Visitor Services and Education IP at Antietam National Battlefield

Title: Visitor Services and Education Individual Placement at Antietam National Battlefield 

Location: 302 E Main St, Sharpsburg, MD 21782 

Position Dates: 9/30/2024 - 9/12/2025 

Pay Rate: $800/week (living and housing allowance) + health/vision/dental benefits 

Status: This is a full-time exempt, 1700 hour AmeriCorps National Service position. 

Contact: accrecruiting@conservationlegacy.org 

Please submit a resume and cover letter with your application.

The Appalachian Conservation Corps: 

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.  

Individual Placements gain hands-on experience at their placement site, and ACC supports them through their term, as well as provides a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.  

Position Summary: 

Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service-protected area along Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Washington County, northwestern Maryland. It commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 1862.  The area, situated on fields among the Appalachian foothills near the Potomac River, features the battlefield site and visitor center, a national military cemetery, stone arch Burnside's Bridge, and a field hospital museum. 

The Visitor Services and Education Individual Placement is a 12-month internship position working directly with National Park Service Staff. The IP will be the face of the park, help at the park visitor center presenting 30-minute Battlefield Orientation talks and greeting visitors as they enter the visitor center and orient them to the park. The Corps Member will hand out park literature, tell visitors about the park, and attempt to meet their informational needs. Over the course of time, the Corps Member is expected to become familiar with the resources available at the front desk, such as park handouts, maps of the area, and monument location guides.  

This position is focused on engaging the public by sharing information on the history of the park, while developing skills like public speaking and interpersonal communication. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Youth Education- Work with local schools, students, and visiting youth to provide education opportunities and activities for kids from kindergarten to college.  

• The Member will be responsible for responding to inquiries from teachers and scheduling on and off-site field trips for the education staff and assist in development of new Parks as Classrooms at ANTI and to work with neighboring schools to increase student visitation to the battlefield.  
• They will present curriculum-based programs to students and a variety of summer youth groups and will operate a youth activity tent in the summer at Antietam and present third person living history programs. 

• Study assigned research materials. Develop an accurate, in-depth knowledge of 19th century American History. 

• Special events duties such as photographic documentation, set-up of chairs and traffic cones, vehicle parking, traffic control, crowd control, and first aid. 

• Other interpretive programs such as interpretive walks and talks that cover the history and cultural resources of the battlefield. Corps Members may also do informal or “roving interpretation” at various stops on the battlefield driving tour. 

• From time to time, the volunteer/Corps Member coordinator and/or visitor center supervisor may ask the Corps Member to help with a variety of office duties, such as making copies, answering the phones, and stuffing envelopes. 

The most important factors in evaluating a Corps Member’s performance are: 1) Polite and pleasant interactions with the visiting public and coworkers (volunteers, rangers, and other staff members). 2) Reliable attendance, punctuality, and professionalism. 3) The accuracy of information provided to the public, interpretive/public speaking skills, and adapting information to the needs of the audience. 

IPs receive formal training in interpretation and education skills, Civil War History, customer service, first aid/CPR certifications, and safety. Additional training and professional development opportunities may also be available. If you love learning, sharing what you’ve learned with others, and working hard in a team environment, this position will be incredibly rewarding. 

General Qualifications: 

To qualify for an AmeriCorps position, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Interest and/or knowledge in U.S. History and the Civil War 
• Curriculum/program development and facilitation 
• Valid driver’s license 
• Public speaking and presentation skills and abilities 
• Professionalism in working with project partners and park visitors 
• Background in customer service or education/teaching/public presentation 
• Two year degree or relevant experience in education, parks and recreation, or history 
• Interest in pursuing a career with a public land management agency