Who We Are

Serving rural Oregon for over 27 years, the RARE AmeriCorps Program builds the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduate-level members who live and work in communities for 11 months. Our members assist communities and agencies in the development and implementation of plans for achieving a sustainable natural resource base and improving rural economic conditions while gaining community building and leadership skills.

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:

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
• Facilitating city-wide facilities assessment and mapping project with Geographic Information Systems
• Completing parks and recreation master plan
• Creating regional economic post-COVID recovery plans
• Engaging a community in creative placemaking and installing murals

Environmental and Sustainability Planning

• Coordinating an array of watershed enhancement projects
• Designing a citizen involvement program for a watershed council
• Creating a rural solar outreach strategy

Community Food Security/Food Systems

• Creation of community food assessments and tribal food sovereignty assessments
• Enhancement of local farmers’ markets and food related business activities
• Development of a regional agritourism food trail
• Coordinating partners in creation of a regional food hub

What You’ll Gain

• Living Stipend/Monthly: $1,800
• Medical Insurance: If eligible, we will provide medical insurance.
• Possible Child Care Benefits: If eligible, child care benefits are available.
• Segal Educational Award: At the successful completion of 11 months (1,700 hours) of service, RARE AmeriCorps members are eligible to receive an educational award of $6,345.
• Student Loan Forbearance
• Training in Community Development, Grant Writing, Communication, Land Use, Economic Development, Facilitation, Leadership, Etc.
• Nine Graduate Credits: Each RARE AmeriCorps member will be eligible for 9 graduate credits from the University of Oregon’s Master of Community & Regional Planning, Master of Public Administration, or Master of Nonprofit Management program. (Other university programs may or may not accept the credits).
• In-state Tuition: If a member is moving to Oregon, after the successful completion of their service they are be eligible for in-state tuition.

Placements will be in various rural communities across Oregon. More information on current members. Serve rural for a better you and a greater us!

Term of service: September 2021 - July 2022
The deadline to apply is 5pm on Friday, April 23rd. 

Apply now!

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.