Community Volunteer Ambassador

Background Information

Glacier National Park depends on dedicated volunteers to perform duties and complete projects that it simply could not do without them. Every year the park has over 650 volunteers donate over 46,000 hours. From overseeing campgrounds to caring for native plants to patrolling over 700 miles of trails, our volunteers help protect valuable resources and help visitors learn about, and safely enjoy, the many aspects of Glacier National Park. The Volunteer-in-Parks (VIP) Program office supports long-term volunteer programs parkwide, as well as individual volunteers that step up for immediate park needs. During the summer season, VIP staff, with support from the Community Volunteer Ambassdor (CVA), also host service groups coming locally from Montana and from across the country, providing short-term volunteer opportunities to these visiting groups. The VIP office also oversees the Artist-in-Residence program, coordinating with park staff and partners to host two, month-long artist residencies in the park.

The CVA will be involved in all aspects of managing Glacier’s volunteer program. They will help to support individual adult and youth volunteers that are directly supervised by other staff who oversee specific programs such as our Citizen Science, Camp Hosts, Wilderness Patrol, and Apgar Visitor Center Volunteer Programs. The selected individual will regularly engage youth and seniors in their volunteer and education program duties. They will assist with community outreach efforts, such as helping to facilitate two annual GNP Adopt-a-Highway clean-up events.

Glacier's CVA will also assist with the park's curriculum-based education programming. During the school year, when there are less volunteer groups to assist with, the CVA will spend some of their time working with the education team to connect with students from across the country, both virtually and in person. This includes leading field trips, conducting classroom visits, presenting distance learning programs, and participating in community outreach. Students are generally K-8 and follow program objectives listed here.

Position Responsibilities:

Glacier’s CVA will arrive in February and split their time between volunteer and education programs through the winter and into spring, focusing on volunteer office projects, administrative projects to get ready for a busy summer season, and training to gain knowledge of volunteer management. The CVA would receive training on how to work with students and shadow curriculum-based education programs. These programs include leading K-12 students on snowshoe hikes focused on winter ecology, as well as presenting distance learning programs to students nationwide using green screen and video technology.

At the end of April, and throughout May, education programs are normally conducted on trails in the Apgar area. The spring programs focus on habitats, animal adaptations, senses, and phenology. The CVA will receive training on spring education programming and shadow education staff to gain skills needed to lead their own programs, which will also be directly helpful in preparing for leading summer youth service groups with the volunteer office.

All programming and work the CVA is engaged with involves safety protocols. Programs will continually be evaluated and adjusted for staff and participant safety.

Major projects the CVA will support during their entire term include completing an audit of volunteer trainings that are offered at Glacier with the intention of ensuring trainings are high quality and easily used by volunteers. The CVA will also identify where there are gaps in volunteer training and assist the Volunteer Program Coordinator in bridging those gaps.

The CVA will assist the Volunteer Program Coordinator in completing a volunteer needs assessment, that will help to guide growth in Glacier’s volunteer program, and with standardizing volunteer background checks across the park.

Starting in late May, the CVA will transition to full-time service with all aspects of the volunteer program. The CVA will have a large emphasis on helping facilitate both our adult and youth service groups. They will help coordinate specific weeks of our MCC crews, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other youth and adult service groups. This involves serving collaboratively with all divisions, arranging for camping reservations, scheduling service projects, and communicating with the group leaders to ensure the group has a great visit. They will give a park orientation to each group they coordinate, as well as identifying other educational opportunities for these groups where possible.

The CVA will also help support individual adult and youth volunteers that are directly supervised by staff overseeing Citizen Science, Camp Hosts, Wilderness Patrol, Apgar Visitor Center Volunteers, and other volunteer Programs. This will include assisting with volunteer paperwork, uniforms, tracking volunteer hours, website management, other administrative duties, and preparing and facilitating volunteer events such as appreciation potlucks and orientations. They will be the lead/co-lead for community outreach events such as the two annual GNP Adopt-a-Highway clean-up events.

CVA Minimum Requirements:

• We are looking for a reliable, resourceful, and flexible person with an outgoing personality, who likes serving with youth, to join our team.
• The candidate must be comfortable speaking in front of groups, have strong and effective organization skills for managing complex details and projects, have sound judgement and adhere to safety policies.
• They will also need to be comfortable hiking and leading groups in a wilderness setting with grizzly bears, mountain lions, and other wild animals. As this is a developmental position, the CVA will not be doing this on their own until they are comfortable doing so. They will also receive bear training, and other skills to serve outside safely in the park. Much of the park has limited cell service.
• Many of the groups the CVA will sevrve with are students and youth, so some experience working with this population is needed. This might include a day care center, after school program, youth camps, volunteer work at a school, babysitting, or similar experience.
• This CVA must have a high level of familiarity with using MS office products to track data and create reports. Knowledge of Excel is also helpful to track volunteer hours and numbers.
• Patience with people and technology and a willingness to learn are critical to this position.
• The CVA will also be required to be able to obtain first aid/CPR certification (provided after they arrive).
• Because of the remoteness of this area and the lack of public transportation the CVA must have a valid driver’s license and a personal car to get groceries, etc. Road conditions can be hazardous, and we can have winter driving conditions most months at high elevation. Driving a government vehicle on narrow, steep mountainous roads during service hours will be needed for this position.
• United States citizen or lawful permanent US resident.
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 if you are a veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position.
• Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check.
• 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.
• Pass state and federal criminal history checks.
• Have served no more than three previous AmeriCorps terms.
• Attend the mandatory National Early Service Training, anticipated to be in-person April 11-17, 2027 (location TBD).

Preferred Qualifications:

• To thrive in this environment, the CVA will need to be able to serve independently, maintain professionalism in a high paced environment, and stay highly organized while overseeing multiple projects.
• We are looking for someone with experience facilitating events or managing groups. Ideally this person might have been involved in service projects in their communities and are handy with painting, construction, and other project related skills.
• Involvement in their school in a leadership position where they show they have been comfortable speaking in front of groups is also valuable experience for this position.
• Since the position involves some service with the park’s education team, experience teaching or working with students would be beneficial.
• In addition, it would be fabulous for this person to have experience with Facebook and other social media platforms but these are not required, as we will provide training in these areas.

Additional Information:

Glacier’s CVA position is unique in that this person will be directly involved helping to manage all facets of Glacier National Park’s volunteer program, as well as helping deliver curriculum-based education programs for local school groups.

Winter work with education staff tie the CVA in with the smaller, winter park community and similarly aged peers right after they arrive.

This CVA will be on a maxi-flex schedule, to accommodate the need to occasionally work evenings and weekends.

Because of the remoteness of this area and the lack of public transportation, the CVA must have a valid driver’s license and a personal car to get groceries, etc. Road conditions can be hazardous, and winter driving conditions can exist most months at high elevation. Driving a government vehicle on narrow, steep mountainous roads during work time will be needed for this position.

Although Glacier is surrounded by rural communities, it is approximately 20 minutes to Columbia Falls, where there are two large grocery stores, and about an hour to Kalispell, where there is a Costco and other large box stores.

Shared park housing will be provided which is within walking distance of the Volunteer and Education office where the CVA will be working. Housing will be mostly furnished, with all major furniture and appliances, including bed, refrigerator, and stove. Staff need to bring their own kitchen supplies and bedding. There is no air-conditioning in any park housing. Staff must provide their own a/c unit if they wish. Most staff open their windows at night to let in cold air and then close their windows during the day to keep their houses cool. In Montana it gets cold enough at night, even in the summer, that this is an effective way to cool houses and keep them cool during the day. In park housing there is a Goodwill garage, where employees may leave any pots, pans, etc. that they don’t need for others to use. Many interns and seasonal employees use this resource. These homes are all maintained following park safety office standards, with up-to-date fire extinguishers, Carbon Monoxide detectors, etc. This housing also affords the CVA access to the park community, including laundry facilities, the park library, archives, and Wi-Fi at the visitor center and community building. The CVA may choose to pay to have their own Wi-Fi installed at their house, the cost of which is generally about $50 per month depending on the carrier and if one is sharing it with housemates.

They are also in the hub of our park staff residential area, which is within walking distance to West Glacier, easy access to park functions, and near other people to recreate and socialize with. Brown Bag lunch presentations happen throughout the summer in the park's Community Building, located near both housing and the office. Often there are also pick-up soccer games, potlucks, and other social events organized by staff living in the headquarters area where the CVA will live.

Benefits:

• $700/week living stipend.

• Shared park housing will be provided at no cost to the CVA.

• Limited health care/childcare benefits if eligible.

• The position is eligible for an Segal AmeriCorps Education Award $7,395.00 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of the program.

• $750 in Professional Development funds for travel and training.

• Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations.

• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon successful completion of the internship.

• Week-long, in-person training on NPS Volunteer Program Management and leadership schools.

Internship Location

West Glacier, MT

Employment Dates

The CVA position will start on Monday, February 22, 2027, and run for 50 weeks until February 4, 2028.

How to Apply

For more information and to apply, visit Conservation Legacy's website.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November.

For Application Questions:

Please contact James Gasaway, Program Director at [e-mail]