Conservation Begins Here.
The Student Conservation Association (SCA), America’s #1 conservation service organization seeks qualified applicants to lead, educate, and inspire students for the programs.
Build your gardening and urban agriculture skills at various sites throughout the Arlington community, including Arlington House and school gardens at various Arlington Public Schools, addressing a range of food sustainability, environmental education, and workforce needs.
Crew members will have the opportunity to develop a variety of technical and community building skills, including urban farming skills and tool use, sustainable gardening, facilitating group activities, and supporting community service events.
The ideal candidate is excited about learning hands-on garden work, urban farming, and environmental education and able to demonstrate their eagerness or interest in this field of food access and conservation. Crew members must be able to commit to the position from September 11 – November 3, with weekend and federal holidays off.
SCA recognizes the history at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, includes history that was not inclusive to all backgrounds. Our goal for fielding a crew at Arlington House is to provide an opportunity for our members to learn and gain experience in gardening and urban agriculture, while learning and appreciating the important history and sacrifices of the persons that worked and lived on the land.
Crew: The Roots Together crew will be comprised of 2 members and 1 crew leader supervisor. The crew will be closely supported by SCA Program staff.
Program Dates: September 11, 2023 – November 3, 2023
Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) working a varied work schedule between the hours of 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Members will be given their final schedules closer to the program start date.
Pay Rate: $18.00/hr, bi-weekly pay
Work Description:
Crew members will go through training by SCA and community partners to complete different field projects including:
- School garden restoration and maintenance
- Watering and weeding of existing garden beds
- Planting native plants and produce
- Supporting garden education and activities with youth in afterschool programs
- Tabling events at local libraries and farmers markets
Skills Training & Support Provided:
- Gardening basics and maintenance
- Urban farming
- Local food access systems
- Youth education
- Community building and engagement
After training, the crew will work together to ensure successful programs for community youth. Program best practices, tool usage, safety, and job hazard assessments will be part of training and daily briefings. All members will learn to work in new environments, outdoor spaces, in a crew-model with new people, all while learning new field skills. Being open to new experiences is a huge advantage for crew members.
Benefits:
- Earn a stipend or wage for your work
- Explore green jobs and career opportunities
- Complete important conservation projects at a National Park
- Participate in professional development and skill building as a team
- Alumni benefits after successful completion of program
- SCA gear package
COVID-19: For SCA's COVID-19 guidance, please refer to www.thesca.org/covid.
SERVICE LOCATION DESCRIPTION
Arlington House is in McLean, Virginia, and considered a National Park Service (NPS) unit of George Washington Memorial Parkway. Originally constructed between 1802 and 1818, the house was built to be both the residence of George Washington Parke Custis and as the nation's first memorial to his adoptive grandfather, George Washington. The home became the repository of hundreds of relics and artifacts that once belonged to George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon.
Custis' daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis would then marry a young Robert E. Lee in the house in 1831. This house became the residence of Robert E. Lee and his family before the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the house was seized by the Union Army who proceeded to turn the plantation into a military cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery.
Over the 60 years leading up to the Civil War, Arlington House was also home to nearly 100 enslaved African Americans who lived and labored on the estate. The NPS interprets not only the history of Robert E. Lee and his family, but more importantly the stories of the enslaved people, including the Syphax, Burke, Parks, and Gray families, to present a more complete story of life at Arlington House.
The NPS completed a major rehabilitation effort in the summer of 2021, including artifact conservation, facilities restoration, and the installation of new interpretive exhibits. Park staff are committed to telling stories inclusive of multiple historical perspectives and grounded in current research. As the stewards of Arlington House, the NPS preserves the site as an inspiration to people of all backgrounds.
For more information about the NPS Arlington House, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/arho/index.htm
Position ID: PO-00735666
Expected Dates: September 11, 2023 - November 5, 2023
Location:
1310 N. Courthouse Rd
Suite 110
Arlington, VA 22201
US
Main Area of Focus: Agriculture
Further Details
AmeriCorps Eligible: Not Eligible