PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-2026 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.

Position Title: Community Volunteer Ambassador, Missouri National Recreational River – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements Program

Site Location: Missouri National Recreational River

508 E 2nd Street, Yankton, SD 57078

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 2/23/2026
• End Date: 2/5/2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour Slot

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.

This position is located at Missouri National Recreational River in Yankton, South Dakota. Located in the Great Plains, Missouri National Recreational River encompasses 98 miles of the Missouri River along the South Dakota and Nebraska border. The park is split into two districts, the 39-Mile District starts just below Fort Randall Dam near Pickstown, SD and stretches to Running Water, South Dakota; this district also includes the last 8 miles of Verdigre Creek and the lower 20 miles of the Niobrara River. The 59-Mile District starts just below Gavin’s Point Dam and runs to Ponca State Park.

Missouri National Recreational River's volunteer program was slim before our current CVA started here. We have two main large volunteer events that have taken place for several years - a River Clean up and a Watershed School Festival. With the help of our CVA, we now have a VIP policy, service descriptions, and JHAs. We have added two new annual volunteer events, piloted a new “Paddle with a Purpose” program, and brought on several Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) to help with interpretive programming and natural resources work. We are excited to see the growth that has already happened and the growth that will continue on into the future.

The CVA position will continue to help manage and expand the Volunteer Program at Missouri National Recreational River by continuing to work with park divisions to assess VIP needs, attend events and programs to recruit volunteers, handle and organize paperwork for volunteers at all VIP events, plan, coordinate, and execute volunteer events for multiple park teams, gather and organize volunteer statistics, and help manage the social media sites for the park to encourage outreach and stewardship. The CVA will also work to strengthen existing partnerships with local agencies, the friend’s group, JNPA, and tribal partners and will reach out to develop new partnerships as well. This position will also help with other interpretive operations no more than 20% of the time.

Description of Duties:

• Support and coordinate existing volunteer program at MNRR, updating and creating new materials as necessary
• Attend community events with Mobile Ranger Station to advertise and recruit volunteers
• Recruit and onboard volunteers using Volunteer.gov
• Help in the orientation and training of volunteers and seasonal park staff
• Coordinate volunteer schedule and record hours
• Help with ordering supplies and tools needed for program
• Assist in planning of special events, take a lead in planning VIP specific events
• Help develop and/or improve outreach materials for the park and VIP program
• Create social media posts to increase outreach and make volunteer opportunities more available and known
• Assist in interpretive programming such as kayak clinics, river floats, guided walks, evening programs, and pop-ups
• Correspond with visitors, volunteers, and partners through many modes of communication: email, phone calls, in-person, etc.
• Coordinate Volunteer Appreciation gifts and recognition

 Qualifications:

• People skills: ability to cold-contact people and organizations, identify and communicate shared goals, and build relationships through respectful persistence
• This position is devoted to partnerships with many organizations and individuals. The candidate must demonstrate an interest and capacity to network and communicate with a variety of partners and organizations with respect and humility.
• Be willing to work weekends and occasional odd hours. 
• Have a positive, can-do attitude and the ability to work under pressure.
• Understand and support the mission of the National Park Service and the volunteer program.
• Have an interest in assisting volunteers and interns from different backgrounds, being courteous, professional, patient, and respectful always
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Superior organizational skills for tracking multiple projects, partner contacts, and planning logistics
• Self-directed and independent work ethic
• Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in April 2026 (date TBD)
• Pass fingerprint-based FBI, state criminal, and a national sex offender checks.
• Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 17 years of age
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or 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:

• Experience working with different groups of people from various backgrounds
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Teams, Canva, Google Slides, Excel spread sheets, and PowerPoint
• Comfortable working in different Social Media Platforms
• Editing software, such as ADOBE, Light Room, and Photoshop
• Experience speaking publicly and in front of medium to large crowds
• Excellent time management and professionalism

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is 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 the hiring manager.  

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve 40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break 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
•  $750.00 in Professional Development Funds for travel and training

Additional Position and Community Information:

During the summer, the schedule will include work on weekends and evenings, but during the winter season the CVA will have weekends off and only a rare occasion of evening work.

Opportunities to collaborate with park partners in the area

Living and working in a thriving small-town community

NPS Host Site does not provide housing to CVA.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00
• Living Allowance of $600.00 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $150.00 per week if housing is NOT provided by NPS host site at no cost to the participant.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• 10 Federal Holidays, 13 days Personal Leave, 13 days Sick Leave

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.

How to Apply
Please visit Community Volunteer Ambassador (cvainternships.org) to review “Member Positions” by region and find instructions on how to apply.

The CVA position will start on Monday, February 23, 2026 and run for 50 weeks until Friday, February 5, 2027.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-2026

Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.

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. Final deadline is Friday, January 9, 2026.

For Application Questions:

Please contact James Gasaway, Program Director at jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org

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