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, National Parks of New York Harbor – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements Program

Site Location: National Parks of New York Harbor

26 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005

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.

The National Parks of New York Harbor (NPNH) is a unique programmatic office that supports the efforts of the 12 National Park sites in the NY-NJ Harbor area, as well as offering original youth and volunteer programming. NPNH offers accredited volunteer opportunities to students, participates in the national Trails&Rails volunteer program, organizes meaningful paid individual placements in a variety of fields, and contributes hands-on to historic preservation projects throughout the Northeast.

The CVA at the National Parks of New York Harbor will be largely involved with our local Trails&Rails volunteer program. Trails&Rails is a nationwide program where NPS volunteers ride onboard selected Amtrak trains to provide relevant information to passengers and encourage their visitation to NPS sites. One of the best ways to visualize this is, the volunteers are the narrators for a documentary that has been muted. Amtrak provides the screen, NPS volunteers provide the sound. The CVA would be asked to promote the local NPNH hosted program, recruit, and assist with training of new volunteers. In addition to their Trails&Rails duties, the CVA would also be expected to be a collaborative team player on a variety of youth and volunteer related programs throughout their service.

Description of Duties:

• The CVA, under the support and leadership of their supervisor, would be responsible for recruiting new volunteers, initiating onboarding paperwork, organizing initial training sessions, presenting at least one educational session during training, assisting with program scheduling, and general volunteer program coordination.
• Evaluate current educational partnerships and present original ideas on ways to better enhance current offerings.
• Potentially propose new programmatic offerings based on the CVA’s interests and skillsets.
• Participate in all required trainings and educational experiences with a positive attitude and serve as a positive role model for all youth program participants.

Qualifications:

• An Associates or Undergraduate Degree with a concentration in writing/communication, history, business administration, science, or other relevant subject areas and/or relevant on-the-job experience gained working with people.
• A self-motivated, organized, and reliable individual with an interest in making a positive impact for the community.
• A strong original writer and communicator
• 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:

• Preference for local applicants familiar with the 5 boroughs of NYC and public transportation
• Experience working with the general public
• Familiarity with variety of technologies and online systems
• An interest in learning and growing new skills

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:

This position will require occasional weekend work, but the weekly schedule would be adjusted to accommodate needs. 

The selected CVA may be eligible to telework with proper approval from their supervisor and Conversation Legacy.

Park Housing is unfortunately not available, however NPNH is familiar with the process of assisting incoming members with securing affordable housing.

Due to the structure of the NPNH office, the CVA will be provided ample opportunity to collaborate with other NPS sites.

NYC is a vibrant and enthralling working environment. The CVA will be exposed to a world of cultures, histories, and experiences over the course of their professional service.

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 manager.