Host an Individual Placement

Why host an individual placement?

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (CCMI) members value hard work, community service, and environmental stewardship. Individual placements are skilled adults ready to complete a wide variety of projects that will address a significant unmet need and directly benefit the communities served. Members join the Corps to give back to the community while gaining technical skills and exploring future career opportunities. Conservation Corps serves government, education, and nonprofit organizations for the common good.

What can an individual placement do?

Placements assist with or complete projects such as:

Community outreach: developing management plans; social media and email marketing; education and training event implementation; interpretive programming; landowner outreach
Survey and data collection: GIS/GPS mapping; water-quality sampling & monitoring; tree/plant surveys; fish/wildlife surveys; man-made feature/user surveys
Natural resources management: invasive species removal; planting and seeding; shoreline and streambank restoration; rain garden installation; trail clearing and maintenance

Host an Individual Placement FAQ

Individual placements support projects that benefit local communities in Minnesota, Iowa, and surrounding states. Members participate in program and then site-specific orientation when they join the program, with refreshers and on-the-job training throughout their service.
Individual placements are enrolled in AmeriCorps, a national service program, and they earn an education award upon successfully completing their service term. AmeriCorps members are considered program participants (not employees) and receive a living allowance for their service.
Conservation Corps staff collaborate with site hosts throughout the member application process, including candidate review and selection. The Corps is responsible for general program administration, and members are covered by CCMI workers compensation.
Site partners will foster the individual placement’s professional development through attentive mentorship and meaningful, relevant service activities for the entire service term.

Complete the site partner application online*. Upon submission of the form, you will receive an email copy of your request and Corps staff will be notified of your application.
Site partner applications are due annually in late August for placements starting the following January and annually in late February for placements starting that May.
Conservation Corps staff will review and evaluate site partner applications. Acceptance of proposals may be contingent upon the applicant providing additional information.
After an application has been formally accepted, the site partner will be required to sign a contract specifying details of the service placement along with additional paperwork required by Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa.
If all available positions have been awarded, applicants may request to be included on a waiting list.

*To apply for Clean Water Funding, learn about the separate application process here.

Application must demonstrate that the member’s service activities will address a significant unmet need and will directly benefit the communities served.
Application must demonstrate that the member will develop professionally from attentive mentorship by site partner (e.g. your organization’s staff) through meaningful and relevant service activities.
Corpsmember must be placed in a direct service position for the entire service term. The member’s projects may not include duties that support general organizational goals such as clerical tasks, janitorial responsibilities, and the like, except as it supports the goals of the proposed project.
Applicants must submit separate applications for each corpsmember requested.
Member service activities must not displace paid employees.
Partnering sites must have a Drug Free Workplace Policy and a Non-Discrimination Policy.

Conservation Corps will recruit, screen and interview members. Site partners will provide feedback on top candidates after being provided with candidate application materials and interview results. The Corps will make the final selection considering site partner input.
All position offers to members are contingent upon successfully passing comprehensive background checks: state criminal history check, National Sex Offender Public Registry check, and possibly, a state driver record check and/or federal background check (position dependent).

Upon receiving a placement for a corpsmember, site partners will receive an orientation and materials pertaining to Conservation Corps policies and procedures to best equip them to oversee the member’s project and overall experience.
Timecards and project reporting will be completed collaboratively by Conservation Corps and the site partner staff. Conservation Corps is responsible for coordinating human resource functions.
Site partner staff will provide placements with a workstation and the equipment necessary to fulfill the duties of the position.
Site partner staff is responsible for the daily support necessary to ensure a mutually beneficial placement for the site partner and the member.
Members receive formal training at the beginning of their term of service. Trainings include an introductory orientation provided by the Corps and a site orientation provided by the site partner.
Members’ service schedules shall accommodate monthly or quarterly cohort meetings facilitated by Conservation Corps.
Conservation Corps will conduct site visits, either in-person or virtually, to check in on service experience and ensure compliance with AmeriCorps and program guidelines/policies.

Individual placements serve in a full-time, 40-hour/week capacity for the duration of their service term. Site partner applicants shall indicate a typical schedule for the position (i.e. 8- or 10-hour days, evenings or weekends required, travel required, etc.).
Service terms are generally January – December or May – August. Six-month positions starting in either January or May may also be available.

Individual placements are located throughout Minnesota and surrounding states, including Iowa, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Katie Rooks, individual placements program manager

Site partners are billed monthly for hours served. Monthly rates typically range from $2,200-$5,000.
Inquire about cost-share opportunities to help defray the expense.
Funds are available for Conservation Corps Field Crew labor and Individual Placements on projects with the purpose of protecting, enhancing, and restoring water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams, and/or protecting groundwater and drinking water sources from degradation. Learn more about Clean Water Funding.