Lake Erie Islands Conservancy Capacity Building VISTA Summer Associate -AmeriCorps

Position Title: Capacity Building Summer Associate – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

Lake Erie Islands Conservancy

630 Bayview Avenue, Put-in-Bay, Ohio 43456

Terms of Service:

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

Purpose:

• We are providing valuable training for a student in an environmental
• field with financial support as well. It will help provide them with the skills to
• get a permanent job in the field where many young people struggle to find a
• livable wage.
• An Summer Associate could keep all three organizations up to date during our busiest times. An AmeriCorps Summer Associate would help us gather interest from younger members of the community by coordinating one volunteer event a month. We will have them specifically advertise among the young adults and employees on the island, engaging those who we need for the future of our organizations.
• The Lake Erie Islands Conservancy, Put-in-Bay Township Park District, and Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center will be sharing an AmeriCorps Summer Associate for the 2025 summer to assist with our land preservation and educational programs. The Summer Associate will work on projects like trail maintenance, invasive plant management, grant writing, design of signs and brochures, social media, wildlife and plant surveys, bird nest box monitoring, etc. for the Conservancy and the Park District depending on the skill set of the Summer Associate. For the LEINWC, the Summer Associate can assist with Center tours, Wild Tuesday, Nature Camp, exhibits, community events, animal care, and outreach. This Summer Associate will develop a wide variety of skills pertaining land preservation and wildlife education as well as design and complete a project of their own.

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.

Spend your summer immersed in environmental education and the preservation of natural areas on a scenic Island. Our Summer Associate will get a glimpse into the operations of a nonprofit conservancy, park district, and nature center and gain experiences such as creating and running educational programs, handling live animals, controlling invasive plant species, monitoring bird nest boxes and preserves, publishing marketing content and more.

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.

Note: Stated are required by AmeriCorps. Programs may add additional qualifications.

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 working at another job during off hours;Permits attendance at school during off hours;

Note: Stated are required by AmeriCorps. Programs may add additional requirements

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.

Note: Stated are required by AmeriCorps. Programs may add additional details

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

Note: Stated are required by AmeriCorps. Programs may add additional benefits.

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:

Lisa Kutschbach Brohl
leiconservancy@gmail.com
(304) 254-8371