Local Foods AmeriCorps Member

EDUCATE. EMPOWER. INSPIRE.

High Rocks is a leader in transforming the lives of young people and the impact they have on their communities.

High Rocks runs award-winning educational programs for young people ages 12-29 focused on empowerment, critical thinking, and leadership.

High Rocks Local Foods Team is looking for 2 full-time, half-year AmeriCorps Members.

Dates: March 1, 2026 – August 31, 2026

Job Type: Full-Time

Overview: Young people in the Ruby Grow Program are social enterprise business partners learning to run their own organic market vegetable production business. Grow Appalachia participants gather to share home gardening techniques. Together you will learn and grow in the gardens, in the kitchen, in wellness and in entrepreneurship, for a hands-on education in the importance of healthy food choices; plant, care for, harvest, pack, store, process and prepare vegetables from the High Rocks gardens and high tunnel, learning about the health and nutrition available from locally grown produce and providing nourishing options for peers and for the local market. This hands-on education broadens students’ understanding of the importance of healthy food choices and gives them an immersive experience of participating in the local economy as producers, responsible for every step of how the vegetables they eat get to their plates. Nutrition education is an experiential piece of the transformative camps where for over 30 years girls have realized their potential, and of our non-residential programs for the larger community.

Member Duties: * Plant and care for vegetable gardens. * Mentor students. * Harvest, post-harvest handling, pack, store, and process vegetables. * Food preparation for healthy snacks and meals at programs and events including camp. * Wellness and healthy food programming. * Coordinate educational programs including logistics and hosting. * Distribute flyers, contact participants by phone, email, and social media, assist with transportation. * Assist with distributing gardening supplies to 30 local gardeners. * Share environmentally conscious practices including recycling and composting. * Remove invasive species and construct or improve trails. * Record keeping and data collection and entry. * Physical activities for youth to become more fit. * Volunteer training, activity coordination, and hosting. * Write thank you letters.

Benefits include:

• Living stipend: $825.00 (pre-tax) twice monthly
• A Segal Education Award of $3,697.50 at successful completion of service (900 hours (40 hr work weeks) between March 2, 2026 and August 31, 2026). This award can be used to pay down existing student debt, or for future educational expenses. AmeriCorps Members will have 7 years to use this award.
• Any AmeriCorps member completing this half year of service may be eligible for 1 semester of tuition waiver at participating West Virginia colleges, universities and trade schools. Multiple terms can be combined.
• Health care can be provided if the member does not qualify for Medicaid.
• Child Care Assistance is also available if needed.
• Housing is available if requested.

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Professional development assistance
• Tuition reimbursement

To learn more about High Rocks AmeriCorps, please visit: Americorps – High Rocks

Interested in becoming a High Rocks AmeriCorps member? Contact Brooke Burns at brooke@highrocks.org