American 250 Media Steward – AmeriCorps

Position Title: American 250 Media Steward – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield tendersglobal.net 6424 W. Farm Rd. 182, Republic, MO 65738

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by 9/15/2025

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 12/1/2025

• End Date: 10/2/2026

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will host an Interpretive Media Steward.

Wilson’s Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the site of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused national attention on the war in Missouri. Wilson’s Creek NB commemorates and interprets the battle within the context of the war in the Trans-Mississippi West. This Interpretive Media Steward is an AmeriCorps position that will collaborate with staff and volunteers to improve and expand on non-personal interpretive services available to the public when planning a trip, completing research, or visiting the battlefield. These services will increase reach of the story of the people and events at Wilson’s Creek.

The individual placement will work in collaboration with permanent staff, bringing skills in design and communication, to develop products for multiple audiences. Project will include updating information that has not seen significant updates in over a decade and creating new products to engage audiences following best practices of 21st Century Interpretation and design theory.

Description of Duties:

· Research and become familiarized with Wilson’s Creek as a National Battlefield and its place in the larger history of the United States including how the land was utilized by Ancestral Native Americans, early European settlement and homesteading, enslavement, the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, other impacts of the Civil War, reconstruction, and the commemorative history of the site.

Create a weekly post as part of a year-long social media campaign highlighting 250 years of history of Wilson’s Creek and looks to the future of battlefield preservation.

• Work with supervisor and mentor to develop an interpretive theme and focus for the campaign.
• Identify people, stories, places, and events to highlight throughout the campaign.
• Work with permanent interpretation and museum staff to identify arts, pictures, or museum collection objects to include as images.
• Submit content drafts for review/feedback and posting following a standard procedure.

Create 10 website/app pages that supports a deeper dive into events and people in the history of Wilson’s Creek.

• Research primary sources for people and events at Wilson’s Creek. Collaborate with museum staff to identify photographs or art in the collection to highlight on the pages.
• Draft a basic outline for each page and work with permanent staff to draft and edit the content of each stop.
• Provide attractive layouts and visual navigation for each page.
• Collect content from permanent staff or publications and input into the pages.
• Publish pages and pull identified pages into the NPS app.

Create 16 short audio tour topical “more information” features for the 8-tour road audio tour stops.

• Research primary sources for people and events at Wilson’s Creek.
• Draft a basic outline for each stop and work with permanent staff to draft and edit the content of each stop.
• Take audio recordings of narrators.
• Edit the audio for each stop, incorporating immersive sound bites, music, etc. to enhance the listening experience.
• Publish audio tour to the website and app.

Develop four pop-up, self-guided, experiences that help visitors of all ages reflect on the great strides and challenges faced by the American people and look forward to the next 250 years of progress.

• Work with supervisor and mentor to develop interpretive theme and focus for the pop-ups.
• Create outlines and project plan/prototype for each pop-up.
• Request materials needed for pop-up
• Fabricate and pilot the pop-up
• Monitor and revise as needed.

Digitally catalogue 500 museum artifacts, letters, or photographs that tell our nation’s exceptional history.

• Work with museum staff to pull items from the collection and take photographs of each item.
• Collaborate with partners at the Library Center to upload photos to the virtual museum.

Develop a temporary exhibit that tells the story of Wilson’s Creek over the past 250 years.

• Work with supervisor and mentor to develop interpretive theme and focus for the exhibit.
• Identify people, stories, places, and events to highlight in the exhibit.
• Work with permanent interpretation and museum staff to identify props, art, pictures, or museum collection objects to include in the exhibit.
• Submit text drafts for review/feedback.
• Submit visual media for review/feedback.
• Fabricate and print panels and set up exhibit.

Assist in the organization of the database of stored photos

• In collaboration with other staff, arrange image folders to improve searchability.
• Properly tag and store images on the shared drive.

Qualifications:

• Willingness to learn and develop new skills.
• Interested in preserving and communicating important information and stories related to the history of the United States.
• Speak, read, and write in English
• Able to use a computer and familiar with programs such as the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite.
• Able to work well independently and as part of a team and communicate needs and challenges effectively.
• Able to manage time well to meet project deadlines.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 for veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• B.A. in visual media, journalism, history, interpretation, education, natural/cultural resources, or communications.
• Experience writing interpretive content for website, social media, or publications.
• Experience with photography/autography/videography.
• Experience in creating exhibits.

Additional Position and Community Information

· Wilson’s Creek is in Republic, MO just 10 miles south of Springfield, MO, both seated in Greene County. Greene County has a population of 37,000 people. There are multiple universities in the area which provide access to arts, sporting events, and other public events. There are also ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and fishing. There are two hospitals as

well as many urgent care facilities. We are within a 3-hour drive to 3 urban hubs including St. Louis, Kansas City, and Tulsa. Around Springfield are many rural communities that also have their own local charm and opportunities. Weather includes all four seasons with hot and humid summers, mild spring and fall, and cold/dry winters with few snow and ice events.

The work environment will be primarily indoors in our visitor center. Hazards in the work environment include severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, particularly in the spring. The park works to track these hazards and has safe areas within the buildings to shelter in case of a tornado. Hazards in the park include heat stress during the summer, venomous snakes, ticks, and poisonous plants. Training is provided to staff on mitigating and responding to these hazards.

While Republic and Springfield are working to become more walking and biking friendly, it is still advisable to have a personal vehicle to access a wider range of housing options. There are no busses/public transportation options that stop at Wilson’s Creek.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395
• Living Allowance of $650 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $150 per week.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

How to Apply Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions.  In addition to your resume, please submit a one page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by September 15, 2025 Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on October 31, 2025.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information: · Program Contact information: Emma Nehan-Springstead at enehan@conservationlegacy.org

Service Site Contact information: Alicea Powell at Alicea_Powell@nps.gov

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.

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:

· This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary.

· Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.

· 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.

· Site overview/orientation and the history of the battle, associated persons, and larger context of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Civil War.

· Training related to the Civil War, Basics of Interpretation, and interpretive media through Eppley courses.

· Professional Development (PD) funds will also be provided to assist the applicant in obtaining training in an identified area of improvement such as photography, graphic design, filming, etc.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, 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 and accomplishment tracking.