Partnerships & Community Engagement Intern

Title: Partnerships & Community Engagement Intern 

Reports to: Ranger Frank Middleton, Fort Pulaski National Monument 

Locations: Based in Savannah, GA 

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt (450-hour AmeriCorps National Service Term) 

Stipend: $500/week living stipend & $300/week housing stipend – paid bi-weekly.  

Professional Development Funds: $5,165 ($600 for supplies; $2,500 for professional development; $2,065 for travel) 

Other Benefits: Uniform shirts, protective equipment, on-site training. $1,824.07 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of service term. 

Start/End date:   09/03/2024 – 12/20/2024 (16 weeks)  

Positions Available: 1 

Position opened until filled.  

Southeast Conservation Corps:   
SECC empowering young adults to cultivate compassion, responsibility, and grit through community service, hard work, and environmental stewardship.   

The Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. The SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, to complete conservation work projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. SECC programs encourage environmental stewardship, foster community partnerships, and emphasize experiential learning. SECC serves a diverse population that is representative of the Southeast, including youth, graduates, veterans, and a cross-section of ethnicities and income levels.   

Site Description: 
Built in the wake of the War of 1812 to defend the port of Savannah Georgia, Fort Pulaski is a Third System of American Coastal Fortifications edifice constructed by both enslaved and free laborers between 1829 and 1847. Fort Pulaski saw action during the American Civil War in 1862, when a Federal bombardment of Confederate troops inside the fort breached the thick masonry walls of the monument – an event that proved the effectiveness of rifled cannons, changed the history of fortifications, and set the stage for military emancipation orders that freed enslaved people and pushed Federal Emancipation policy towards the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. After the American Civil War, Fort Pulaski’s strategic importance diminished. The Fort entered the National Park Service System as a National Monument in 1924.  

Today, Fort Pulaski encompasses a continuum of natural and cultural resources from the colonial era to the present day and approximately 5,000 acres of nearly pristine salt marsh on McQueen’s and Cockspur Island in Savannah Georgia. The park advances the mission of the National Park Service, preserving natural and cultural resources, while offering recreational, natural, and cultural experiences for a wide variety of visitors. The park’s Interpretation and Visitor Services Division works with the public to interpret these important stories and resources. More Information about the park is available at: Fort Pulaski National Monument. 

Overview:  

The community engagement-focused intern will help Fort Pulaski National Monument better manage and expand its partnerships and youth programs by allowing dedicated staff to focus on policy compliance and program expansion. Fort Pulaski National Monument has made significant headway in community engagement in the past year. The park partnered with many local groups for an organized community celebration in March 2024, diversified holiday programming through new partnerships with local performers, and secured a National Park Foundation Junior Ranger Angler grant through a partnership with a local arts non-profit and a local nature center. Additionally, our park’s Community Volunteer Ambassador assisted with critical volunteer management roles and conducted educational outreach via area schools and non-profits. FOPU wants to capitalize on these successes by continuing to strengthen partnerships, particularly in the areas of environmental education and interpretation, cultural and historical education, and arts-related education and engagement.

Position Responsibilities: 

Assist in coordinating and participating in community events hosted at the park and in the local community via partnership development. 

• support and strengthen existing partnerships between FOPU and area volunteer management partners (SCAD Serve, United Way, COVA, and various other groups) by:
• A) Working with FOPU staff to create group volunteer opportunities and
• B) Becoming a presence in Savannah’s volunteer management community through outreach (attending community meetings, tabling, etc).
• Support and strengthen existing and emerging partnerships as FOPU approaches its 100th-anniversary celebrations in October 2024. Work as park liaison with community partners to coordinate 100th-anniversary activities in coordination with the Interpretation and Visitor Services Division.

Co-create educational programs and outreach opportunities with area partners. 

• Work with Loop it Up Savannah and others to support arts-related programs and outreach opportunities both in the park and in local communities. As new arts education partners emerge, pursue possible future collaboration.
• Work with the Massie Heritage Center and others to support cultural and historical programs and outreach opportunities both in the park and in local communities. As new cultural or historical education partners emerge, pursue possible future collaboration.
• Work with the Oatland Island Nature Center and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge to support natural education and interpretation programs at Fort Pulaski NM. As new natural education partners emerge, pursue possible future collaboration.

Train and recruit youth volunteers and staff to work at the park. 

• Play an integral role in supporting and assisting the park’s dynamic volunteer program by recruiting new volunteers and growing existing volunteer groups and projects via community outreach and engagement (tabling, education programs, etc).
• Through community outreach, digital interpretation, and social media, identify and recruit volunteers and potential staff in order to foster diversity via intentional recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Education or experience in community engagement or related experience.
• Ability to work cooperatively and safely as a group member and learn new skills.
• Agency (SECC) provided uniform is required wear to be identifiable to the visiting public and act as a representative of the National Park Service while serving as an intern.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelors Degree.
• local to the commuting area (within 50 miles).

AmeriCorps Qualifications:  
To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30 and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award.  

Transportation: 

A personal vehicle is not required but is recommended due to the limited public transportation.  

Compensation:  
The intern is paid a $500/week living stipend and a $300/week housing stipend – paid bi-weekly before taxes, via direct deposit. Upon successful completion of the term of service AmeriCorps members will earn an AmeriCorps Segal education award to be used for student loans, qualifying programs/classes, or tuition for traditional Title IV accredited colleges.  

Participation and Expedition Behavior: 

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem-solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service. Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to effectively carry out the service work requirements.
• Appropriately always represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners.

Outdoor Skills (where appropriate): 

Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor work skills as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.   

Substance Free: 

In accordance with a drug-free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.  

Additional Notes: 

All applicants are required to perform a criminal history check, offers of employment are contingent upon results. 

This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.   

To Apply:  

Follow the SECC link and complete the application. Please include 3 references, resume, and copy of your transcripts (unofficial okay). You can put the references in a word doc and upload it alongside your resume. A cover letter is encouraged but not required. 

If you have questions about the position, please contact: 

Ranger Frank Middleton 

Fort Pulaski National Monument  

(912) 226-1576 
Frank_middleton@nps.gov  

If you have questions about the application process, please contact: 

Ray Wilson 

SECC – Individual Placement Intern 

rwilson@conservationlegacy.org  

(423) 322-4976