Heritage Community Development Positions

Open Positions 23/24 Service year

Augusta Heritage Center - D&E Campus Elkins, WV
Programs Coordinator
Supervisor: Seth Young
1 Full time (6 month) Position

Are you looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the community while gaining valuable professional experience? Join the Augusta Heritage Center team as a Program Coordinator with AmeriCorps! As a Program Coordinator, you'll play a critical role in organizing and implementing our cultural heritage programs, including music, dance, crafts, and folklore. You'll work closely with our Chief Creative Officer to plan events and activities, book artists, manage logistics, and ensure everything runs smoothly. Your efforts will help us preserve and celebrate the rich cultural traditions of Appalachia while also providing opportunities for cultural exchange and learning. In addition to making a positive impact on the community, you'll gain valuable experience in event planning, program coordination, and cultural preservation. You'll also receive training and support from our experienced staff, as well as opportunities to network with other AmeriCorps members and professionals in the field.

City of Belington
OnTRAC/Community Development Coordinator
Supervisor: Terri Kittle
1 Full time (6 month) Position

We welcome you to our small, friendly, historic community of Belington, WV! A town of about 1700 folks on the banks of the beautiful Tygart Valley River in North Central WV. We have been in the OnTRAC program through the West Virginia Development Office since 2009 and are currently transitioning the program from a community group into the City government. Your role is critical in helping successfully complete this transition within the city framework and helping us build the program to meet more of the needs of our residents while improving the tourism potential of our city.

We have a wealth of civic and natural resources and skilled artisans, craftsmen, and trades people in our community and have been developing a series of events throughout the calendar year that have increased community engagement and are laying in the groundwork to activate, fund, and maintain an improved system of public spaces including the Town Square (right at our one traffic light), walking trail along the Tygart Valley River, City Park, Mill Creek Reservoir, and Civic Center. You will help us develop an inventory of commercial property in our downtown and opportunities to spur economic development. You will also have the opportunity to work with the public to conduct a Product and Service needs assessment to help drive business development.

This is a position where you will be encouraged to think expansively and act locally. We are a community where one person can have a large impact and many of our biggest successes have been possible because of this AmeriCorps program.

Hardy County Heritage Development-Moorefield WV
Heritage Asset Development Associate
Supervisor: Michele Moure-Reeves
1 Full time (6 month) Positions

Hardy County is the number one agricultural producing county in WV. First home to indigenous peoples, the rural, fertile lands attracted colonial settlers. Displacing the first people, the land was surveyed, frontier forts and small settlements then towns were built, and farmland cleared.The French and Indian War, and Civil War were fought in our mountains and across our valleys. 18th century militias were raised and became the Revolutionary War soldiers who helped to secure our independence.

We are searching for an AmeriCorps member to create content for the Hardy County Heritage Trails program’s Historic African-American Cemeteries Trail, build volunteer capacity, and market the trail system.This position would be of interest to someone with a passion for heritage and its impact on the community, documenting community stories, developing educational opportunities, and encouraging tourism.

Tucker Community Foundation-Parsons, WV
Supervisor: David Cooper
1 Full time (6 month) Position

Join our team and help us continue to embody rural philanthropy every day! The Tucker Community Foundation was created thirty-four years ago after a group of individuals was inspired by the flood of 1985 to create a local philanthropic organization. The Tucker Community Foundation is seeking an AmeriCorps member to help expand our network across the counties we currently serve by organizing networking events in all eight counties. Other duties will include coordinating long-time events alongside the development and marketing director and other key staff and board members. Expand social and digital marketing outreach and distribution of the Tucker Community Foundation and Run

For It. We would like for this member to help with capacity building for the foundation—helping to create a backlog of the Tucker Community Foundations history, and in turn, implement some of those items back into existence. This member will be an essential part of the team on all levels.

*FILLED POSITIONS*

*FILLED* Appalachian Forest Discovery Center- Elkins, WV
Museum Associate
Supervisor: Phyllis Baxter
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

Tell the story of forest heritage in the AFNHA by developing your own exhibit in the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center. Located in the Darden Mill in Elkins, this museum first opened in May 2014, featuring a permanent exhibit about AFHA themes, and a different rotating exhibit each year. This member will develop the 2024 seasonal exhibit, starting with selecting the actual topic, likely history related, within our themes. Develop the exhibit through research, writing, finding images and display materials, designing, and constructing the exhibit. Graphic design skills are strongly recommended, but if that is not your strong suit we can bring in design help. The important part is telling the story in an interesting, interpretive, and compelling way.

In conjunction with developing the seasonal exhibit, help coordinate and be part of the team revising the primary AF Discovery Center exhibit to more fully represent AFNHA themes. Work alongside museum professionals to assist with this multi-year effort.

The member will also be responsible for museum visitor services duties through the tourist season, as well as other AFNHA interpretation or programming projects.

Applicants should have interpretation and/or museum studies background, with graphic design (In Design) skill a plus. Content area background related to exhibit topics will be helpful. Will include substantial weekend days during the tourist season. We are looking for an enthusiastic member who wants to take on the challenge creating museum exhibits to tell AFNHA stories.

*FILLED* America250 in Appalachian Forest- Elkins, WV
Story Development Associate
Supervisor: Phyllis Baxter
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

Explore the cultural and heritage stories of AFNHA as you experience the exciting diversity of AFNHA tourism sites. You will help develop and implement the America250 in the Appalachian Forest program, telling untold and little known stories of the diversity of America in this mountain area. Activities will include helping develop the program, working with partner sites to share their stories, telling stories yourself through research, writing, and potentially other interpretive products. This position will continue work on AFNHA networked online thematic tours, and support cultural heritage tourism development and networking across our area. See www.appalachianforestnha.org/history-maps for some examples. You will develop content, research, collect photos, and write stories of sites around our region that are connected to similar themes, then implement them as on-line tour products. Both of these projects will coordinate with each site to gather their information and engage them as partners with AFNHA, including travel to visit and experience the attractions.

The member will also support Highlands Creative Economy tourism initiative, and work with partners to build and develop heritage tourism attractions. Work alongside AFNHA Museum Associate member, and as part of the AFNHA team on a variety of projects. Excellent writing skills are essential for this, along with the ability to do research and to work with members of diverse communities. Tech skills or experience with audio / visual / digital platforms, and/or ARC GIS story map familiarity, are a plus but not required. We are looking for an enthusiastic member who is familiar with -- or interested in learning about -- our region, including talking with people and seasonal travel for site visits around our area.

*FILLED* Augusta Heritage Center - D&E Campus Elkins, WV
Collection Preservation Coordinator
Supervisor: Seth Young
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

Looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in your community while gaining valuable experience in archival preservation? Look no further than AmeriCorps at the Augusta Heritage Center!

As the Archival Preservation Coordinator, you will play a critical role in preserving the rich cultural history of Augusta and the surrounding region. Your responsibilities will include organizing, preserving, and digitizing a variety of historical artifacts, including photographs, manuscripts, audio recordings, and more.In addition to preserving history, you will have the opportunity to work closely with community members and volunteers to create educational programming and exhibits that showcase the unique cultural heritage of the area. Through these projects, you will develop leadership and project management skills, as well as a deeper understanding of the value of cultural preservation.

At Augusta Heritage Center, we believe that everyone deserves access to their cultural heritage. Join us as an AmeriCorps member and help us make that vision a reality while gaining valuable skills and experiences along the way!

*FILLED* Barbour County Historical Museum, Philippi Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Philippi
Museum Docent
Supervisor: Jeremy Drennen
1 Full Time (11 &1/2 month) position

Support history and community in Philippi, site of the first land battle of the Civil War. Join the team in this charming small town assisting with museum and outreach. This position will support three related sites in the community:

At the Barbour County Historical Museum, located in the historic Depot next to the Covered Bridge, the AmeriCorps member will have primary responsibility for the museum for ½ of their time. They will greet the public and conduct tours of the Museum during the season from March-November and at other times as arranged. The member will manage collections, design and execute rotating exhibits, and help plan and participate in Museum events and activities. They will also design and post regular Facebook and Instagram posts about the Museum and its holdings and events.

For the Philippi Convention and Visitors Bureau, the AmeriCorps member will design and post regular Facebook and Instagram posts that will attract visitors to Philippi and residents to events. Likely projects will be to design a series of reels about Philippi’s Civil War Trail signs and a digital walking tour of Philippi concentrating on the architecture design of downtown’s buildings. The member will keep the CVB web page updated along with the community wide calendar of events.

For the City of Philippi, the AmeriCorps member will support outreach and communications about the City, working with the City Manager to design and post regularly to the City’s web page, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

*FILLED* Beverly Heritage Center Outreach- Beverly, WV
Outreach Coordinator
Supervisor: Marisa Terwilliger
1 Half time (6 month) Position

Join the team at the Beverly Heritage Center, a full service heritage museum and visitor center in the original county seat of Randolph County, WV, and home to a nationally significant Civil War Battlefield. Help with preserving our historic town and nearby Rich Mountain Battlefield, tell our important stories, and encourage heritage tourism to benefit community development. BHC members will work together on the BHC team to help with visitor services, events, and volunteer management.

The Beverly ON TRAC Coordinator member will focus on community revitalization utilizing our historic resources, based on the Main Street model. This member will support and assist Beverly ON TRAC committees including promotion, design, economic vitality, and organization. The member will also work on heritage tourism outreach projects the link Beverly with other historic resources across the area, to tell connected stories and bring interested visitors. Position will need strong communication skills, including familiarity with media technology, and willing to work with volunteers of all ages.

*FILLED* Beverly Heritage Center-Preservation- Beverly, WV
Preservation Associate
Supervisor: Michelle Phares
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

The BHC is looking for an AmeriCorps member to help revitalize the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike Alliance. The BHC is home to a permanent exhibit about the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and we would like to continue our work of sharing the research with a larger public and creating more engagement on traveling this scenic highway. To this end, we are hoping to create more digital content for the Turnpike, to recruit new members to this organization, to increase our opportunities for interpretation, and to create more platforms to share our stories. In addition, the member will help with visitor services, events, and volunteer management for the Beverly Heritage Center. Interest in interpretation of local history, website experience helpful.

*FILLED* Beverly Heritage Center-Rich Mountain Battlefield- Beverly, WV
Rich Mountain Coordinator
Supervisor: Marisa Terwilliger
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

The Rich Mountain Coordinator member will focus on preservation of the Rich Mountain Battlefield and the history related to it. This member will assist in nominating this nationally significant Civil War Site to National Historic Landmark status. Projects will also include updating interpretation of the battle site, including potentially improved signage and online interpretation. Learn to understand and monitor preservation and needs of historic landscape and help ensure that it is preserved, maintained, and welcoming visitors. This position will also assist with care of related Civil War properties, and with interpreting and telling stories related to West Virginia in the Civil War. Interest and background in preservation of historic landscapes and stories, with emphasis on the Civil War, is important. GIS mapping skill is a plus. Should be comfortable both in the field and with research and interpretation. Must have own vehicle for travel to the battlefield.

*FILLED* Elkins Depot Welcome Center - Elkins, WV
Heritage Tourism Liaison
Supervisor: Anne Beardslee
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

The Elkins Depot Welcome Center CVB educates visitors and community members in regards to cultural heritage development through the use of heritage education and tourism. Opened in 2006 and located in the restored historic Western Maryland Railway Depot, the Welcome Center serves over 45,000 visitors to the Elkins area each year by providing local and regional community heritage information. The position will improve heritage interpretation, promote environmental stewardship in regards to popular outdoor destinations, and build a stronger organization through recruitment and coordination of volunteers. Through social media, events, and web presence the goal is to increase the educational outreach to attract additional visitors to Randolph County. The member will become an integral part of the Center, will make suggestions for changes, manage volunteer operations, and participate in all major Center activities and day-to-day operation of the facility.

*FILLED* Tygart Valley Homestead Association-Daily, WV
Homestead Community Center Liaison
Supervisor: Michelle Depp
1 Half Time (6 month) Position

Help preserve West Virginia History as an AmeriCorps member at Tygart Valley Homestead. This New Deal era resettlement community in Randolph County provided homes for people out of work, and is one of three such sites in West Virginia. The Tygart Valley Homestead Association is a growing non-profit dedicated to the preservation of the Tygart Valley Homestead National Register District, specifically the former Homestead School and campus being developed as a community facility. The Homestead Community Center is serving as a hub for activity in the community for residents of all ages. The AmeriCorps Liaison position will help TVHA grow and develop its capacity to serve the community preserving historic resources related to the New Deal while also building community development with programming, activities, and services through the Homestead Community Center!

This is a ½ time position – which can be filled full time for 6 months, half-time over a full year, or by a full- time member splitting duties with the Beverly Heritage Center open outreach position.

*FILLED* Upshur County Historical Society - Buckhannon, WV
Collections and Research assistant
Supervisor: Noel Tenney
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

Join Upshur County Historical Society in preserving their county history through publishing, programming, and providing a county research center and museum. With three facilities, the History Center Museum, Document Repository, and the historic French Creek Presbyterian Church Building, they care for an artifact collection of over 50,000 items including documents, photographs, and three-dimensional artifacts. These are used for research, exhibits, publications, and sourcing information for projects and public research needs.

The AmeriCorps major projects will be to work with established digital/electronic systems for collections management cataloging and processing artifacts into PastPerfect. The member will work with UCHS research files and original sources to compile content for the Upshur County Digital Encyclopedia project, and will assist with gathering other data to be included on this digital system. The member will be responsible for targeted posting of data and resources from the society’s projects onto social media avenues (Facebook and others), public outreach, journal research and writing, assisting with exhibit research and development, and assisting researchers who wish to access the archive. The AmeriCorps member for this position will need outstanding computer skills (preferably PastPerfect, social media, and data processing skills), a general history knowledge background, and good “people” skills for working with volunteers.

*FILLED* WV Railroad Museum Elkins, WV
Museum Docent
Supervisor: Rachel Hayes
1 Full time (11 & 1/2 month) Position

Do you love trains and tourism?! You can be part of sharing the essence and spirit of West Virginia’s railroad heritage! The West Virginia Railroad Museum (WVRRM) was founded in 2003 as a cultural resource dedicated to educating visitors and the community about West Virginia’s railroad history. The purpose of the West Virginia Railroad Museum, Inc. is to be a cultural resource dedicated to educating visitors and the community about West Virginia’s railroad history. In 2014 the WVRRM obtained display space in the restored historic Darden Mill. Since then, each year a new display is created on WV railroad history.

Heritage Community Development Positions

Open Positions 23/24 Service year

Proud Partner of the National Park Service