Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens A Summer to Remember – VISTA Summer Associate-AmeriCorps

Position Title:  A Summer to Remember – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

1550 Anacostia Ave NE Washington, DC 20019

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 6/1/2026
• End Date: 8/9/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)

Purpose:

• This project addresses poverty indirectly by providing accessible community programming, volunteer opportunities, and skills-building experiences. By engaging residents, especially youth and families, in evening events, educational programming, and volunteer leadership, the Gardens fosters social capital, community networks, and pathways to professional skill development. Summer Associates will also gain nonprofit, outreach, and program management experience, equipping them with skills that increase employability and career opportunities. In this way, the project helps strengthen the local community, broaden access to enriching experiences, and support pathways out of poverty over time.
• This project will expand FoKAG’s capacity by enabling consistent evening staffing, structured community programming, and enhanced fundraising efforts during the busy summer season. Summer Associates will develop and implement the “Come Alive After 5” events, collect and analyze program data, and assist with the 18th anniversary “18 for 18” campaign, creating systems for tracking attendance, volunteer engagement, and donor participation. Their work will strengthen operational efficiency, improve program evaluation, and build sustainable community partnerships. By the end of the summer, FoKAG will have increased its ability to run extended-hours programming, engage more visitors and volunteers, and sustain fundraising initiatives, leaving lasting infrastructure and processes that continue beyond the Summer Associate’s term.

 
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.

Summer Associates will support the Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens by serving in three main roles: 1) be present at the Gardens during extended hours (3:30–8:30 p.m.) four to five days per week; 2) help produce, manage, and evaluate our “Come Alive After 5” evening programming; and 3) assist with our 18th anniversary summer fundraising campaign. Members will engage the public, plan events, support volunteers, and contribute to community outreach while gaining hands-on experience in a National Park and nonprofit setting. This position offers a rare chance to work in a historic urban park, collaborate with park rangers and nonprofit leaders, and help bring the Gardens to life for visitors across Washington, DC.

 
Qualifications: 

• Desired education level: Some College
• 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.
• Uniforms provided and required

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:

Alivia Villari
alivia@fokag.org
(918) 542-9399

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.