ALASKA—Congratulations to Kiley Heth, Josh Orem and the Angoon Youth Conservation Corps—winners of the 2020 Volunteers & Service Award for cultural diversity. The award recognizes how Heth, Orem and the Angoon program ensured that the Forest Service includes Alaska Native youths in its stewardship mission.

Since 2017, Heth and Orem have spent summers serving as program coordinators for the Angoon Youth Conservation Corps. By immersing themselves in the small, remote Alaska Native community of Angoon, population 506, the pair put their leadership skills to good use and provided continuity for Alaskan Native high school youth to acquire summer employment, explore natural resources careers, practice wilderness stewardship ethics and learn about the value of teamwork.

Both coordinators have provided a strong foundation for the Angoon youth program. Their sustained engagement has resulted in stronger ties between the forest and the community of Angoon and supported conservation work opportunities for tribal youth.

"It was really rewarding to see youth push the boundaries of their comfort zones and learn to experience and enjoy the outdoors in the wilderness all around them," said Orem. "Kiley and I feel grateful and blessed to be given the opportunity to work with and feel a part of such an amazing community as Angoon, Alaska.”

The Angoon Youth Conservation Corps, now known as the Alaska Youth Stewards, employs six to eight students each summer, focusing on career development in natural resources. The program just kicked off the 2021 season with its first successful field trip.