Seasonal Outdoor Education Crew Member/Leader

Position: Seasonal Outdoor Education Crew Member/Leader (AmeriCorps, ages 19-25)

Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
This is not a residential program; participants must secure housing near the crew location.

Service Term: 900 -hour AmeriCorps position; May – December, 2024 or 1,200-hour AmeriCorps position; March/April – December, 2024

Position Summary: 

Outdoor Education Crew Members operate a hybrid program with the first part of the year focused on natural resource and restoration projects in and around the Twin Cities metro area with other young adults. The second part of the year will be spent leading crews of Twin Cities’ youth participating in our Youth Outdoors program in environmental education, community service and conservation projects after school and on Saturdays.

Members develop technical skills throughout their term while completing challenging and impactful conservation projects. Natural resources projects vary by region and crew location, but may include:

• Invasive species management
• Stream bank stabilization, erosion control
• Prescribed burning
• Trail construction & maintenance
• Tree planting
• Basic carpentry
• Wild land fire suppression
• Emergency response

Hours & Schedule:
Schedules can vary, depending on crew location. Crew members should expect to be scheduled for at least 40 hours of service per week. A typical schedule is Monday – Thursday, 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM including a mandatory 30 minute lunch break which does not count towards service hours. During youth sessions, the schedule transitions to Tuesday-Saturday with Tuesdays and Thursdays schedules extending into after school hours. Some special assignments (including wildfire response and other emergency response assignments) may require members to deploy for several weeks at a time.  

Qualifications

• 19-25 years old
• Ability and desire to work well with others in a team setting, outdoors and in all weather conditions
• Commitment to upholding Corps values of safety, service, respect, equity and community
• Dedication to complete the full term of AmeriCorps service
• Ability to perform the Essential Service Functions, which include:

• • Long (10 hour) days of shoveling, digging and swinging heavy tools repetitively
  • Long (10 hour) days of chainsawing / brush sawing
  • Heavy lifting, bending, and carrying up to 50 pounds
  • Walking and working on steep or uneven terrain
  • Working in extremes of heat or cold

• Flexible schedule to accommodate week-long out of town assignments and emergency response
• Must be a US Citizen, US National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the US
• Must pass a criminal history check consisting of a National Sex Offender Public Website check, a state criminal history check, and a fingerprint-based FBI check. Passing the criminal history check is defined as no positive hits on the NSOPW and no history of violent offenses on the state or FBI checks.
• High school degree, GED, or willingness to work towards obtaining a GED