AMERICORPS POSITION AVAILABLE
AT THE NORTH BRANCH NATURE CENTER

The North Branch Nature Center is a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people of all ages to the natural world, by offering natural history programs to residents of and visitors to Central Vermont.

This position is part of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board AmeriCorps, which places AmeriCorps members in sponsoring non-profit affordable housing and land conservation organizations around the state.

AmeriCorps Service Position: Environmental Educator
Our AmeriCorps member will help with an array of diverse nature center projects and programs. As an AmeriCorps member you will:

• teach natural history programs to children, adults and school groups;
• help publicize, coordinate and lead nature walks & visitor programs;
• develop and/or revise educational programs, materials, and displays;
• co-develop, coordinate, and teach vacation and summer day camps;
• develop and implement special projects, as time allow;
• assist with project-specific grant writing, when relevant to position;
• coordinate and recruit NBNC volunteers;
• represent the North Branch Nature Center at community events and fairs;
• complete administrative, clerical, maintenance and other tasks as needed.

Desired Qualifications
Some teaching experience and strong public speaking skills; high comfort level working outside with groups; general knowledge of New England natural history; strong writing skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team; strong organizational skills and work ethic; self-starter with strong initiative and follow through; willingness to work evenings and weekends; strong knowledge of word processing and Excel; experience with desktop publishing a plus; enthusiasm for working with teachers and students in grades pre-K to 12; a Bachelor’s degree in education, natural resources, or a related field; U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident alien of U.S.; willingness to comply with federal regulations requiring us to do a background criminal check on AmeriCorps members working with children.

Start and End Dates: Position begins September 22, 2009 and ends August 27, 2010. Requires 1,700 hours for an average of 35.5 hours per week for 11 months.

Benefits: AmeriCorps members will receive a living allowance of $13, 702 (pre-tax), and an education award of $4,725 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of service.  Other benefits include health insurance, federal school loan forbearance, and various training opportunities. 

Application Deadline: August 1, 2009

To Apply
All parts are required and will not be considered unless the application is complete: cover letter, a completed AmeriCorps application, a resume, 2 letters of reference, and a list of 3 references.

Send to:

Chip Darmstadt, North Branch Nature Center
713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
Tel: (802) 229-6206
E-mail: Chip Darmstadt

Your letters of reference and reference list may overlap, but do not need to.  In your cover letter, please respond to the following questions:

1. Explain relevant work and/or personal experiences you have had that would qualify you for an environmental education position at the North Branch Nature Center.
2. Describe the skills and talents that you could contribute to this position.
3. Describe the experiences and skills you wish to gain from this opportunity.

AmeriCorps applications are downloadable from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board AmeriCorps webpage at http://www.vhcb.org/acorps.html. You may also request a hard copy by contacting Francis Sharpstene at (802) 828 – 3253 or acorps@vhcb.org.

Additional information on AmeriCorps is available at www.americorps.org. 

The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) is sponsoring this AmeriCorps position through their AmeriCorps Program. VHCB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Positions are open to all applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran’s status, religion or creed.