ASL Crew Leader

Title: Staff Crew Leader – American Sign Language Inclusion (ASLi) Crew – Summer 2022
Reports to: YCC Field Supervisor & Adult Field Supervisor
Location: Based in Chattanooga, TN, but camping and working on National Forest and Non-Profit Lands in the Southeast Region.
Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt
Wages: A weekly living stipend of $685/week. Stipends are taxed and paid out biweekly.
Benefits: Job Training, uniform shirts, protective equipment. Food, camping gear, and transportation provided during the 3-week program.

Program dates for leaders:
Field-based leader training: 5/30/2022 - 6/3/2022
Session 1: (Youth Specific ages 16 to 20) 6/7/2022 - 6/24/2022
Program break (unpaid): 6/27/2022 - 7/1/2022
Session 2: (Adult Specific ages 18 – 25) 7/4/2022 - 8/26/2022

Southeast Conservation Corps:
Empowering young adults to cultivate compassion, responsibility, and grit through community service, hard work, and environmental stewardship.

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC), a program of Conservation Legacy, is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization located in Chattanooga, TN. SECC’s Youth Conservation Crew (YCC) programs take place throughout the state of Tennessee and neighboring states within the Southeast region. Throughout the season, crew members will work, live, and camp communally as a crew. Each crew consists of six crew members (ages 16-20), one assistant crew leader, and one crew leader. Projects include, but are not limited to, trail design, maintenance and construction, watershed restoration, habitat enhancement, fencing, tree planting, invasive plant removal, and much more.

One of SECC’s Youth Conservation Corps programs is the American Sign Language Inclusion (ASLi) program which seeks to provide an opportunity where Deaf youth and young adults can learn job and leadership development skills in American Sign Language from other Deaf members and leaders. Participants will be better equipped to find future employment while simultaneously expanding the representation of Deaf people in the outdoor and conservation fields in hopes of growing opportunities for the Deaf community.

Position Summary:

SECC Crew Leaders and Assistant Crew Leaders (ACL's) preform many roles and a key to member and program success. The position is multi-faceted and demanding, but with the opportunity for enormous rewards.
Successful candidates will demonstrate resourcefulness, effective communication skills, excellent judgement, maturity, initiative, professionalism, and the desire to devote themselves to a crew experience where the needs of others are places above oneself.

A leader position at SECC requires mentorship, self-reliance, critical thinking, problem solving, patience, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of comfort in the outdoors. Crew leaders are ultimately responsible for the success and shortcomings of the crew. Leaders for this crew MUST be fluent in ASL and have professional experience working with and leading Deaf and Hard of Hearing youth in outdoor programs such as summer camps, leadership development programs or at work sites.

Leaders will need to commit to the entire length of the program.
The program schedule includes:

• One week of paid training.
• Two consecutive three-week sessions.
• One-week, unpaid break in between sessions.

Each three-week session is completely residential; the crew will work, travel, camp, eat and recreate together for the entire program.

A typical weekly schedule:
Monday – Friday:

• Project work

• Camp chores
• Group lessons related to conservation, environmental education and other related topics

Weekends:

• Camp relocation
• Laundry

• Grocery shopping
• Scheduled recreational/educational activity within the region

While SECC works to provide consistency throughout the season schedules, times, and work locations are subject to change per project needs.

Required Skills:
Leadership & Mentorship

• Manage, supervise, and lead the day-to-day details of project work for Deaf and Hard of Hearing teens.
• Implement skills training on work-site and facilitate intentional discussions via informal lessons to contribute to the crew’s personal growth and group dynamics.
• Promote individual corps member development and a healthy community.

• Work with ACL to delegate project responsibilities, oversee crew life, and ensure member development.
• Must be willing to appropriately represent Southeast Conservation Corps, follow and enforce all policies, and maintain professional boundaries.
• Must refrain from the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs while involved in the program.

Project Management & Implementation

• Delegate project work amongst crew, while training and motivating members to efficiently complete conservation projects on public lands.

• Manage the on-the-ground quality and quantity of project work.
• Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems.
• Communicate effectively & coordinate logistics with project partners, assistant crew leader, & SECC staff.

• Safety & Risk Management*

• Monitor, manage, and promote the crew’s physical and emotional safety on and off the work site.

• Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety.
• Transport crew and equipment safely in SECC’s vans or large vehicles with trailers.

• Administration*

• Complete professional documentation of time sheets, daily and weekly reports, corps member and peer evaluations, disciplinary action forms, incident reports, etc.
• Responsible for all project related outcomes and deliverables.

• Manage food budget and credit card for purchases.
• Manage implementation of weekend schedule including, but not limited to, crew laundry, grocery shopping, travel, camp set-up, recreation outings, etc.

• Minimum Qualifications: *

• Willingness to commit fully to the program and its mission.

• Leadership experience with Deaf or Hard of Hearing Youth or young adults.
• Excellent organizational & communication skills.
• Strong time-management skills and ability to show up on time …
• Ability to work independently as well as with others
• Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment

• Willingness to learn and be a part of a dynamic community of peer leaders.
• Physically fit and able to work long days in adverse conditions.
• High School diploma or GED certificate.
• Must be working towards, or hold current/relevant medical certification (WFA, WFR, with CPR/AED)
• Must be able to drive SECC vehicle and insurable by program insurance policy (Have driver’s license for 3 consecutive years and a clean driving record).

• Must be comfortable with camping and working in the outdoors for the duration of the program in all elements of weather.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with experiential and/or environmental education.
• Technical trail construction and maintenance experience.

• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people.
• Desire to work on a variety of conservation-based projects.
• Strong conflict resolution skills.
• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements:
Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to assist you with some modification unless it alters the fundamental nature of the program, compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue financial or administrative burden on the organization. These requirements are written the same for all positions and therefore may not apply directly to your particular position.

Participation and Expedition Behavior

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training and national service. Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.

• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to effectively carry out the service work requirements.
• Appropriately represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times.

Safety and Judgment

• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. You must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in varied weather conditions.

• Effectively perceive, understand and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute appropriate and perhaps unfamiliar techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during exposure to the hazard.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• Respond appropriately to stress or crises.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from others.

Outdoor Skills and Fitness (where appropriate)

• Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living/travel and work skills as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed so as to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.
• Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an uninterrupted period of up to several weeks. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly and may include severe and/or trying weather. The remoteness is such that it may require at a minimum one hour, but perhaps in excess of 12 hours, to reach the nearest advanced medical care.

Substance Free:
In accordance to a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

Essential Functions:

• Frequently required to walk, hike, sit and talk or listen.
• Required to use hands to operate objects, tools or controls, and to reach with hands and arms.
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision and the ability to focus.
• Required to drive an SECC vehicle and tow trailer (once taught by program).

• Must be able to understand and communicate in English and American Sign Language.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

To Apply:

• Visit: https://southeastconservationcorps.org/leadership-opportunities

• Complete the application, upload cover letter and resume.
• Questions can be addressed to one of the following individuals:

Taran Branscum, YCC Field Supervisor: tbranscum@conservationlegacy.org

Required Skills

Required Experience

Job Type: Temporary