Job Listing
🔗Historic Trades AmeriCorps Team Member
Website Preservation Alliance of West Virginia
Preserve history and serve with AmeriCorps! The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is the state's leading grassroots nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation. It administers the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program - the statewide national service initiative where AmeriCorps members help main streets thrive, capture local history, and preserve beloved West Virginia landmarks.
This is a 6-month AmeriCorps position (March – November 2026) with an opportunity to renew for a one-year, full-time term (November 2026 – November 2027) at the successful conclusion of the first term.
The Monongahela National Forest is a unit of the USDA Forest Service and includes approximately 920,000 acres throughout the Allegheny Highlands region of West Virginia – an area world renowned for its rugged landscape and spectacular views. The Heritage Program is tasked with the management of a wealth of cultural resources throughout the forest including transportation resources, homesites, recreation resources from the mid-century and CCC-era, and more.
The AmeriCorps Historic Trades Team Member will serve approximately 35-40 hours per week. The team will primarily serve as a unit conducting hands-on historic preservation repairs and maintenance on cultural resources and will be based at the Forest Service headquarters in Elkins. Regional travel will be required to complete projects. The Forest Service may provide transportation for team activities requiring regional travel. Overnight camping trips to facilitate projects are expected. Team activities will primarily focus on three programmatic areas with the goal of enhancing the stewardship and use of cultural resources, including:
(1) Hands-on Historic Trades to Address Deferred Maintenance Window restoration
– Vegetation and biological growth removal
– Cemetery cleaning and maintenance
– Minor log and wood treatments
– Repainting
– Wood roof replacements
– Masonry construction and repairs
(2) Identification & DocumentationPhotograph historic resources
– Write physical descriptions of properties with measurements and site drawings
– Evaluation for eligibility for listing on National Register of Historic Places
– Nominations of historic properties for listing on National Register of Historic Places
– Cultural Resource Surveys throughout the forest to assist with planning landscape-scale active management projects.
(3) Educational & InterpretationResearch and develop digital and physical content for the public
– Known projects planned for the service year include:
- Documentation, Condition Assessments, and Future-Use Planning for historic CCC camp buildings in Greenbrier County
- Cedar Shingle Roof Replacement of CCC-constructed cabin in Tucker County
- Dry Stacked Masonry Wall Repairs at Recreation Area outside of Elkins, WV
- Architectural History Program at Rohrbaugh Cabin in Grant County with partnership support
- Log repairs at various recreation properties throughout the forest
Benefits
All NCPE interns received an hourly stipend, the rate is listed at each position description. Additionally, interns receive paid time off (PTO), paid Federal holidays if working full-time, and access to NCPE's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for career and personal counseling, coaching, and referrals. Project sites may also offer a housing allowance and/or commuting stipend; this information is also listed in the description or offered during the interview.
Eligible NCPE interns who successfully complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. To be eligible to earn a PLC certificate, an intern must be 30 years old or younger (or 35 if a veteran). Once earned, the PLC hiring authority certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal temporary, term, or permanent positions. Successful completion of a NCPE internship does not guarantee Federal employment. Contact manager@preservenet.org for more details.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must be
*at least 18 years old;
*no older than 30 years of age (or 35 years if a Veteran) when beginning the internship; applicants who are 31 or older (or 36 or older if a Veteran) are not eligible;
*currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program at the college level (or recently graduated within the past 12 months)
*be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
Interns are not allowed to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full-time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.
The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.
The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.
Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.
How to Apply
You may review NCPE's internship opportunities anytime without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.
Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your username or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.
Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. A PDF is preferred, labeled Your Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages are preferred. A PDF is preferred but jpg, png, doc, or docx file types are accepted. Label Your Last Name_Your First Name_Resume. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.
Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during an application round; there is no limit at other times of the year. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.