Northwest Youth Corps offers a challenging education and job-training experience that helps youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds develop the skills they need to lead full and productive lives.
Since 1984, Northwest Youth Corps and Idaho Conservation Corps have been providing opportunities for youth and young adults to learn, grow, and experience success. Our programs focus on education, challenge, community, leadership, and empowerment, and typically include epic outdoor experiences in some of the most wild and scenic places on Earth.
Our programs include residential conservation crews for both youth and young adults, local community crews, community wildfire protection crews, an internship program for college aged participants, and a fully accredited high school.
Since 1984, Northwest Youth Corps and Idaho Conservation Corps have been providing opportunities for youth and young adults to learn, grow, and experience success. Our programs focus on education, challenge, community, leadership, and empowerment, and typically include epic outdoor experiences in some of the most wild and scenic places on Earth.
Our programs include residential conservation crews for both youth and young adults, local community crews, community wildfire protection crews, an internship program for college aged participants, and a fully accredited high school.
Our programs are designed to help you gain the fundamental job skills, experience, and work ethic needed to reach any career goal – be it teacher, doctor, or wilderness ranger. Our programs have something to offer both a teenager looking for their first summer work experience and a recent college grad needing specific certifications to land their dream job. No matter the path you are on, we can help you reach your goals!
It is important to know that the work you do matters! We partner with land management agencies and like-minded non-profits across the west to complete high priority conservation projects designed to improve the lands and communities we serve. Typical projects include trail building, fuels reduction, habitat enhancement, stream restoration, and a host of other activities our interns perform, like monitoring bats in Idaho caves!
Complete conservation projects by day, return home after. Play a vital role in improving your local community and the environment!
With experienced field staff guiding you, Youth Community participants complete service projects in their community with local park agencies and non-profit partners. Crews meet at a designated drop-off/pick-up site, Monday through Friday. Members spend an average of 6.5 hours per day on service-projects along with one hour per day participating in education lessons.
Benefits: Earn a weekly stipend and bonuses plus potential school credit
Immerse yourself in the wilds of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Play a vital role in improving public lands and the environment.
The residential Youth Camping program combines education and job skills training with outdoor adventure for 16 to 18 year olds. With the guidance of experienced field staff, youth crew members work on conservation, reforestation, and recreation projects, while developing leadership and teamwork skills. Crews camp for their entire session, traveling to new projects often and pursuing outdoor adventures on the weekends.
Benefits: Earn a weekly stipend and bonuses plus potential school credit
Backcountry Leadership Program (BLP) provides additional leadership skills and training for those who excelled in a previous youth camping session. BLP’ers hike deep into secluded wilderness areas and work on intense, challenging, and technical projects, while practicing skills like goal setting, time management, positive motivation, and group leadership.
Benefits: Earn a weekly stipend and bonuses plus potential school credit
Gain certifications and work experience needed to open career pathways towards your dream job. Play a vital role in improving our public lands and the environment.
Our young adult program is designed to provide hands-on training and experience to those interested in conservation corps, land and water resource management agencies, and other outdoor careers. The program integrates team-based work projects, education, and on-site vocational training into an experience that prioritizes personal growth, and the development of conservation work skills. Participants develop technical skills working on a variety of conservation projects while developing the soft skills needed to be successful in any career field.
Benefits: Earn a stipend and AmeriCorps education award
Help build resilient communities in the face of wildfire. Play a vital role in improving Oregon communities and the environment. Engage in fuels reduction, enhance natural habitats, remove invasive species, and develop valuable work and outdoor skills.
Through a focus on local projects, participants become connected and invested with the area they serve. Crews operate in partnership with fire professionals to complete high-priority projects that reduce the threat of wildfires on communities. An advanced educational curriculum accompanies the experience, with lessons ranging from group dynamics and environmental policy to stewardship and resource management.
Benefits: Earn a stipend and AmeriCorps education award
The Leadership Development Program (LDP) offers advanced training to aspiring outdoor enthusiasts interested in pursuing leadership roles with conservation and outdoor organizations.
Participants develop hard skills working on technical conservation projects while developing the soft skills required to successfully lead groups in the outdoors.
Benefits: Earn a stipend and AmeriCorps education award
Our Internship Program provides training and hands-on experience with land and water resource management agencies, such as the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state organizations and non-profits, in Idaho, Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
Benefits: stipend and benefits vary based on position
Our field staff perform many roles and are the key to our program’s success. They understand that being a leader is much more than being a boss. They have the drive, commitment, and mental toughness to carry them through the unexpected challenges that arise at the most inopportune of times: a remote location with bad weather, in the middle of trying to complete a mile of new trail, finish a bridge, or eradicate an invasivespecies. The position is multi-faceted and demanding, but makes an ideal setting for testing yourself and your leadership skills.
Benefits: compensation varies based on position
At Northwest Youth Corps, we believe diversity is an essential source of strength for our communities, and we strive to create a safe and empowering environment for all participants and staff from the widest range of backgrounds and abilities. While we are privileged to facilitate conservation service on our public lands, with humility, we also acknowledge that injustice and violence was at the heart of acquiring these lands. Therefore, we are deeply invested in addressing this traumatic legacy by supporting youth and young adults of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, religions, sexual orientations, economic status, and/or other socio-cultural identifiers to learn, grow, and experience success in our programs, and beyond. A key element of our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is fielding single-identity affinity crews and internships to support communities historically under-served in the outdoor space.
[banner image above: 2023 ASL Inclusion Crew serving at Mount Rainier National Park] “I have gained so much from this experience: lifelong friends, a passion for the
Oregon: Our Blue crew spent the first four weeks of their five month term they were at Crater Lake National Park, where they cleared 13.25
In partnership with the Olympic National Forest, our summer Youth Camping Washington Orange Crew completed a number projects from August 14-18th, 2023. Some of the
Oregon: Our Youth Camping Crew 7, Red Crew 1 spent their first three weeks in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest before heading out to central
With your support we can better equip young people with the skills needed to live full and productive lives.
