What are the responsibilities and job description for the WVDEP-DWWM-WIB Project WET VISTA – VISTA Summer Associate -AmeriCorps position at Conservation Legacy?
Position Title: Project WET VISTA – VISTA Summer Associate
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement
Site Location:
WVDEP-DWWM-WIB
601 57th Street SE., Charleston, WV 25304
Terms Of Service
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.
Lead Project WET activities at conferences, camps, workshops, STEM events, and others; which will alleviate poverty by highlighting water-focused careers and the connection between clean water and healthy communities.
Implement and evaluate a Water-Use and Conservation program with rain barrels and Project WET resources and programming at educational institutions and non-profits with community or school gardens; demonstrating a pathway to environmental stewardship.
Engage educators and community members through Project WET wetland activities, tours, and outreach with the Wetland Development Grant focused in southern West Virginia.
Qualifications
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
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
Tomi M Bergstrom
Tomi.M.Bergstrom@wv.gov
(304) 382-5476
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.
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement
Site Location:
WVDEP-DWWM-WIB
601 57th Street SE., Charleston, WV 25304
Terms Of Service
- Start Date: 6/1/2026
- End Date: 8/9/2026
- AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)
- Project WET partnerships with watershed groups, the National Youth Science Academy, the Youth Environmental Program, Save Our Streams, Project Learning Tree, and Project WILD to offer a diverse network to disadvantaged youth and communities of need. Project WET values community empowerment through the ownership and knowledge of their local watershed. The Water-Use and Conservation Program specifically targets schools and nonprofits in need of a water source to grow vegetables and native plants, which is vital in food deserts. West Virginia has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the country and the most significant driver for food insecurity is poverty.
- This project will streamline our Water-Use and Conservation Program across West Virginia by ranking applications to allow the Project WET Coordinator to begin implementing the program. Attending community events and conferences and tabling for Project WET will help gather emails for our newsletter which will launch over the winter of 2026, furthering our reach of water education materials and resources across the state.
- The goal for the Summer Associate member is to grow and broaden the West Virginia Project Water Education Today (Project WET) program and outreach initiatives in the Mountain State. The project will focus on expanding the reach of Project WET resources and programming to poverty stricken areas of West Virginia and to attend environmental conservation camps. Goals include creating a ranking system for applications for our Water-use and Conservation Program and completing at least one program with a nonprofit or educational institution; connect students to their local waterways by attending at least two summer conservation camps; and highlight careers with Project WET activities and presentations at conferences, community events, and summer schools.
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.
Lead Project WET activities at conferences, camps, workshops, STEM events, and others; which will alleviate poverty by highlighting water-focused careers and the connection between clean water and healthy communities.
Implement and evaluate a Water-Use and Conservation program with rain barrels and Project WET resources and programming at educational institutions and non-profits with community or school gardens; demonstrating a pathway to environmental stewardship.
Engage educators and community members through Project WET wetland activities, tours, and outreach with the Wetland Development Grant focused in southern West Virginia.
Qualifications
- Car recommended;
- 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.
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
- 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.
- 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
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
Tomi M Bergstrom
Tomi.M.Bergstrom@wv.gov
(304) 382-5476
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.