education.
• Work with the volunteer coordinator to create new volunteer and service opportunities for STEM and vocational college students.
• Help the volunteer coordinator leverage currently engaged youth organizations to create one or more service opportunities which will better meet their aims as organizations while also meeting the needs of the battlefield.
• Develop relationships with Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA programs, and other youth organizations which have rarely visited or used the battlefield for educational or service opportunities.
• Develop an integrated volunteer recruitment plan with the volunteer coordinator that better engages with the Springfield area and the greater Ozarks.
• Complete the park’s transition to primarily volunteer.gov-driven recruitment and onboarding for new position and event volunteers.
• Work with volunteer coordinator to streamline onboarding of new and training of new and existing volunteers for a variety of roles and positions at the park.
• Create one or more community outreach events to promote the Access Pass program and accessible visitation and/or outreach to 4th grade students through Every Kid Outdoors passes.
• Work with other divisions to develop service descriptions and volunteer announcements and messaging that meet their needs.
• Develop career skills by cross-training in the Division of Interpretation, Education, and Visitor Services and/or in other divisions.

Qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills that can be adapted to audiences of differing backgrounds (including age and culture).
• Positive and outgoing attitude.
• Works well in a team but can accomplish tasks independently as needed.
• Completed or working toward an Associates or Bachelors degree.
• Familiarity with Office 365 products.
• Ability to learn, modify, and create new systems quickly.
• Flexibility and patience in the face of change and growth.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 for veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• 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.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Resident in the Ozarks (particularly Southwest Missouri or Northwest Arkansas).
• Experience as a volunteer or working with volunteers.
• Experience with public speaking.
• Experience working with youth and youth organizations.
• Experience planning and leading events.
• Experience facilitating training.
• Creativity in connecting history and recreation to volunteer service.

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional 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.Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
• Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.
• 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 an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Week-long, in-person training on NPS volunteer program management and leadership skills.
• Year-long continuum of learning supporting professional development
• $1,200 in Professional Development Funds

Additional Position and Community Information

The expected schedule will align with the volunteer coordinator and will likely run Thursdays through

Mondays. Evenings will only be required for a limited number of special events such as the Memorial Luminary. The park has an active historic weapons program and a small but growing living history program which make it stand out from nearby public lands.

Housing is plentiful and generally affordable in the greater Springfield area with numerous apartments

available in both the Queen City of the Ozarks and its suburbs. While a car is not required to live in the area or commute to the park, it is highly recommended due to limited bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and the park’s distance from the cities of Battlefield and Republic. Commuting by bicycle is further complicated by the length and traffic flow requirements to reach volunteer use areas That said, the Springfield area has an extensive collection of greenway trails for cyclists and walkers that connect recreation sites across the county.

In recent years, the park has worked closely with nearby sites such as George Washington Carver National Monument, Fort Scott National Historic Site, and Pea Ridge National Military Park on their volunteer and community outreach events.

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00
• Living Allowance of $600 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $150 per week, if housing is not provided
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• $1,200 in Professional Development Funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel
• Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority
• Week-long in-person training at NPS site with travel/meal expenses covered.

Evaluation and Reporting:

• As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of 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 and accomplishment tracking.

The CVA position will start on Monday, September 8, 2025 and run for 48 weeks until Friday, August 7, 2026.

Please ensure your cover letter addresses how your experience aligns with the CVA program, your experience working with different populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in.

Application Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early June. Final deadline is Friday, July 4, 2025.

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 the hiring manager.

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