Position Title: Collection and Traveling Trunk Programing – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

Northern Appalachian Coal Mining Heritage Association

22 Coal Country Ln. Bldg. 2 Fairmont, WV 26554

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 6/1/2026
• End Date: 8/9/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)

Purpose:

• VISTA members perform indirect service to build capacity for organizations serving populations in poverty. In the northern coalfields, these efforts support communities facing high levels of economic stress due to declining coal production and limited economic diversification.
• This project builds capacity by transitioning the Northern Appalachian Coal Mining Heritage Association (NACMHA) from a site-based museum to a proactive regional educator. By developing sustainable outreach tools and operational frameworks, the project ensures the organization can serve its mission long after the service opportunity concludes.
• During their 10-week service term, the Stewards Summer Associate will serve as a catalyst for educational outreach by designing and launching the Northern Appalachian Coal Mining Heritage Association’s first Traveling Trunk Program. The primary goal of this initiative is to "connect the dots" between NACMHA’s physical collections and the surrounding six-county region, bringing the industrial and cultural history of the northern West Virginia coalfields directly into local classrooms and community centers. By transforming static museum artifacts into a mobile, tactile experience, the member will ensure that the stories of the Fairmont Field remain accessible to younger generations who may not be able to visit the museum in person.

Description of Duties:

The Summer Associate will focus on capacity-building activities that produce internal planning resources, documentation tools, and community engagement materials. Duties may include compiling labor market research summaries, developing workforce resource inventories, creating community asset maps, organizing environmental data sets, drafting partnership coordination frameworks, designing planning templates and resource guides, and assisting with public-facing informational workshops, outreach campaigns, or site observations. Activities are designed to strengthen host organizations’ capacity, guide long-term workforce and environmental program development, provide tangible connections between planning tools and community needs, and support measurable outcomes in workforce access, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

This is the "start-up" phase of a new outreach initiative. Your primary goal is to curate "history in a box" for local schools across the six-county "Fairmont Field". Our member will select and organize tactile objects from the NACMHA collection, such as safety lamps, vintage hard hats, and coal samples, ensuring they are safe for student handling. The member will also research and write engaging lesson plans that align with West Virginia educational standards. You'll develop "hands-on" activities—like simulating coal sorting or examining historic mine disaster maps—to bring the miners' stories to life.

Qualifications:

• Car recommended;
• Desired education level: Some College
• Language requirement: English
• 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.

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:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time, 35-40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Permits attendance at school during off hours;
• Permits working at another job during off hours

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1, 565.08
• Living Allowance of $957.46 (taxable) every other week.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• Recreational Opportunities
• Professional Development Opportunities

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate, performance will be evaluated on whether the Summer Associate has completed the required number of hours, whether the Summer Associate has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the Summer Associate 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:

Erin Adams

eadams@conservationlegacy.org

330 Harper Park Drive

Beckley, WV 25801

(304) 860-0578

Host Organization Contact:

Caroline Davis
nacmha.director@gmail.com

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.