Education Assistant AmeriCorps

Position Details

Position (s): 4497

Position Title: Education Assistant - Ameri Corps

Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements

Site

Location:

Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, Washington

Number of positions available: 1

Duration: 20 Weeks

Flexible

Start Date:

Yes

Start Date: 01/25/2027

End Date: 06/14/2027

Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 675 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award: $ 2,817.00 upon successful completion of position (pre-tax)
• Weekly Living Allowance: $ 675.00 per week, fixed rate (pre-tax)
• Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck) (pre-tax)
• Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by My Ameri Corps , directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through My Ameri Corps , directly)

This Education Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. The SIP will participate in the education of students and park visitors on issues related to mountain snowpack and conditions altering park resources. They will also assist the park's physical scientist in the collection of data related to snow water/snow depth, weather monitoring, air quality monitoring, and possibly intertidal monitoring. Finally, the SIP will collaborate with the North Coast and Cascades Inventory and Monitoring Network to develop a science communication project.

The participant will serve with the park's outreach and education specialist and other education staff to develop and deliver a varied set of curriculum-based educational programming and community outreach opportunities on science communication. Education programs support Next Generation Science Standards and are offered virtually, in classroom settings, and outdoors in the national park.

A major focus of the participant's time will be the park's Snow Science education program. Snow Science brings 7th grade students from the local area to Hurricane Ridge in the winter to learn about the importance of the winter snowpack to park ecosystems and to local water supplies. It also explores the threats posed by recent trends in local weather and diminished snowpack.

Snow Science takes place outside in winter at over 5,000 ft. Weather conditions can be extreme, and the SIP will be responsible for the safety and well‑being of the students entrusted to their care. It will require the ability to snowshoe over a variety of terrain often through deep snow.

The SIP will also serve with the park's physical scientist on a variety of weather, and air quality monitoring projects. Chief among these would be monthly trips to remote snow courses in the Olympic Mountains to measure winter snowpack. These trips are physically demanding and require the ability to cover several miles on skis in winter conditions.

The data collected during the monthly snow surveys is reported to the USDA National Resources Conservation Service and is used by federal, state, and local water managers. Other possible duties with the park's physical scientist include maintenance of NPS weather stations, upkeep and data collection from air quality monitoring equipment, and coastal (intertidal) ocean acidification sites.

Finally, the SIP will serve on a science communication project for the North Coast and Cascades Inventory and Monitoring Program. The project will be identified once the applicant is selected based on how the interests, skills, and abilities of the applicant intersect with the needs of the inventory and monitoring program. Possible projects could include written resource briefs, GIS story maps, social media posts, and/or short video productions.

Upon completion of the position the SIP will develop and present education programs for K-12 students. Specifically, they will be a key player in delivering a series of Snow Science Field Trips to the Hurricane Ridge area of the park for 250‑300 7th grade students. They will also develop education curriculum and activity materials to support the Snow Science Program.

In spring, education…