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Wildfire Community Outreach Educator - Galena Creek Visitor Center

Job Code:	2022-GCVC-004
Location:	Reno
State:	Nevada
Program:	Galena Creek Visitor Center
Contract Length:	5 Months

Job Description:

The Great Basin Institute (GBI) and the Humboldt Toiyabe Forest will host AmeriCorps Community Outreach Educators to support the Fire Prevention Education Project, a collaborative effort to provide expanded public education and outreach to reduce risk and potential impact of wildfire. The Institute and USFS will train and deploy Community Outreach Educators to support targeted outreach to the general public, including property owners, visitors, and students. Educators will be trained to expand classroom education programs to include wildfire prevention messaging to schools in Washoe County. In doing so, this project strives to meet benchmarks set for Fire Adapted Communities by unifying implementation measures with educational outreach, and increasing the effectiveness of wildfire prevention strategies and improving community wildfire resilience.

Specific content for delivery is predicated upon informational resources provided by USFS and ensures targeted outreach is informed by current best practices. This collaborative effort unites USFS Conservation Education and Fire Prevention programmatic goals in a more consolidated and robust manner. Project goals to reduce the risk of wildfire to owners of structures in the WUI are as follows:

• To increase the general public’s understanding of fire in the forest ecosystem;
• To directly educate communities, especially low-income communities, by communicating wildfire risk through public outreach and education;
• To improve public health and safety by providing additional patrol support to existing Fire Prevention and Visitor Services programs;
• To prevent and reduce total number of wildland fire and acres burned in the at-risk communities in the WUI;
• To coordinate with existing land management agencies and partnerships to implement wildfire prevention outreach and education to maximize awareness of residents, property owners, and visitors’ in anticipation of future severe wildfire seasons.

Educational activities will target residents, property owners, visitors, teachers, and students. General public outreach includes patrol education at recreation sites and developed campgrounds. Educators will deliver informal and formal presentations, lessons, and programs. Improved signage at these sites, including fire danger adjective ratings, will reinforce the presence of fire threat and need for preparedness.

Additional outreach and education for homeowner responsibility of defensible space will occur through direct engagement in neighborhoods, at community events and with presentations at service club organizations such as Rotaries, Kiwanis clubs, and other resource and support groups. All general outreach will be done in collaboration with environmental education agencies.

Contract Timeline:

This is a 675 hour AmeriCorps service term for 19 weeks of service. Ideal start date will be Friday April 1, 2022. Start date is flexible.

Location:

The Galena Creek recreation area includes Washoe County and U.S. Forest Service lands, and is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. High desert, forest, river, wetland, mountain, and rangeland are all ecosystems you will find within our 450-acre regional park. The Great Basin Institute serves as the interpretive association operating the Galena Creek Visitor Center (GCVC) on a day-to-day basis. The Visitor Center is a resource for people throughout the Reno/Tahoe community, as well as a stop for tourists coming from around the world.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is an AmeriCorps position; candidates will receive a living allowance dependent on their length of service. The living allowance is a fixed amount, not an hourly wage or a salary. The allowance is paid to members in biweekly installments throughout their term of service. Upon completion of AmeriCorps service members shall receive an additional education award also dependent on the length of service that can be used for paying off student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college.

•Living Allowance: approximately $347.37 every week paid bi-weekly before taxes; total for 19 weeks will be $6,600.03
•Education Award: $2417.14
•Shared housing off Mt. Rose Highway, available to hired individuals for the duration of your term, at no charge.

•Insurance:
Limited Health, Dental and Vision Insurance will be completely paid for at no cost to you by the Great Basin Institute.

•Student Loan Forbearance:
If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.

•Interest Accrual Repayment:
As AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.

•Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility:
AmeriCorps Volunteers qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Nevada Conservation Corps will provide you documentation in proving that you qualify for SNAP.

•Educational Affiliation Agreements (College Credit):
The Nevada Conservation Corps will take part in Affiliation Agreements with your university in order to allow you to receive college credit hours for your term of service.

Job Qualifications:

• With training, must be able to become knowledgeable about wildfire, Nevada ecology, and high school science education practices.
• With training, must be able to support teachers delivering lessons and share expertise on the above wildfire and ecological concepts.
• Must be able to communicate effectively and professionally with teachers and students.
• Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four in a lifetime or the equivalent of two full-time education awards).
• Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship, or U.S. national or legal resident alien status, (2) at least 18 years of age (3) High School Diploma or GED certificate (4) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four in a lifetime, or equivalent of two full-time terms of service), and (5) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and federal criminal background checks.

Additional requirements:
• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse public.
• Possess good organizational skills.
• Physical exertion requirement: exerting up to 30 lbs. of force occasionally and/or up to 15 lbs. of force frequently and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Requires walking or standing to a significant degree and pushing and/or pulling. Be able to supervise and mentor students collecting scientific data in an outdoor setting
• This position requires seeing, hearing and communicating through speech.

As part of Great Basin Institute’s Covid-19 Vaccination Policy, all employees are required to receive and provide proof of a full course of COVID-19 vaccine prior to the first day of employment, unless a medical or religious exemption is submitted and approved. All employees covered by this policy are required to be fully vaccinated as a term and condition of employment at Great Basin Institute. Employees are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses.

To review a copy of GBI’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, please visit our Field Updates page for more details. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please do not hesitate to contact one of our staff members.

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EEO Statement

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose discrimination.