October 24, 2018 |It is impossible to fit all of our wants into a single day or week. We must prioritize, pick and choose. When I flounder with my sense of time as Zion’s CVA, I look toward two groups of people for inspiration: The volunteers of Zion National Park and the visitors of Zion National Park.

October 9, 2018 | 2018 marked the first year of both the Kids in Kayaks and the AmeriCorps Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) programs at Fort Monroe National Monument (Virginia). CVA Chris Martin was tasked with improving a youth summer program from the year before using the park supply of kayaks to enhance the student experience.

September 22, 2018 | CVA member Rachele Funk was able to meet Secretary Zinke for a National Public Lands Day (NPLD) event on September 22, 2018. Rachele was able to speak with Secretary Zinke directly about one of their volunteer groups. 

September 13, 2018 | The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation and the Stewards Individual Placement Program announced a strategic partnership to train AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA placements on how to better engage the communities in which they serve.

August 17, 2018 | At Grand Canyon National Park, a big focus of my Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) position has been coordinating youth volunteers in the park. This allows me to work with over 100 college students that come between February and April during their spring break. These students, “alternative breakers”, are all part of a movement of positive social change through strong direct service. 

August 14, 2018 | I moved to DC in February for the Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) position.  I moved here with excitement, knowing I would be working in an urban park engaging the surrounding community through volunteerism.

August 8, 2018 | This summer has been particularly busy for Alec Pratt, a Stewards member with the NPS Historic Preservation & Training Center serving at Gettysburg National Military Park. The park comprises of six thousand acres of battlefield and buildings that were fought over during July 1863. Each building requires maintenance and condition assessments on a recurring basis, and that is where Alec stepped in. 

August 6, 2018 | In early May, 34 Stewards AmeriCorps VISTA members descended on the Capital Retreat Center in Waynesboro, PA for a three-day leadership development training. The Stewards VISTA members met with Stewards staff and VISTA Leader, networked with each other and participated in educational sessions focused on everything from grant writing to securing government jobs. 

August 2, 2018 | This quarter, Stewards VISTA Sam Wallace of Purgatoire Watershed Partnership in Trinidad, CO continued to maintain and expand the River Watch Program which monitors water quality for local rivers. 

August 1, 2018 | Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is more than just beaches, with over 50 miles of trails, monthly ranger-led programs, and several species of rare plants. Our volunteers help maintain our park, whether by working in the field to remove bittersweet or staffing the visitor center on busy weekends.