Youth Conservation Corps

The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is an opportunity for youths from all segments of society to spend the summer working, learning, and earning together by doing projects on public land.

The YCC performs needed conservation work on public lands; provides gainful employment for young people from all social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds; and fosters and develops an understanding and appreciation of our nation's natural, historical, and cultural heritage for participating youths.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 15 and 18, and must not reach their 19th birthday before the program end date. The program runs from June through August of each year.

Applications are accepted during the recruitment periods of March to April of each year. Applications can be obtained from most school guidance offices and at the Gulf Islands National Seashore Headquarters at 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, Florida. For information, please visit our contact us page.

2024 Season

The application period is open for the 2024 YCC Season. Please complete the application and e-mail it to the YCC coordinator at [e-mail] by April 5, 2024. Participants in the program will be randomly chosen.

The 2024 YCC Program at Gulf Islands is eight weeks long (June 3 - July 26, 2024), and members are paid $15/hour for a 40-hour work week.

Participants must live within the local commuting area; no housing is provided. There will be a YCC crew in the Florida district (Gulf Breeze, Florida) and in the Mississippi district (Ocean Springs, Mississippi).

Participants must be 15 to 18 years of age, permanent residents of the United States, and have no history of serious criminal or other antisocial behavior that might endanger their safety or that of others.

Participants will gain valuable work and leadership experience in addition to making a difference at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Projects will be manual labor-focused, interacting with various park teams and disciplines.

 

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NPS Youth Conservation Corps