Cape Fear Watch AmeriCorps Environmental Educator

This 2022-2023 AmeriCorps position will have a start date (for new full-time 11 month members) of September 1st, 2022, and an end date of July 31st 2023.

The AmeriCorps service member will help to expand Cape Fear River Watch’s educational and outdoor learning opportunities, with a focus on serving, engaging with, and strengthening connections with local underserved communities in New Hanover and Brunswick counties. This includes low-income communities, at-risk youth, Title I public school students, and Spanish-speaking families. Service may also include outreach to rural communities in Pender, Bladen, and Columbus counties through use of the Lock & Dam #1 Environmental Education Center in Riegelwood, NC for field trips and community events.

A majority of public elementary and middle schools located within five miles of CFRW in downtown Wilmington are Title I schools, with a high percentage of low-income students qualifying for free or reduced lunches. BIPOC students make up 75% or more of the total enrollment at many of these schools. The CFRW AmeriCorps member will serve these schools and provide opportunities for environmental education and outdoor learning. This includes field trips, field days, after-school opportunities, out-of-school time programming, and community outreach events.

They will also work with other community-based partner organizations that serve these schools and environmental justice organizations in the area. The AmeriCorps member will aid and expand CFRW’s work surrounding environmental education related to environmental justice issues and will be able to utilize existing relationships between CFRW and organizations such as the New Hanover/Brunswick County NAACP, NC Black Alliance, the Rural Empowerment for Community Help (REACH), and the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network.

Special Benefits

• Living stipend, paid twice monthly
• Education award (upon completion of service)
• Healthcare premium reimbursement
• Childcare assistance
• SNAP eligibility

Requirements

To serve in AmeriCorps State and National, you must:

• be 17 years or older (no upper age limit)
• be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien
• All AmeriCorps Members must submit to having a National Sex Offender, State of Residence (if state is different than NC), State of NC, and Federal FBI Background check conducted

Why work here

For more than a decade, our service programs have sought to connect youth and young adults to conservation through environmental education, disaster response, trail building and maintenance, and diversity and equity support to other nonprofits. By participating in service programs offered by CTNC and our partners, young people are able to be part of the movement to build resilient, just communities across North Carolina.

These programs establish a lifelong appreciation for our state’s natural and cultural resources and an understanding of the critical benefits that land and water conservation provides.

CTNC is proud to deliver quality service programs in collaboration with  AmeriCorps ,  Conservation Legacy , and  state and local community partners . Our programs offer paid positions to North Carolina’s youth and young adults while building pathways to conservation careers, creating opportunities to give back to local communities through service and volunteerism, and cultivating a commitment to being stewards of our land and water for years to come.

What does Resilience Corps NC do?
Operated by Conservation Trust for North Carolina, Resilience Corps NC, seeks to address our state’s changing climate by expanding access to environmental education, increasing eco-literacy, promoting disaster resiliency, delivering equitable programming, and utilizing communities to identify and address climate-related issues.

What is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps is a bridge builder, a force multiplier, a way to connect individuals and organizations to support their communities in tackling challenges. AmeriCorps programs across the country address a variety of community needs like education, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, disaster response, and veteran & military family services.

Who should apply?
Our program is a great opportunity for:

• Recent graduates looking to build experience and a strong professional network
• Established professionals seeking a career change
• Passionate service-oriented individuals ready to give back to their community