Individual Placement - Museum and Visitor Center Participant

Position Summary 

The Steamboat Bertrand Museum collection, housed in the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge visitor center, consists primarily of over 250,000 artifacts recovered from the wreck of the Steamboat Bertrand, which sank in the Missouri River in 1865. The Steamboat Bertrand was excavated in the late 1960s. The member will assist refuge staff and volunteers in all aspects of Steamboat Bertrand Museum and DeSoto Visitor Center operations. The work schedule will be 40 hours per week, including at least one weekend day.

 

Location 

Missouri Valley, IA

 

Schedule 

May 11, 2026 - August 21, 2026

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

• Entering cataloging data into the museum collection database, including object measurements, descriptions, photographs, and other missing information
• Digitizing slides and paper museum records
• Assisting staff with Integrated Pest Management and environmental monitoring in museum storage and office spaces
• Working with staff and volunteers to rehouse textile objects using approved archival materials
• Rotating objects from storage to exhibit and vice versa, and preparing interpretive text for newly exhibited items
• Developing plans for improved outreach to local civic and business organizations, as well as those in the Greater Omaha Metro area
• Assisting with museum social media outreach
• Performing museum housekeeping in the storage area
• Leading/assisting with tours and educational visits to the refuge and Bertrand Museum
• Assist with transitions to the new cataloging software system.

 

Marginal Duties 

• Staffing the visitor center desk
• Assisting with other visitor center operations as needed.

 

Required Qualifications 

• High school diploma or greater
• Driver's license and ability to get to the jobsite at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge just 30 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska

Preferred Qualifications 

• Some college preferred especially with classes in history, anthropology or archaeology
• Some experience working with museum collections or archives
• Some work with relational databases

This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

 

Hours 

40 per week

 

Living Accommodations 

Low cost housing on the refuge may be an option, but likely the member would have to find private accommodations in Missouri Valley, Iowa, or Blair, Nebraska, or Omaha, Nebraska

 

Compensation  

• Living allowance of $800/week
• Relocation travel allowance of $1,100 (paid once)

All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes. 

 

Personal Vehicle Information

• Required

 

Additional Benefits 

• AmeriCorps: Not Eligible

 

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.