Complete conservation projects by day, return home after. Play a vital role in improving your local community and the environment!
Youth Community Program is a non-residential, day program for 15 to 18 year olds. With experienced field staff guiding them, participants complete service projects in their own community each day and return home after. Crews meet at a designated site for drop-off/pick-up, Monday through Friday. Members spend an average of 6.5 hours per day working and one hour participating in an educational lesson, from which they earn a stipend and potential high school credit.
Participants learn new skills, challenge themselves, make new friends, and better their communities!
Join the Youth Community Program
Spend five weeks working on conservation projects such as tree planting, fuels reduction, invasive plant removal, trail construction, and fencing. Play a vital role in improving your own local community and the environment.
- For Ages 15-18
- 5 week Duration
- Earn up to $2,600
job skills focus
Position Overview
Community crews meet at a designated site every morning. Members work an average of 6.5-7 hours a day depending on travel time. Crews work on local conservation service-projects under the supervision of trained team leaders. Crews then return to the same meeting place at the end of the work day. Participants gain real world experience while enhancing their community’s natural environment.
Through a focus on local projects, members will become more connected and invested with the area in which they live and can take pride in the benefits they create for their neighborhood.
Portland Community crews complete outdoor conservation projects for five weeks in the Portland area. Experienced field staff provide training and education on conservation projects such as tree planting, fuels reduction, invasive plant removal, trail construction, and fencing. You join a close-knit team of 8-9 crew members and two crew leaders, committed to play a vital role in improving our public lands and the environment.
Sound to Summit crews are comprised of youth (15-18) and two adult leaders. crews work for five weeks in total. The first four weeks follow our traditional Youth Community crew format, where crews work with the local city and county parks departments completing a variety of local community conservation projects. The crews’ fifth week will take them to a nearby National Park to complete conservation projects, recreate, and learn about natural resources and the outdoors.
Urban and Community Forestry crews work in neighborhoods to plant new trees, care for existing ones, and remove invasive species that threaten healthy landscapes. Crews also maintain trees in areas designed to manage rainwater runoff, called bioswales, which help prevent flooding and protect water quality. Through this hands-on work, members support greener, healthier, and more resilient communities.
Learn more about Urban & community forestry crews
Community Programs are provided each year only in certain communities in the northwest and youth must reside in these locations.
This is tough work. We work in all weather and our projects are hands-on. We value community, connection with others, and mutual support. All training is provided, and you do not need prior experience to apply. If you don’t have much experience outdoors, but are interested in learning and willing to give it your all, come join us!
Tuition and Benefits
Benefits:
The base stipend is $480 per week for participation, plus a possible $40 per week in bonuses.
Program Costs:
Youth Community programs have a tuition of $200. Tuition assistance is available to help cover most of these costs. Tuition Assistance is awarded based on need and we are determined to not make tuition a barrier for our programs, please contact us with any questions.
Participants leaving the program before the graduation date or missing days will receive a prorated stipend, calculated to the nearest full day of work, and may forfeit all bonuses.
Requesting School Credit
School Credit requests can only be processed after completion of a program.
NYC programs help you learn by doing. Each program follows a carefully developed curriculum with segments on ecology, resource management, work experience, job skills, leadership and life skills. You will learn a lot. However, you will need to talk to the counselor at your school about earning credit for this experience; only your school can make this decision.
To request school credit information be sent to your counselor please email info@nwyouthcorps.org with the following information:
1.) Name of participant
2.) Name of school counselor
3.) Name of school
4.) A way we can send information to your counselor :
-mailing address
– email address
or – fax number
2026 Dates
Oregon Crews:
Urban & Community Forestry:
Session 1: June 15-July 17, 2026
Session 2: July 21-August 21, 2026
Portland Community:
Session 1: June 15-July 17, 2026
Session 2: July 21-August 21, 2026
Idaho Crews:
Urban & Community Forestry:
Session 1: June 1-July 2, 2026
Session 2: July 7-August 7, 2026
Washington Crews:
Urban & Community Forestry:
Session 1: June 15-July 17, 2026
Session 2: July 21-August 21, 2026
Sound to Summit:
Session 1: June 15-July 17, 2026
Session 2: July 21-August 21, 2026
*Please note that these dates are subject to change.