Next Generation Steward – Facilities – AmeriCorps

Position Title: Next Generation Steward – Facilities – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

6556 W. Farm Road 182, Republic, MO 65738

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 05/26/2026
• End Date: 08/14/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 Hour Slot

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 Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will host a Next Generation Steward – Facilities.

This is a developmental AmeriCorps position funded through Youth Partnership Program funds as an AmeriCorps program. The goal of the project is to provide recent high school graduates and university students in the Springfield, MO area with the opportunity to explore careers in the National Park Service and learn how to preserve resources, share perspectives, and become leaders in preserving and protecting important places and stories for this generation and the next. The site and community will benefit from the work completed by the stewards and the stewards will benefit from career experience.

• Develop Leadership and career development: Participants will receive one week of training that will include safety/operational leadership, introduction to the NPS, Wilson’s Creek site significance, and team specific topics. Additionally, after three weeks of work and development the youth employees will receive a second leadership and career development training that will include leadership assessments and skills, how to create a federal resume and navigate USAjobs, and additional soft skills such as conflict management, communication, and task prioritization.
• Build a Resource Stewardship Ethic: Participants will have a hand in directly maintaining cultural and historical resources at Wilson’s Creek and communicating the significance of the site to visitors. Participants will be exposed to the background of NPS site foundations and identify places, spaces, and stories they are connected to and draft a mock preservation plan.
• Increase Awareness of and Access to Parks, Rivers, Trails, and Affiliated Areas: Participants will have the opportunity to explore a second National Park Site in addition to Wilson’s Creek. This will allow them to recognize the variety of NPS sites and engage in work with at least two park teams.

Description of Duties:

Work with NPS staff on various projects in the park including:

• Work with skilled staff to develop trade skills in landscape, carpentry, and handy skills.
• Assist staff with trail clearing & maintenance
• Assist staff with carpentry projects such as building and fixing benches, repairing portions of an historic home, and repairing boardwalks, split rail fences, etc.
• Custodial work and projects including trash removal, window cleaning, and dusting.
• Assist in maintaining the cultural landscape through mowing and weeding.
• Learn to troubleshoot various facilities issues that may arise with experienced NPS maintenance staff.

Qualifications:

• 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.
• Desire to explore work in the career of conservation, preservation, and/or facilities and maintenance.
• Able to follow written and verbal instruction and respond positively to feedback.
• Work with team members from various backgrounds and generations.

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.  

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday to Friday, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break 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.
• Onboarding and introductory training at the site will provide an introduction to the NPS and its mission, safety & wellness, working as a team, and site knowledge. This training will be accomplished through presentations, self-guided activities, and shadowing.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,956.35
• Living Allowance of $600 per week.
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible

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.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Conservation Legacy Contact Information:

Emma Nehan-Springstead
enehan@conservationlegacy.org

Service Site Contact information:

Clayton Hanson
Clayton_Hanson@nps.gov
417-732-2662 ext. 249

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.