Individual Placement - Outreach & Communications Specialist
Conservation Corps Minnesota & IowaJob Details
Description
Position: Outreach Specialist (AmeriCorps, ages 18-30)
Location:
- Saint Paul, MN
- Bloomington, MN
This is not a residential program; participants must secure housing preferably near the crew location
Service Term and Education Award Amounts:
|
|
Enrollment Type and Minimum Hours Required |
Education Award* |
|
|
X |
Full Time (FT) |
1700 Hours |
$7,395.00 |
*Members are eligible for an education award up to the amount listed by enrollment type.
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: Outreach Specialists serve alongside natural resource professionals in partnership with agencies such as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), higher education institutions, and nonprofits. Outreach specialists learn hands-on skills in designing educational content, implementing outreach activities, and participating in community events or workshops. The Individual Placements program prioritizes personal and professional growth while teaching hands-on conservation skills in the field. Specialists develop technical skills throughout their term while completing challenging and impactful conservation projects.
Specialists are directly supervised by Conservation Corps Program staff and partner site supervisor(s). Members complete service projects with direction provided by partnering agencies and representatives of those agencies.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Complete service projects to the best of their ability, serving safely, effectively and efficiently to ensure projects are completed to the satisfaction of project hosts and the community
- Abide by Corps program safety regulations as well as applicable federal/state/municipal law and OSHA requirements; communicate any safety concerns and incidents.
- Contribute actively to the team to complete projects, demonstrating a commitment to the Corps values of safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership.
- Positive attitude, desire to learn new skills, interest in community service; represent Conservation Corps in positive manner in public
- Commit to completing the entire service term per the start and end dates listed on the Member Service Agreement
- Specific projects depend on the site assignment but may include:
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- Designing educational, outreach and promotional materials, including internet and intranet content, press releases and newsletter articles
- Developing and implementing systems for outreach, networking, and training
- Assist in program delivery including managing participants, participating in community events/workshops, and other outreach activities with a variety of audiences.
- Communicate with local landowners to develop management plans, gather input on best practices, and provide education materials
- Strengthen existing and facilitate new networks of potential partners and organizations
- Assisting with preparation of briefing documents and presentations
- Attend scheduled meetings, orientations and workshops, including required Conservation Corps AmeriCorps training sessions and site visits
- Utilize a work plan tracking document provided by the Corps to track work accomplishments and reprioritize on a regular basis.
- Complete and approve timecards and other required reports and paperwork in a timely manner
Legacy Outreach Specialist
Crew Location (City): Saint Paul, MN
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm
Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026
Description of Anticipated Projects:
The purpose of this position is to strategize, support, and implement ways to include the public in decision-making processes regarding use of the MN DNR Parks and Trails Legacy Funds and to support efforts of the Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee to advance the 25-year Parks and Trails Legacy Plan.
Invasive Species Communications Specialist
Crew Location (City): Saint Paul, MN
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm
Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026
Description of Anticipated Projects:
MN Plant Watch Specialist
Crew Location (City): St. Paul, MN
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm; summers variable for field work
Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026
Description of Anticipated Projects:
The member will support MN Plant Watch efforts by assisting with volunteer outreach and training, creating newsletters or plant identification tip sheets, and teaching volunteers data collection methods and organizing training events. The member will assist with data collection field work during the summer, which will require working longer than 8 hours days and some weekends and holidays in rough terrain and inclement weather. The member will also assist with data entry and management, creating maps for volunteer assignments, revising field protocols, and lab projects like cleaning seeds for long-term banking.
Fort Snelling Visitor Services Specialist
Crew Location (City): Bloomington, MN
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm
Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026
Description of Anticipated Projects:
This position supports the visitor services and interpretive team at Fort Snelling State Park. They play an integral role in connecting with underrepresented communities in the metro area and also help support a wide range of outreach events.
Hours & Schedule
Schedules can vary, including in-person and hybrid options depending on their site and position. Members should expect to be scheduled for at least 40 hours of service per week. A typical schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, including a mandatory 30-minute lunch break which does not count towards service hours.
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:
- Team building and conflict resolution
- Leadership
- Safety and risk management
- MN Safety Council defensive driving
- First Aid/CPR/AED
- AmeriCorps benefits
Qualifications
- Ability and desire to work well with others in a team setting, outdoors and in all weather conditions
- Willingness to learn and adapt to changing plans, work, and weather conditions
- Commitment to upholding Corps values of safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership.
- Dedication to complete the full term of AmeriCorps service
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to educate and interact with landowners and community members
- Must be a US Citizen, US National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the US
- Must pass a criminal history check consisting of a National Sex Offender Public Website check, a state criminal history check, and a fingerprint-based FBI check. Passing the criminal history check is defined as no positive hits on the NSOPW and no history of violent offenses on the state or FBI checks.
- High school degree, GED, or willingness to work towards obtaining a GED
- Valid driver’s license and safe driving record (no major moving violations or DUI’s in the past five years)
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with MS Office software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- Strong interest and/or experience in one or more of the following: digital and promotional communications, design, photography and video; create and manage content for social media channels; a desire to work with diverse volunteers, staff, and partners in a conservation stewardship setting, including one-on-one or group events/trainings.
Other Information
Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against anyone. Conservation Corps does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military service, union membership, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status with regards to public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. Conservation Corps engages AmeriCorps members, ages 18-30, as defined under the American Conservation and Youth Service Corps Act, a subtitle of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. Reasonable accommodations available upon request.