Energy Communities VISTA - Indiana County Thrives - AmeriCorps

Position Title: Energy Communities VISTA – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements, East

Site Location: Indiana, PA

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 05/05/25
• End Date: 05/04/26
• Must serve a 365-day (1 year) service term
• Living Allowance: $88.39/day ($32,262.35/year)

PLEASE USE THE AMERICORPS LINK BELOW TO VIEW AND APPLY TO THIS NATIONAL SERVICE OPPORTUNITY

The Center for Community Growth – Indiana, PA

Indiana County Thrives (ICT) is a community-led economic and workforce development initiative focused on creating opportunities in the coal-impacted communities of Indiana County, PA. ICT draws strength from its partnership with The Center for Community Growth and Whole Unity Inc., who have been working to address the needs of communities and strengthen community bonds. ICT’s focus is to build capacity by facilitating strategic workshops that advance place-based development. Our program seeks to connect each community’s unique identity, assets, and ambitions, to create innovative pathways for thriving places to live, work, and play. Our efforts have gained momentum with the addition of 2 DOE capacity building programs. With the help of our VISTA, we’re poised to leverage these new skills, relationships, and the groundwork from our existing programs to achieve a just transition. The VISTA project will be instrumental in facilitating ICT’s mission to bring about new, diverse economic and workforce opportunities. Their skills will help us in executing our workshops, engaging with stakeholders, reporting on results, finding funding, and developing the partnerships that will turn community-led innovation strategies into actionable steps towards building diverse and robust local economies that follow the Department of Labor’s good jobs principles.

Purpose:

As energy opportunities expand, coal and power facility jobs are declining across the United States. This VISTA project will develop and advance programs that increase environmental awareness and stewardship, job training, employment pathways, and access to existing federal and community resources for low-income individuals living in coal and power plant communities. The Energy Communities AmeriCorps VISTA project will serve low-income energy communities that are experiencing energy transformations. VISTA members will be placed with local organizations to help assess environmental impacts, identify existing supports, and develop economic transformation and revitalization goals with their communities.

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) VISTA Program is a national intermediary sponsor with 22 years of experience operating VISTA projects that support economic development and environmental stewardship in coal mining communities. Since 2002, Stewards has engaged over 1,200 VISTA members, securing $41 million in grants and in-kind resources, recruiting 100,000 volunteers, and developing capacity for organizations to strengthen mining communities. Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) is a program of Conservation Legacy, a national organization with a 25-year history of operating AmeriCorps VISTA and State and National programs.

Description of Duties:

Duties listed here and general and will be specified for each host site’s project and mission. The Energy Communities VISTA will:

• Develop and implement community assessment and asset maps
  • Research community assessment methods
  • Develop and implement a community survey
  • Develop a database and/or Asset Map of the community supports and identify community needs and assets
• Identify and develop a database of stakeholders and local resources
  • Review community assessment and asset map to identify areas for shared resources and coalition building
  • Develop a database of local community stakeholders including information on local organizations, coalitions, and volunteer groups
  • With support from supervisor, the VISTA will develop partnerships and/or coalitions to align community priorities
• Create strategic plans outlining next steps in programming
  • Define strategic goals that align with community needs based on community assessment data collected
  • Develop a strategic plan and supporting resources that facilitate implementation of the plan, ensure clear communication, and provide the necessary tools for community members
  • Present strategic plan to sponsor organization staff for approval and next steps
• Ensure program sustainability
  • Develop Legacy Binder for the next VISTA or program staff that includes all projects completed during the performance period, next steps to sustain each project, and important partnerships in the community
  • Meet with community stakeholders and program staff to provide clear steps for end of service transition

Qualifications:

For AmeriCorps

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 years of age
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check

Preferred For VISTA

• Has received a four-year undergraduate degree

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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time (35-40 hours) from 5/5/25 to 5/4/26, but exact schedules may vary.
• 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 orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award* of $7,395.00
  • or choice of cash stipend of ~$1,800.00
• Living allowance of $88.39 per day (including weekends), disbursed every 2 weeks
• Relocation allowance ($750), if eligible
• Healthcare coverage*, if eligible
• Childcare coverage*, if eligible
• Loan forbearance, if eligible
• Interest repayment, if eligible
• Training and professional development opportunities
• Employee wellness program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 support)
• Non-Competitive Eligibility* (NCE) status upon successful completion of the term
• Networking and mentorship

• For more information regarding the Segal Education Award, check out this link as well as alternative uses for the award here.

• For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare

• For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit https://americorpschildcare.com/

• For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/trust/help/member_portal/non_competitive_eligibility_overview.htm

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed their required year of service; 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, accomplishment tracking, and quarterly reporting.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA THE AMERICORPS LINK ABOVE