Be A Community Volunteer Ambassador

A ranger demonstrates daily life to members of the local community.

NPS

What is a Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA)?

Community Volunteer Ambassadors (CVAs) are recent high school and college graduates brought together through an innovative public-private partnership between the National Park Service and Stewards Individual Placement Program.

Through this partnership, Community Volunteer Ambassadors will spend 50 weeks in national park sites across the country; lending their talents, energy, and enthusiasm to strengthen the bonds between communities and parks. Their efforts will focus on expanding service-learning and volunteer opportunities; coordinating group volunteer service days—with a special emphasis on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, National Volunteer Week, National Public Lands Day, and National Trails Day; sharing information about volunteer opportunities in communities; and engaging current volunteers in new opportunities.

This partnership supports Department of the Interior initiatives to expand educational, volunteer, and career opportunities for millions of youth and veterans on our nation's public lands. Learn more about this program and find out how you can get involved!

Be A Community Volunteer Ambassador at Manassas, February 2026 Cohort:

In 2026, Manassas is seeking a CVA who will support the Volunteer Coordinator in updating and transitioning the program after staff changes and new policy adoption. This includes clerical and administrative work across divisions to update records and communicate policy changes. The CVA will also help develop new volunteer opportunities, assist with event planning, and establish a volunteer advisory committee. A major responsibility will be learning Volunteer.gov, creating a transition plan for current volunteers to use volunteer.gov to track hours and paperwork, and implementing that plan with the coordinator.

Description of Duties:

• Help the volunteer coordinator review and digitize old records.
• Assist in creating a new, policy-aligned system for organizing records.
• Develop and implement a plan, under the coordinator’s guidance, to transition all volunteers to Volunteer.gov.
• Plan and organize volunteer events, including Park Day, National Public Lands Day, and volunteer recognition and social gatherings for volunteers to get to meet/know one another.
• Assist with training volunteers and interns, including refresher sessions for long-term volunteers.
• Establish a volunteer advisory committee to support program planning and identify gaps.
• Communicate the new volunteer policy to all park divisions and support onboarding to Volunteer.gov.
• Help divisions implement the new policy by addressing questions from staff, supervisors, and chiefs.

Qualifications:

• Have a background in history, historic preservation, education, or a related field (Civil War knowledge not required).
• Be upbeat, outgoing, and able to build relationships.
• Be flexible and willing to take on less glamorous tasks.
• Be organized, punctual, and tech-savvy.
• Proactively identify and report problems or risks.
• Utilize Conservation Legacy resources and network with fellow CVAs.
• Be willing to work occasional weekends for park and volunteer events.
• 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.

To apply, visit Conservation Legacy's webpage for the National Capital Region.

If you have questions, please contact us by email, or by phone at 703-361-1339 ext. 1205.