Community Volunteer Ambassador Program

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A. Project Goals: The primary goals of this Task Agreement are to increase the number and diversity of community members engaged in NPS programs, activities and events through expanded volunteer, partnership, and service learning opportunities; to develop the next generation of lifelong conservation leaders, stewards and supporters; and to develop a skilled and diverse workforce pipeline for the NPS and surrounding communities by providing Community Volunteer Ambassadors (CVA) with the comprehensive training they need to develop relevant and transferable skills and knowledge. B. Project Objectives: This project goal will be achieved by completing the following objectives. ¿ Up to 82 Community Volunteer Ambassador Interns (hereafter referred to as Interns) will be annually recruited, selected and placed in NPS park sites and program offices nation-wide. ¿ The NPS National Volunteer Program Office will work with Regional Volunteer Offices to determine which parks and programs would most benefit from additional support when choosing where to place Interns. ¿ Interns will gain new skills and experience through year-round formal and informal training, enabling them to build a portfolio of professional skills and develop a community of support. ¿ Interns will work with their supervisor to strategically reach out to and engage community constituents that represent diverse age groups and cultures. ¿ Interns will work with park and program employees to expand the number and variety of available volunteer programs, activities, and events, providing community members an opportunity to learn about park resources through active engagement in research, restoration, maintenance and visitor service projects. New positions/projects will create opportunities for people of all ages to become involved in episodic, short and long-term educational, skill-building, career-enhancing and rewarding volunteer experiences. ¿ The number of NPS sites engaged in national days of service will increase, with more parks and offices participating in volunteer work days and recognition events. National days of service are annual, system-wide and multi-agency service days, including The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, National Trails Day, National Public Lands Day, and National Volunteer Week. ¿ Selected parks will participate in service-wide efforts to engage communities around national and local events, park anniversaries, and holidays, including Veterans Day, Memorial Day, September 11 Day of Service, and Labor Day events. ¿ More parks and programs will participate in national volunteer programs including Veteran¿s programs, Healthy Park Healthy People programs, Trails & Rails programs, Bark Ranger programs, youth programs, and Artist-in-Residence programs ¿ Interns, volunteers and supervisors will work together to develop and institute a way to track statistics related to outreach and community engagement goals.

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