ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD
S2S Healing Grounds · Reimagine Oregon Grant Program

CHEM Allyance · Portland, Oregon · July – October 2026

Quick Facts

• Position Title: Environmental Steward
• Organization: CHEM Allyance | S2S Healing Grounds
• Program Sites: Church of the Living God (5637 NE 14th Ave) and Markham Elementary School (10531 SW Capitol Hwy)
• Compensation: $30/hour · ~36 hours over the program term
• Transportation: $150 flat stipend (paid over the program term)
• Program Dates: July 28 – October 27, 2026 (8 bi-weekly sessions)
• Application Deadline: Friday, July 24, 2026 at 7pm PDT. Cohort is limited to 8 stewards.
• Status: Seasonal / part-time / non-exempt

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

CHEM Allyance is a Black-led health, land, and community organization rooted in Portland. Our S2S Healing Grounds program transforms underutilized land into community healing spaces: places where people can work with the soil, learn about the environment, and build real skills together.

Through the Reimagine Oregon grant, we are hiring 8 Environmental Stewards for a paid, cohort-based workforce program running July through October 2026. Stewards will work side by side with experienced facilitators across two community sites, doing meaningful land restoration work while building skills recognized by employers, ecosystems, and communities.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Each steward participates in 8 bi-weekly sessions (approximately 36 hours total). Every session combines online training and on-site work:

Part of Each Session / What Happens

• Online Training (~1 hr): Live sessions with CHEM Allyance team members: community mapping, ArcGIS tools, environmental data, and workforce readiness.
• On-Site Stewardship (~2.5 hrs): Hands-on land care with CHEM Allyance team members: planting, soil work, habitat restoration, and healing circle.
• Independent Study (~1 hr): Reflection journal and self-directed learning tied to that session's theme.

Across the eight sessions, your core responsibilities will include:

• Performing land stewardship tasks: planting, weeding, mulching, composting, and habitat restoration.
• Using basic hand tools and maintaining a safe, clean work environment.
• Participating in opening and closing healing circles with your cohort.
• Learning to read and interpret community data using ArcGIS public mapping tools.
• Completing a reflection journal entry after each session.
• Communicating respectfully with staff, partner organizations, and fellow stewards.
• Attending all 8 sessions and completing approximately 36 hours of program participation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required

• Commitment to environmental stewardship, community care, and healing-centered work.
• Ability to perform outdoor physical tasks (walking on uneven terrain, kneeling, lifting up to 30 pounds) with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Willingness to learn; no prior environmental or land-care experience required.
• Ability to attend all 8 bi-weekly sessions on the established schedule.
• Access to a smartphone or computer with internet for the online training hour (technology stipend available; see compensation details).
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Preferred

• Experience with gardening, farming, native plants, or land restoration.
• Lived experience in communities most affected by environmental harm or economic inequity.
• Interest in community mapping, geographic data, or environmental education.
• Experience working in multicultural or community-based settings.

SCHEDULE & WORK CONDITIONS

• Program runs: July 28 – October 27, 2026
• Session frequency: Every two weeks (bi-weekly)
• Session length: Approximately 4.5 hours per session
• Total hours: Approximately 36 hours across 8 sessions
• Sites: Church of the Living God and Markham Elementary (Portland, OR)
• Work setting: Primarily outdoors; some online work via personal device
• Weather: Oregon summer and fall conditions; stewards should dress for outdoor work

Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified stewards with disabilities consistent with Oregon BOLI and federal ADA requirements. Please let us know during the application process if you need an accommodation.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• $30.00/hour for all program hours (online training, on-site work, and independent study).
• $150 transportation stipend paid over the course of the program.
• Technology stipend available to support device or data access needs for online training. Ask us about this during onboarding.
• Paid sick time provided in compliance with Oregon law.
• A workforce readiness record: each steward receives documentation of skills completed during the program, usable for future employment or education applications.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

CHEM Allyance provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, Oregon, or local law.

We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; LGBTQIA+ community members; people with disabilities; people formerly involved in the justice system; and others with lived experience of environmental and social inequity. This invitation is consistent with our mission and our equal opportunity obligations. We want our steward cohort to reflect the communities this program is built to serve.