Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador - Steamtown National Historic Site

Dates of Service: November 30th, 2026 – November 2nd, 2027 (50-week term commitment)

Pay: $760/week ($600/week stipend + $160/additional benefit)

Status: This is a full-time, temporary, AmeriCorps National Service position.

Questions? Contact [email protected] 

Please submit a resume and cover letter via our website, www.appalachiancc.org/individualplacements. Applications will be accepted until October 11th.

Appalachian Conservation Corps: 

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations. 

When joining this AmeriCorps program, participants commit to a term of service at their placement site and in return gain hands-on experience and a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.  

National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways:

Chesapeake Bay Gateways is a congressionally authorized partnership park established in 1998 that connects more than 300 parks, refuges, museums, historic sites, trails, water-access points, and communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The National Park Service provides partners with expertise, funding, training, and technical assistance to strengthen visitor experiences and connect people with the Chesapeake’s natural resources, cultural heritage, recreational opportunities, and communities.

The Appalachian Conservation Corps and National Park Service are seeking three Chesapeake Gateways Ambassadors to serve at national parks within the watershed. Each Ambassador will work with an on-site NPS supervisor as part of their host park’s interpretive and visitor-services team while also participating in a regional cohort. Together, Ambassadors will share ideas, participate in training, learn from one another, and help strengthen connections among national parks, Network partners, gateway communities, and visitors.

Host Park and Local Placement:

Steamtown National Historic Site encompasses 62 acres in downtown Scranton, PA, and includes active locomotive and restoration shops, a museum complex, a fully operational roundhouse and turntable, and a large assemblage of rolling stock used for both static display and interpretive ride experiences. 

Steamtown National Historic Site was established in 1986 to preserve, interpret, and protect the history of railroading in America, and enhance the public understanding of the impact of railroading on our country’s industry, commerce, society, and culture. 

The Ambassador will be supervised by the interpretation division’s supervisory ranger and will primarily work with the front line ranger staff, with some additional opportunities to work with other divisions across the park.  

The Ambassador will support the host park through a combination of public contact, program development, research, digital content, special events, community outreach, and other interpretive or visitor-service activities. 

Shared Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will vary by host park but may include:

• Researching and interpreting connections among the host park, surrounding communities, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

• Developing and presenting formal and informal interpretive programs for visitors of different ages, backgrounds, interests, and abilities.

• Creating digital media, trip-planning information, interpretive materials, or other public-facing products.

• Supporting visitor-center operations, special events, roving interpretation, community programs, and partner outreach.

• Connecting cultural and natural-resource stories through interpretation, education, and visitor engagement.

• Developing interpretive content that may be adapted by other national parks or Chesapeake Gateways Network partners.

• Supporting engagement with young people, schools, community organizations, and audiences that may face barriers to outdoor recreation or heritage experiences.

• Collaborating with the other Chesapeake Gateways Ambassadors on shared projects, presentations, and professional-development activities.

• Documenting activities, accomplishments, visitor contacts, lessons learned, and recommendations for future programming.

• Participating in other National Park Service activities and projects based on the Ambassador’s interests, development goals, and the needs of the host park.

Park-Specific Responsibilities:

The Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador will work alongside Steamtown National Historic Site’s Interpretation Division to help develop the emerging NEPA Rail Towns initiative and strengthen connections between the park and communities along its excursion rail routes. The Ambassador will work closely with park rangers who serve as liaisons to community railroad stations and who help develop programming and train operations to those destinations. The position will include researching local communities, identifying attractions and visitor opportunities, supporting community partnerships, helping improve trip planning and accessibility, and creating maps, guides, digital content, and interpretive materials. This is a hands-on opportunity for someone interested in parks, history, tourism, railroads, community engagement, or outdoor recreation to help shape how visitors experience Steamtown National Historic Site and Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Ambassador will also have opportunities to engage with visitors to the park, lead and/or support tours and programs, participate in outreach events, create social media content, and gain experience in other interpretation or resources-related projects and work.  

Housing is not provided. Some overnight/weekend travel may be expected.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Some college course work complete or demonstrated skills in Communications, History, Public Affairs, Public or Nonprofit Administration, Public Speaking, or other related subjects. 

• Experience working in public facing roles and customer service.
• Experience working with digital and/or print media (websites, social media, photo editing, illustration, publications design, etc.) 

Minimum Requirements: 

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 26 (or 35 if a US Veteran), and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. In addition, applicants must: 

• Possess a valid driver’s license

Time Requirements:

• These positions are full-time, 40 hours/week.

• Work days for this position will likely include a weekend day and may vary at different times of the year. 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.
• Some overnight/weekend travel for special events.

Benefits: 

• $760 week stipend paid bi-weekly ($600 living stipend + $160 additional member benefit)
• Option to enroll in free health/vision/dental insurance
• $7,395 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of 1700 hour minimum service term (can be used for paying off federal student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college)  
• $1,750 professional development fund for certifications, trainings, conferences, and travel reimbursements
• Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Certificate upon successful completion – non-competitive hiring status for two years when applying for federal positions.
• Possible federal student loan forbearance and interest payoff
• Member Assistance Program – 3 free sessions of support with a counseling or work-life balance specialist 
• Depending upon the academic institution and program, positions may fulfill internship requirements 
• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, alumni listserv, etc.) and exposure to natural resource career paths 

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.