Katahdin Woods and Waters Community Outreach and Volunteer Events VISTA Summer Associate -AmeriCorps

 

 

Position Title:  Community Outreach and Volunteer Events – VISTA Summer Associate

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placement

 

Site Location:

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

30 Gardner St, Patten, ME 04765

 

Terms of Service:


* Start Date: 6/15/2026


* End Date: 8/23/2026


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

 

Purpose:


* Since the closure of area mills in the early 2000s, many of the organizations in the region have focused on the revitalization of the area as a four-season recreation destination.

There are also a number of agencies that manage lands for public use, including the National Park Service, Baxter State Park, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, Maine Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy, the Butler Conservation Fund and more.

While many organizations have provided an opportunity for area residents to develop careers in the outdoor recreation industry, there have been fewer opportunities for people to learn more about the types of careers available at public lands agencies.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument often finds it difficult to recruit enough summer employees due to the lack of housing in the region.

Through community outreach, this project will introduce people to the types of careers available in the National Park Service and make them aware of additional work opportunities.


* This project will increase capacity at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument by extending our outreach into local communities.

The establishment of a national monument managed by the National Park Service on former lumber company-owned lands was controversial in the area.

An outreach presence at local community events has proven to be an effective method to engage with local community members.

A VISTA summer associate position will ensure that we are able to participate in area community events such as Patten Pioneer Days, the Island Falls Summerfest and Katahdin Woods and Waters Day.

Through the development of at least one pop-up interpretive program, the summer associate can attend events this summer as well as create a program that can be adapted by future staff and volunteers.

 
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 strengthen host organizations’ capacity, guide long-term workforce and environmental program development, provide tangible connections between planning tools and community needs, and supp...