Actively Recruiting: Yes
Position title: Youth Empowerment Steward (YES) AmeriCorps Member with Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Deadline to apply: 2027-01-10
Type of Position: Intern / Individual Placement
Town, City, Park, etc: Bushkill
State / Territory: Pennsylvania
Benefits: Education Award
Project/Program Focus: Visitor Services

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The Stewards Individual Placement Program places individual placements across the nation in projects that build capacity, improve access to natural resources, develop and support innovative solutions, develop opportunities for service and economic development, and empower leaders.

Stewards Individual Placements & Youth Empowerment Steward (YES) Initiative:
Stewards Individual Placements provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural and cultural resources.  The Youth Empowerment Steward (YES) initiative aims to increase access to the outdoors for all Americans.

Are you passionate about expanding access to public lands and creating welcoming outdoor experiences for all visitors? Do you believe everyone should have the opportunity to explore and enjoy our National Parks? Our health, our planet, and our collective future rely on variety – in thought, ability, experience, and ideas.  Join the Youth Empowerment Stewards (YES) program and contribute to strengthening park operations and enhancing the visitor experience by helping to remove barriers to outdoor access—ensuring that our national parks remain open, attainable, and welcoming to all Americans.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA) welcomes millions of visitors annually, encompassing more than 70,000 acres of federal land, including the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. Given the park’s high visitation and complex operations, orientation, information, and interpretation services are essential for ensuring meaningful and safe visitor experiences. This YES Member will be welcomed as a new team member at DEWA who can influence and guide DEWA’s ability to better connect humanity with the value of discovery.

Role of YES Member at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Stewards Individual Placements, in partnership with the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are seeking a Youth Empowerment Steward (YES) AmeriCorps Member to support the missions of both the National Park Service (NPS) and DEWA by expanding visitor awareness of resource-based recreational opportunities in one of the most densely populated regions of the country.

Description of Duties:
To achieve the goals of this YES position, the member will:

• Build knowledge about NPS policies pertaining to digital and physical access

• Conduct trail surveys to document conditions, measure slope and grade, and identify erosion, surface changes, and accessibility barriers

• Collect and organize data and prepare reports to support park planning, maintenance priorities, and visitor experience improvements

• Improve trail characteristic information at trailhead kiosks to enhance access for visitors with disabilities and meet Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requirements.
• Assist in compiling and uploading updated existing conditions and information to the park’s webpages about ADA access, and app with an emphasis on beaches, watercraft launches, parking areas, and trailheads
• Collaborate with park staff, interns, and partners to co-lead the development of Section 508-compliant experiences and accessible digital resources
• Promote the use of all-terrain wheelchairs and adaptive fishing gear
• Build a network with staff, interns, and/or Volunteers at other national parks who are working on similar initiatives