Job Description

About Stewards:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health.

For more information regarding Stewards, please visit our website.

This position is a 365 day (1 year) public service term lasting from August 12, 2024 – August 11, 2025.

Living Allowance: $62.69/day ($22,881.85/year)

Housing Stipend: $400/month

About the Site and Position:

The Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) is the planning and development district for an eight (8) county area. The VISTA member will focus on the following four of the eight Eastern counties: Knott, Leslie, Letcher, and Perry. These counties are economically disadvantaged and distressed by the loss of coal mining in the region. Additionally, there has been a substantial population decrease exacerbated by both COVID-19 and the recent floods in 2021 and 2022. There is an opportunity to strengthen the communities by increasing economic development, services, and highlighting what makes this region special and unique. KRADD and the VISTA member will research ways to support the switch from a coal economy to a manufacturing and tourism-based economy, and by working with the ongoing efforts in the region to meet the goals outlined in the Infrastructure and Investment Act as well as the Inflation Reduction Act. These goals will be achieved through the VISTA writing and administering applications for the cities, counties, and non-profits in Region 2. The VISTA member will support federal and state efforts through projects that supply infrastructure to low-to-moderate income families that rely on failing drinking water wells, community projects that provide ADA compliance, improvements to existing parks and trails and the creation of new ones, showcasing our cultural heritage, assisting in the creation of new economic development opportunities, and working with our communities to improve broadband. The VISTA member will also work with trained grant writers at KRADD to learn how to properly develop, write, and administer these projects through research, data collection, public meetings, and hearings, utilizing steering committees, and making valuable contacts on both the state and federal levels.

Member Duties:

Be part of a new AmeriCorps VISTA project focused on building the capacity of energy communities to implement locally driven environmental remediation and economic development plans in communities impacted by energy transitions! As one of the newest American Climate Corps programs, Energy Community VISTAs will focus on equity and environmental justice – prioritizing communities traditionally left behind, including those energy communities that powered our nation for generations.

This VISTA will work in the following counties: Knott, Leslie, Letcher, and Perry.

• Work with managers and appropriate staff to gather information for proposals and coordinates preparation of proposals, grant applications, etc.
• Acquire information about potential funding sources (local, state, and federal) including current guidelines, giving histories, and other relevant information
• Develop relationships with current and potential funders to strengthen their connection to the District
• Manage and meets a schedule of grant deadlines, reporting timelines and deliverables
• Work with city and county governments and local communities within the District to assist with short- and long-range planning efforts and project development
• Assist in the development, submittal, and administration of any resulting loan/grant applications
• Develop a process for coordination with steering committees and translation from steering committee recommendations to project documentation

Service Areas:

• Community and Economic Development
• Community Outreach
• Environment

Program Benefits:

• Segal Education Award ($7,395) OR Cash Stipend (~$1,800) upon successful completion of service
• Living Allowance ($62.69/day, disbursed every 2 weeks)
• Housing Stipend
• Relocation Allowance
• Regular Training and Professional Development Opportunities (free and virtual)
• Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 in-moment support)
• Childcare*
• Healthcare*
• Non-Competitive Eligibility upon successful completion of the term*
• Networking and Mentorship
• Access to a nationwide cohort of like-minded peers

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

*For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit

*For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit

*For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit

APPLY HERE:My AmeriCorps - Home Page

For more information, please contact Shelby Street at sstreet@conservationlegacy.org

Stewards Individual Placements does not and will not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application, interviewing, and/or onboarding process, please send your request to the hiring manager in your preferred method of communication.

Required Skills

(Recommended) Skills:

• Recruitment
• Environment
• Community Organization
• General Skills
• Communications
• Leadership
• Public Speaking
• Youth Development
• Fund raising/Grant Writing
• Education

Required Experience

_ Applicant must be a college graduate. _

Qualifications:

(Recommended) Skills:

• Recruitment
• Environment
• Community Organization
• General Skills
• Communications
• Leadership
• Public Speaking
• Youth Development
• Fund raising/Grant Writing
• Education

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