WVDEP Northern Basin Watershed Association Scientific Support - VISTA Summer Associate -AmeriCorps

Position Title: Scientific Support - VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

WVDEP Northern Basin Watershed Association

WVDEP, 1000 Technology Drive, Suite 3220, Fairmont, WV 26554

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 6/15/2026
• End Date: 8/23/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)

Purpose:

• The watershed associations which the Associate will support are improving streams. Clean streams invite economically productive use, such as boating and fishing. Tourism from outside the watershed as well as visits by watershed residents will promote investment in hospitality and outfitter services
• Watershed associations use data, which must be carefully curated, to write grant proposals for water remediation projects and to publicize where water quality should be celebrated and where it must be improved.
• The Associate will work with watershed association personnel to monitor water quality. The Associate will enter data into a database to support watershed association personnel. The Associate will observe a construction project installing best management practices that improve water quality.

Description of Duties:

The Summer Associate will focus on capacity-building activities that produce internal planning resources, documentation tools, and community engagement materials. Duties may include compiling labor market research summaries, developing workforce resource inventories, creating community asset maps, organizing environmental data sets, drafting partnership coordination frameworks, designing planning templates and resource guides, and assisting with public-facing informational workshops, outreach campaigns, or site observations. Activities are designed to strengthen host organizations' capacity, guide long-term workforce and environmental program development, provide tangible connections between planning tools and community needs, and support measurable outcomes in workforce access, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

The Americorps VISTA Summer Associate will work with watershed personnel to monitor water quality on ten occasions. She or he will then enter the collected data, as well as other data have have been provided in the past, into a Microsoft Access database. The Americorps VISTA Summer Associate will also provide oversite on a construction project by observing the work for a day.

Qualifications:

• Car recommended;
• Desired education level: College Graduate
• Language requirement: English
• 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.

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:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time, 35-40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Permits attendance at school during off hours;
• Permits working at another job during off hours

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,565.08
• Living Allowance of $957.46 (taxable) every other week.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• Recreational Opportunities
• Professional Development Opportunities

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate, performance will be evaluated on whether the Summer Associate has completed the required number of hours, whether the Summer Associate has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the Summer Associate 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.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Erin Adams

eadams@conservationlegacy.org

330 Harper Park Drive

Beckley, WV 25801

(304) 860-0578

Host Organization Contact:

Martin Christ
Martin.J.Christ@wv.gov
(304) 932-5741

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.