Job Information
Conservation Legacy Youth Empowerment Steward (YES) - Outer Banks Visitor Accessibility Resources Park Intern in Manteo, North Carolina
Stipend: $600/week ($15/ hr )
Internship Length: 12 weeks , full time (average 40 hrs / wk )
Number of Positions: 1
Application Deadline: 7 /5/2024
Internship Start Date: 8/12/2024
Reports to: Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services at Outer Banks Group of NPS
YES (Youth Empowerment Stewards) Program:
Are you passionate about disability rights and accessibility in National Parks and public lands? Do you identify as having a disability yourself ? Work with us and help increase access to the outdoors for everyone. Our health, our planet, and our collective future rely on diversity – in thought, ability, experience, and ideas . That’s why we need YOU . Become a Youth Empowerment Steward (YES) intern and help make the outdoors more accessible for all!
Outer Banks Group Visitor Accessibility Resources Park Intern:
Stewards Individual Placements provides individuals with AmeriCorps s ervice and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural res our ces . Y ES in terns focus on barriers to entry for individuals with disabilities in the outdoor wor kplace . S te wards, in partnership with the Outer Banks Group of the National Park Service ( NPS ) are seeking a YES intern who will play a critical role in helping the Outer Banks Group of the NPS better serve our local communities by improving accessibility for patrons and staff . The YES Intern will r esearc h, design and create accessibility guides for each of the 3 parks in the Outer Banks Group , update all 3 parks accessibility webpages, and continue working on audio-describing exterior exhibits. Work will be done to support a recently completed accessibility assessment by the Eppley Ins titute . The Outer Banks Group of the NPS includes Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, and Wright Brothers parks.
The Outer Banks Group of the National Park Service preserves and protects America's first national seashore, the site of first powered flight, and the site of the first attempted English settlement and Native American contact of North America. These sites are seeing an increase in attendance of visitors with disabilities and an increase in requests for accessible information . The YES Intern for this position will work to help the sites meet the needs of this growing visitor population .
The YES Intern will help implement key corrective actions identified in an accessibility assessment conducted by Indiana University and the Eppley Institue in 2023. This study was just of Wright Brothers National Memorial, so some of the tangible tasks will be unique to Wright Brothers (creating a printed accessibility guide, completing audio-descriptions of exterior exhibits, creating a new accessibility webpage, etc ). Additionally, the findings of the Wright Brothers assessment will be applied to Fort Raleigh and Cape Hatteras for similar corrective action (assessment of ADA parking spaces for appropriate signage , assessment of buildings for identifying accessible entry points etc ). These parks welcome around 4 million visitors a year, and more accessible information is needed for visitors with disabili ties .
The work completed by a YES Intern will help make the parks more welcoming and accessible to all . Time permitting , the YES I ntern c ould also work with the local state aquarium and state park to expand neuro-divergent offerings at NPS sites based on their existing model s .
Duties Include:
Independently research, write, and design documents for public disseminati on
Create printed accessibility guide for Wright Brothers, Fort Raleigh and Cape Hatteras NS
Update the three park accessibility websites
Complete audio description of exterior exhibits
Use findings from accessibility assessment and apply sites to i dentif y similar accessibility needs
Complete printed accessibility guides for sites
Update and expand accessibility webpages for each park in the Outer Banks Group
Proactively identify other barriers to universal accessibility
Benefits:
Professional Development Opportunities
Eligible for AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion
Dedicated staff to ensure reasonable accommodations requests are met
Membership opportunities and dedicated cohort/affinity meeting spaces
Opportunity to make a big impact !
Housing available on-site
Required Skills
Require ments :
Attend bi-weekly YES cohort meetings (online via Teams meetings) to collaborate with other YES interns, attend professional development presentations, and give a capstone presentation on your YES Internship project(s).
To Be a US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident
To be between the ages of 18- 30 , or a Veteran up to the age of 3 5
Have a connection with the disability community
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid environment
Ability to communicate and collaborate in a variety of settings
Ability to drive a vehicle
Interest in history, education, and/or interpretation
Communication skills
Strong writing skills
Drive to learn and experience new things!
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
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 Experience