Content Creator and Program Evaluation Assistant - AmeriCorps

Content Creator and Program Evaluation Assistant - AmeriCorps (1 opening)

Conservation Legacy Program: Arizona Conservation Corps

Site Location: Arizona State University Walton Sustainability Solutions Services: 777 E. University, 3rd Floor Suite 364, Tempe, AZ 85287

Term of Service:

• Start Date: 1/27/2025
• End Date: 1/2/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hours

Purpose:

This is an AmeriCorps position with Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC), which is an AmeriCorps program of Conservation Legacy. The member selected for this position will be serving at Arizona State University Walton Sustainability Solutions Services as an AmeriCorps member with Arizona Conservation Corps, and completing service projects for Arizona State University Walton Sustainability Solutions Services.

AZCC aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's, and is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with communities and conservation service projects on public lands. AZCC operates programs across Arizona that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. AZCC has program offices in Flagstaff and Tucson.

Arizona State University Walton Sustainability Solutions Services:

RMWSSS is the practice arm of ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and is a strategic implementation partner for businesses, governments, and non-government organizations. RMWSSS works with partners to understand what is possible and develop actionable strategies, transformative programs and scalable systems that solve some of the most audacious and complex sustainability challenges.

Since 2012, the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives have engaged more than 320 organizations that affected more than 500,000 people across five continents, completing 86 projects, trained 7,271 students and professionals, provided continuing education for 816 teachers and science educators and engaged 114,182 event attendees around innovation and sustainability thus far.

The Sustainability Solutions Service is an evolution of one of the original initiative programs and will be housed within ASU Knowledge Enterprise Development. This sustainability consultancy, a progression of the traditional cooperative extension service model, co-creates solutions-based projects with faculty, students and external partners such as the city of Phoenix, international aid organizations and established and emerging businesses.

Such an ambitious, entrepreneurial enterprise requires a dynamic team. The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service has assembled a distinguished group of committed academic leaders, business professionals and international specialists to advance this effort. In concert with our clients, students, fellows and partners, the Sustainability Solutions Service focuses the immense knowledge assets of ASU on the social, environmental and economic challenges of sustainability. These teams actualize the charter and the design principles of ASU as a New American University, in particular entrepreneurship, social embeddedness, use-inspired research and global engagement.

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

Description of Duties:

Arizona State University’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service was awarded a $5 million grant by the USDA Forest Service to grow the tree and shade canopy in metro Phoenix, while also growing a thriving urban forestry industry through community-industry partnerships. Urban Nature is a Justice-40 initiative to be implemented in collaboration with 5 community-based organizations, 4 municipalities, 3 industry partners, and 3 national organizations and 4 ASU departments.

Urban Nature aims to grow the tree and shade canopy in metro Phoenix, while also growing a thriving urban forestry industry through community-industry partnerships. The project includes 3 major components to support life-saving natural solutions for equitably mitigating extreme heat: co-creation of Neighborhood Tree Action Plans with residents of frontline communities; co-designing paid learning opportunities and paid internships to create thriving work pathways across the urban forestry value chain to sustain nature-based tree and shade canopy heat mitigation efforts long-term; and co-developing an urban nature entrepreneurship program to support thriving ownership pathways for those interested in launching and scaling businesses to support the full life-cycle of a tree.

This project has documented more than 2,500 geographic locations in metro Phoenix where residents of frontline communities indicate they need shade. This project aims to improve depleted and dangerous urban heat island environments through piloting and scaling plans, and infrastructure to grow nature-based solutions to mitigating extreme heat, conserving water, increasing a biodiverse and resilient urban forest in metro Phoenix.

The intern will have multiple and ongoing opportunities for job shadowing and networking with leaders in various strategic and field-based positions in university, community, industry and municipal settings. Our team, comprised of leaders in strategic communication, interdisciplinary collaborations, community-based conservation, urban planning, landscape design, and program evaluation, will engage in collaborative mentoring with the intern related to the particular tasks the intern is completing / learning to complete.

The intern will assist in raising visibility of project activities with multiple audiences, with particular attention to increasing engagement with residents in frontline communities, many of whom are Spanish-speaking or Spanish-English bilingual, and in documenting and assessing the project’s outputs, outcomes and impacts with multiple stakeholders. This position supports multiple partners and requires attending local community activities and events off campus, which may be scheduled on evenings or weekends.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

• Assist in designing and executing comprehensive visual and communication strategies across various platforms, including web, email, print, social media.
• Assist with graphic design of projects for print, web, and video formats using Adobe Creative Suite and Canva software.
• Develop and maintain bilingual web content for project’s website, showcasing community engagement, workforce development (paid learning, paid internships, job placements), and venture development (entrepreneurship) activities.
• Assist in creating compelling bilingual content that engages and informs bilingual audiences that include residents in frontline communities, urban forestry professionals, and municipal leaders and entrepreneurs.
• Collaborate with Walton Sustainability Solutions strategic communications team and community partners to ensure consistent branding and messaging with project partners.
• Create deliverables such as photographs, captions, and short video content for use on social media and occasional long form content for use on website.
• Organize and maintain digital and physical archives of RAW images, footage, and photographic and video assets.
• Attend community workshop and workforce development events and photograph, film, and edit Behind the Scenes content to be used on website and social media.
• Use knowledge of graphic design principles including layout, format, medium to create inclusive and bilingual digital and print marketing materials related to urban forestry.
• Assist in designing and translating surveys and analyzing results for program evaluation purposes.
• Assist in planning, conducting and transcribing interviews with collaborating partners and participants as well as organizing and interpreting results.
• Assist in gathering residents’ and participants’ testimonios about program engagement and impact.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, co-workers and agency staff.
• Appropriately represent Arizona Conservation Corps, Arizona State University, and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all times.

Minimum Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
• 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.

• Evidence of effective bilingual Spanish/English communication, both verbal and written.
• Working knowledge of photography, photo editing and/or videography, video editing.
• Presents a portfolio that showcases content creation and/or design work.
• Working knowledge of Canva.
• Must have reliable transportation and be over 18.
• The intern must be able to independently travel to work sites (locations for neighborhood workshops; Brooks Community Center; sometimes ASU.)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrates proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (especially Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere).
• Experience with conducting community-based surveys and/or interviews.
• Awareness of and/or connection to social justice issues.

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday – Friday, 40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an Arizona Conservation Corps Individual Placement Program New Member Orientation at start of service that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 with successful completion of position.

• Living Allowance of $480 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $170 per week.
• Healthcare Coverage provided by The Corps Network and Cigna
• Childcare Coverage
• Qualifies for Student Loan forbearance and Interest Payment reimbursement through AmeriCorps

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service. Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

This position reports to Jen Clifton (Assistant Director, Community Economic Development) with Arizona State University.

To Apply:

Please submit a resume and cover letter along with the online application at https://azcorps.org/ip-positions.

If you have questions, contact AZCC’s Individual Placement Coordinator Preston Sands at psands@conservationlegacy.org.

For more information on the Arizona State University Walton Sustainability Solutions Services, please visit their website at https://sustainability-innovation.asu.edu/sustainabilitysolutions/.

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.