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.
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!
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.
RARE AmeriCorps projects typically fall into three broad categories:
Community and Economic Development
Environmental and Sustainability Planning
Community Food Security/Food Systems
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.
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.
The Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program seeks to serve Oregon's rural communities through economic and community development and natural resource planning. Housed within the University of Oregon's Institute for Policy Research and Engagement, we aim to link the energy, expertise of our members with the planning and public policy needs of Oregon’s rural communities.
Our mission is to assist Oregon's resource-dependent rural communities while providing supported, applied experience to college graduates from across the U.S. RARE AmeriCorps members live in rural communities for eleven months and serve cities, counties, non-governmental organizations or state agencies to improve economic and environmental conditions in rural Oregon. The RARE AmeriCorps Program is now in its 26th year; over the years we have placed more than 550 volunteers and served every Oregon County.