Youth Conservation Corps

Get Outside • Get Connected • Get Involved

What is YCC?

The U.S. Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a summer youth employment program for teenagers, interested in l 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.

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

Eligibility requirements

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 US citizen or permanent resident of the United States, its territories, or its possessions
Provide or be able to obtain a work permit as required under the laws of the applicant’s home state
Provide a valid U.S. Social Security number or have applied for a valid Social Security number
Be able to fulfill the essential functions of the assigned work with or without a reasonable accommodation (reasonable accommodations will need to be requested to the USFS staff or partner contact after hiring)
Ideal candidates will be actively committed, come eager to learn and gain natural resource workforce skills, and willing to work outdoors and complete the assigned work projects for the full length of the summer program

How to Apply?

Eligible applicants should follow the instructions on the YCC application found below for completing and contact the nearest forest office for submitting in person, mail, or email. Applications will generally be accepted by March 1 for direct hire by forest positions and up to April 15 for partner offered positions. To find your nearest office or for more information use the following link: discovertheforest.org

It is recommended to phone the forest office to determine whether they are hosting YCC positions this year, if they are direct hire or partner positions, and if the office is open to hand deliver application.

A local Forest Service staff member or partner representative will contact applicants by phone or email after reviewing all applications. This will generally happen by March 15 for forest positions and with partner positions as late as May 15.

Application and Fact Sheet

Youth Conservation Corps Application

Current YCC Opportunities

Note: the list of YCC opportunities below are from 2021. A list with 2022 opportunities will be available Spring 2022.

View current YCC opportunities by forest, city or state.