Youth Education Specialist

Position: Youth Education Specialist (AmeriCorps, ages 18-30)

Location: Twin Cities metro area, Minnesota

    This is not a residential program; participants must secure housing preferably near the crew location

Benefits:

• Living Allowance: $2,500 /month pre tax
• Training, certifications, networking
• Access to gear lending library
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Health insurance
• Childcare assistance
• Student loan forbearance (on qualifying student loans)
• Service term eligible to count towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness program

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (CCMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and AmeriCorps grantee that engages hundreds of youth and young adults each year in programs and initiatives that improve access to outdoor recreation, restore natural habitat, protect waterways, and respond to community needs and natural disasters. Our mission is to cultivate a community of emerging leaders in service to people and the planet. Learn more at conservationcorps.org.

Our values embody safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership. In working toward our vision, we believe that it is important we commit to the following:

• Using equity as a lens for the work we do and decisions we make
• Building a shared vision surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion goals with our partnering organizations and communities, and
• Providing an equitable training environment and high-quality programming to all our participants.

Position Summary:

Youth Education Specialists empower youth to become leaders in their communities, explore future career opportunities in environmental fields, and learn hands-on skills in the outdoors. Members will develop their skills in leadership, community engagement, youth program development, teaching, and outdoor recreation while guiding youth to gain a sense of belonging and responsibility to the people and outdoor places in their community.

Specific projects depend on the time of year and location, but may include:

• Collaborating with community partners to plan and lead outdoor and environmental education workshops or events
• Creating and improving curriculum and project plans for the summer program
• Attending events and building community connections to recruit high school youth for the summer program
• Evaluating effectiveness and impact of youth programs to inform continuous quality improvement

During the summer, members will spend the majority of their time directly working with a group of youth ages 15-18. Together with a co-leader, they will guide youth in a variety of projects and activities which may include:

• Hands-on field trips and activities to learn about topics like environmental justice, climate change, natural resource management, waste management, ecology, pollution, and water systems
• Outdoor education including leading younger children in activities
• Collecting and analyzing environmental data
• Restoring and maintaining habitat
• Meeting and working with a variety of professionals in environmental fields to learn about career pathways and higher education opportunities

Role Clarification:

This is an AmeriCorps member level position, NOT a staff member. While serving in this AmeriCorps position, members need to abide by the below restrictions:

• Members may NOT sign/approve official documents such as AmeriCorps paperwork, other members’ timecards, performance evaluations, disciplinary contracts, project contracts or any similar documents.
• Members may NOT be directly involved in project acquisition or contracting.
• Members may NOT discipline other AmeriCorps members. While they may provide guidance, facilitate meetings, motivate, reward and uphold safety policies on the service site, all policy violations and disciplinary action must be directed to and handled by Corps staff.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Plan and lead educational activities for youth, including assisting with curriculum development, partner engagement, and project planning
• Assist with youth recruitment and community engagement by attending events and leading environmental education programming in the community
• Engage and mentor youth participants using positive youth development strategies such as promoting youth voice and choice, cultivating a safe and welcoming environment, and supporting youth in creating healthy relationships with both peers and adults
• Collaboratively solve problems and confront challenges together with co-leaders, youth participants, and Conservation Corps program staff
• Abide by all Corps program safety regulations as well as applicable federal/state/municipal law and OSHA requirements; communicate any safety concerns or incidents to program staff and project partners
• Complete projects and activities in collaboration with co-leaders, community partners, and youth participants while demonstrating a commitment to the Corps values of safety, justice, stewardship, community, and leadership. 

Hours & Schedule

Schedules can vary, depending on location and position. Members should expect to be scheduled for at least 40 hours of service per week.

A typical schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm including a mandatory 30 minute lunch break which does not count towards service hours. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required for specific events, and members will know in advance when these dates are.

Training & Development

The Corps provides orientation and skills training at the start of the program year. Additional region or project specific training may be included throughout the service term depending on project need, length of term and other factors. Examples of potential trainings include: