Johnson County Conservation provides no-cost education programs to thousands of youth and hundreds of adults each year through immersive field trips, public events, festivals, summer camps, wilderness treks, and community partnerships. The Education & Stewardship VISTA will assist in expanding our education outreach with community partner groups serving low-income youth and families, engage volunteers, develop digital educational resources to increase accessibility, and write high-quality education curriculum. The Education & Stewardship VISTA will work alongside passionate, experienced nature educators to expand our current service offerings, increasing accessibility and engaging low-income youth and families through high-quality nature-based experiential education. The VISTA will serve as a part of Volunteer Iowa's program. Volunteer Iowa is a state agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. VISTA members with our program have the benefit of a statewide support network of staff, Commissioners, National Service Programs, fellow AmeriCorps members and a VISTA Leader. Members receive ongoing training, support, networking and professional development opportunities through Volunteer Iowa.

Member Duties: 

• Support the development of new program partnerships and outreach, including an after-school program with Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (NCJC), on-site programing at Global Food Project at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, and others.
• Develop digital media tools to increase accessibility to nature-based education and promote community understanding of JCC’s sites, services, and natural resources.
• Develop new program curriculum, partnerships, and an evaluation tool for the Teen Outdoor Youth Corps.
• Expand Johnson County Conservation volunteer support systems, events, and outreach.
• Develop partnerships with staff liaisons at local colleges and universities to engage a new volunteer demographic.
• Facilitate new or expanded volunteer stewardship events, such as invasive species removal and prairie seed harvests.