Parents & Teachers

What is YCC?

The U.S. Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a summer youth employment program for teenagers interested in work experiences on national forests and parks, wildlife refuges, and fish hatcheries. Youth work on projects designed to develop an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility such as: building and repairing trails, preserving and repairing historic buildings, removing invasive species, helping with wildlife and land research, and leading environmental education.

More information about the YCC is available here.

Summer Job Opportunities 

Summer job opportunities are available each summer through the YCC on the Ouachita National Forest. Beginning in January, you may contact the Supervisor's Office at (501) 321-5202 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, to determine which districts are hosting YCC crews for the summer. Local school counselors are also notified and asked to share the opportunity with eligible students. Applications are generally accepted through mid-March. Selected applicants are usually notified by mid-April. All selected applicants and their parents or guardians will be required to attend a meeting at the District Office.

Eligibility 

Applicants must:

• Be at least 15 years of age at the start of enrollment and must not reach age 19 before completion of the program
• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be able to obtain parental or legal guardian consent to participate
• Be able and willing to work outdoors in all types of weather and terrain
• Be able to obligate to the program for 8 weeks
• Be able to provide and wear leather boots, long sleeve shirts, and blue jeans unless otherwise instructed - All other safety equipment will be provided

Typical YCC Projects

• Watershed restoration work
• Fish pond sampling
• Stream monitoring
• Recreation area and trail maintenance requiring the use of hand tools, lawnmowers and weedeaters
• Additional experience opportunities may arise

YCC Structure

• Crew based
• 3 to 10 weeks in duration
• 8-hour workday, 40-hour work week
• Earn Federal minimum wage or the state minimum wage, if higher
• Local jobs mostly; residential programs available at select Forest Service units
• 20% of work week focused on educational, career exploration and service-learning activities