Stewards VISTA: YES- Acadia National Park- AmeriCorps

The Stewards VISTA position at Acadia National Park involves a 1-year AmeriCorps service focused on enhancing public engagement with natural and cultural resources through education and outreach. Duties include staffing the visitor center, assisting park rangers, leading educational programs, and creating content to promote park awareness. The position requires on-site presence in Bar Harbor, ME, and provides a living allowance and housing.
Position Title: Stewards VISTA: YES- Acadia National Park- AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements, East
Site Location: Bar Harbor, ME
City, State or Full Address: 20 McFarland Hill Road, Bar Harbor Maine 04609

Terms of Service:
Start Date: 07/14/25
End Date: 07/13/26
Must serve a 365-day (1 year) service term
Living Allowance: $68.39/day ($24,962.35/year)
• On-site Housing Provided

PLEASE ONLY APPLY USING THIS LINK

Purpose:
This is an AmeriCorps Program focused on increasing public engagement with natural and cultural resources through education, interpretation, and community outreach. The program serves communities with limited access to public lands and aims to enhance awareness, appreciation, and responsible use of these spaces. It is guided by principles of public service, environmental stewardship, and the promotion of lifelong connections to public lands.
This AmeriCorps Position supports these goals by providing interpretation and education programs, building relationships with economically disadvantaged communities, and identifying ways to reduce barriers to outdoor access for people with disabilities. The member will help connect youth groups and the public to park resources and promote the responsible enjoyment and preservation of these lands.

The AmeriCorps VISTA member will build capacity and develop sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty in underserved communities.

Description of Duties:

Help staff the visitor center by greeting guests, answering questions, and sharing park information.
Assist park rangers with public programs and give short talks to visitors at various sites around the park.
Lead educational field trips and classroom visits for K–12 students on topics like science, history, and social studies. Some of these will be virtual programs with students across the country.
Research park stories, history, and natural features to improve existing programs and help develop new ones.
Build connections with nearby schools and communities to encourage more student engagement with the park.
Help create educational content like social media posts, printed materials, signs, videos, and website updates that teach people about the park and how to care for it.

Qualifications:

United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
At least 18 years of age
Some college
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) from 7/14/25 to 7/13/26, but exact schedules may vary.
Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

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 $7,395.00

o or choice of cash stipend of ~$1,800.00

Living Allowance of $68.39 per day, disbursed every 2 weeks
On-Site Housing Provided
Relocation Allowance ($750) if Eligible
Healthcare Coverage* if Eligible
Childcare Coverage* if Eligible
Loan forbearance if Eligible
Interest Payments if Eligible
Training and Professional Development Opportunities
Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 support)
Non-Competitive Eligibility* (NCE) status upon successful completion of the term
Networking and Mentorship
• For more information regarding the Segal Education Award, check out this link as well as alternative uses for the award here.
• For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare.
• For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit https://americorpschildcare.com/.
• For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/trust/help/member_portal/non_competitive_eligibility_overview.htm.

Evaluation and Reporting:
As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed their required year of service; the member has satisfactorily completed assignments; and if the member 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, accomplishment tracking, and quarterly reporting.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:
For VISTA related information, contact Addie Gilkerson, agilkerson@conservationlegacy.org
For site related information, contact Joy Absher, joy_absher@nps.gov

PLEASE ONLY APPLY USING THIS LINK

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.