Raleigh County Parks and Recreation MS/HS Adventure VISTA Summer Associate -AmeriCorps

 

 

Position Title:  Middle/High School Adventure Recreation – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

Site Location:

Raleigh County Parks and Recreation Authority

117 N.

Heber Street, Beckley, WV 25801

Terms of Service:


* Start Date: 6/1/2026


* End Date: 8/9/2026


* AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 300 hours (Minimum-Time)

Purpose:


* This project helps alleviate poverty by providing structured, no-cost outdoor programs that build confidence, leadership skills, and stronger connections to school and community—key protective factors against long-term poverty.

By creating sustainable systems, partnerships, and youth programming, the VISTA strengthens community capacity and expands opportunities for young people who face the greatest barriers.


* This project builds capacity by creating the systems, materials, and partnerships needed to sustain a youth outdoor adventure program long after the Summer Associate’s term ends.

The Associate will help develop activity plans, safety procedures, outreach tools, and organizational processes that strengthen the program’s structure.

They will also support data collection, documentation, and community engagement efforts that the organization currently lacks the staff capacity to complete.

By the end of the project, the organization will have clearer systems, organized resources, and stronger partnerships—allowing the program to serve more youth each year and operate more effectively with existing staff.


* The Summer Associate will support the launch of our youth outdoor adventure program by helping plan, prepare, and facilitate activities for middle and high school students.

Over 10 weeks, they will assist with organizing gear and logistics, supporting hikes and outdoor skills sessions, tracking participation, and helping ensure safe, positive experiences for all youth.

They will also contribute to outreach efforts, strengthen partnerships with local schools and community groups, and help create simple materials for future programming.

By the end of the term, the Summer Associate will produce a brief summary of activities, organize program resources, and provide recommendations that strengthen the long-term sustainability of the outdoor adventure program.

Their work will directly expand access to meaningful outdoor experiences for local youth.

 

Description of Duties:

The Summer Associate will focus on capacity-building activities that produce internal planning resources, documentation tools, and community engagement materials.

Duties may include compiling labor market research summaries, developing workforce resource inventories, creating community asset maps, organizing environmental data sets, drafting partnership coordination frameworks, designing planning templates and resource guides, and assisting with public-facing informational workshops, outreach campaigns, or site observations.

Activities are designed to ...