RARE AmeriCorps Rural Projects Coordinator
**PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH OUR WEBSITE WILL BE CONSIDERED**
Who We Are
Serving rural Oregon for over 30 years, the University of Oregon's Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program places change-makers with host organizations across the state to take on meaningful and catalytic placed-based projects, all with the focus of increasing the vitality and vibrancy of communities we serve.
We offer a unique opportunity to connect the community and economic development needs of rural Oregon communities with the personal and professional development aspirations of the next generation. Using a tried-and-true model for engagement, we provide a topnotch service-learning experience while delivering resources, expertise, and critical capacity to rural Oregon. Our goal is to ensure a mutually beneficial experience for our RARE AmeriCorps members and rural communities we serve.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with a strong desire to utilize and develop interpersonal skills for community outreach and group facilitation, serve rural, and make a difference!
- Ability to work through conflict and maintain good relationships
- Effective teamwork
- Ability to remain organized and on-track with projects and processes
- Technical skills, including data collection, analysis, and representation; large document creation; grant writing; GIS; website development and/or policy analysis
- Strong written, verbal, and graphic communication ability
- Service motivation – volunteerism and service to community
- Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups of people
- Commitment to rural community development
Qualifications: RARE AmeriCorps members are required to be either U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. In addition, you will need to hold a bachelor's degree and demonstrate applied community experience as well as coursework or equivalent experience in three or more of the following areas: planning or statistical analysis, planning or economic theory, project management, community or economic development, environmental planning, geographic information systems and grant writing. More information about eligibility and our selection process.
What You’ll Do
RARE AmeriCorps projects typically fall into three broad categories:
(1) Community and Economic Development
- Assisting rural entrepreneurs in the development of business plans
- Completing economic development plans for local, county and regional governmental entities
- Coordinating the development of a downtown master plan or parks and recreation master plan
- Facilitating city-wide facilities assessment and mapping project with Geographic Information Systems
- Engaging a community in creative placemaking and installing murals
- Developing and supporting outdoor recreation-based tourism in a region
(2) Environmental and Sustainability Planning
- Coordinating an array of land conservation and watershed enhancement projects
- Designing a citizen involvement program for a watershed council
- Creating a rural solar outreach strategy
- Collaborating with planners and residents to help rebuild wildfire-affected communities
(3) Community Food Security/Food Systems
- Creating community food assessments and tribal food sovereignty assessments
- Enhancing local farmers’ markets and food related business activities
- Developing a regional agritourism food trail
- Coordinating partners in creation of a regional food hub
What You’ll Gain
- Living Stipend/Monthly: $2,300
- Personal Professional Development Fund of $300
- Medical Insurance*
- Child Care Benefits*
- SNAP Benefits*
- Segal Educational Award of $7,395
- Federal Student Loan Forbearance
- Professional training in Community Development, Grant Writing, Communication, Land Use, Economic Development, Facilitation, Leadership, etc. (valued at ~$5,000)
- Nine Graduate Credits from the University of Oregon’s Master of Community & Regional Planning, Master of Public Administration, or Master of Nonprofit Management program**
- In-state Tuition Eligibility
- University of Oregon Graduate School Fee Waiver
*Eligibility dependent on individual circumstances
**Other university programs may or may not waive the credits. Please note that while the credits will be earned, you will still be held to the tuition requirements of the university upon registration
Placements will be in various rural communities across Oregon. More information on current members. Serve rural for a better you and a greater us!
Join us for an upcoming information session to learn more:
Term of service: September 2024 - July 2025
Member Applications due April 28th by 11:59pm PT
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION
The RARE AmeriCorps Program is committed to an ongoing learning process around privilege, power, inequality and systems of oppression. RARE is working towards making our program welcoming to, inclusive of, and accessible to communities who are under-represented as planners and systems thinkers in Oregon, including women, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+ individuals, low-income individuals and immigrants.