Youth Conservation Corps

Denali National Park and Preserve offers unique summer employment opportunities to teenagers.

This program is open to all applicants ages 15 through 18. In order to participate in the program, applicants must have the consent of a parent or guardian.

YCCers will be paid a special remote park Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) wage of $13.09 per hour and will work for 8 weeks beginning on or about June 6, 2022 and ending on or about July 29, 2022. In 2022 the park will fill as many as six YCC positions, as described below.

View the 2022 YCC Announcement

2022 Position Descriptions

 

Do You Enjoy Working Outdoors?

Trails Department

3 or 4 positions

This position works for the Trails crew of Denali National Park and Preserve. Work is performed outdoors in all weather conditions and is physically challenging. Duties may include hiking as many as 8 miles per day with a 20-pound backpack, trail brushing, clearing drains, repairing trail tread, hauling materials, transplanting native vegetation, digging, installing signs, and collecting data. Tool use may include shovels, picks, sledges, rakes, wheelbarrows, and hand tools. This position may include light custodial work. YCCers are responsible for actively participating in safety trainings, adhering to safety policies, and wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required.

• Position Requirements: by June 6, 2022, must be at least 16 years old (to work 10-hour days). Must be younger than 19 years old for the entire time between June 6, 2022 and July 29, 2022.
• Work Schedule: 10-hour days, 4 days per week (Monday - Thursday), for a total of 40 hours per week.

 

Do you enjoy sharing Denali National Park and Preserve with others?

Interpretation Division: Denali Visitor Center (DVC)

1 position

This position requires a willingness to be outgoing and comfortable talking with people (individuals and groups), and having a positive outlook on customer service. Duties include: staff the Denali Visitor Center front desk and provide quality customer service and orientation to park visitors including answering trip planning questions, sharing safety information, and working with Junior Rangers. Rove the Denali Visitor Center Campus, Riley Creek Campground, and front country trails to greet visitors, answer questions, share safety information, and provide informal interpretation. Staff a “touch table” based on natural or cultural history topics, for example, a focus on moose or animal tracks and scat, and talk with visitors about park resources. Research and develop a short talk (as long as 10 minutes) to deliver to visitors at the Denali Visitor Center or at picnic tables at the Savage River. Assist with projects as assigned and shadow park staff in a variety of disciplines.

• Position Requirements: must be at least 15 years old and younger than 19 years old for the entire time between June 6, 2022 and July 29, 2022.

• Work Schedule: per each two-week pay period, eight, 9-hour days and one, 8-hour day; can be flexible, but 9 days every two weeks.

 

Do You Enjoy Working with Dogs?

Kennels:

1 position

Youth Conservation Corps selectee assists with the following duties:
• all aspects of the care, feeding, exercise, and training of 30-plus active Alaskan huskies weighing between 60 and 90 pounds
• all aspects of dog yard, pen, and equipment maintenance and repairs as needed
• informal interpretation and safety in the dog yard before, after, and between demonstrations for the visiting public
• delivery of formal interpretive programs and dog sled demonstrations, including handling and harnessing dogs for the run. (YCCers do not drive the summer demo cart.)
• raising and training any puppies born during the work season

This position requires extensive physical labor outdoors in all weather conditions. Applicants must be comfortable working with large, energetic sled dogs, talking with visitors, and performing physical tasks.

• Position Requirements: must be at least 15 years old and younger than 19 years old for the entire time between June 6, 2022 and July 29, 2022.

• Work Schedule: 8 hours, Monday through Friday

 

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How to Apply

Enrollee Eligibility

• Be at least 15 years of age by June 6, 2022 and not reach 19 years of age during employment as a YCCer
• Be a permanent resident of the continental United States, its territories, possessions, or trust territories
• Possess a Social Security card and have a work permit before the first working day of the YCC program; the park will process the work permit
• Have housing; park housing is not available

• Have transportation to and from the work site

COVID-19 Vaccine – To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Application

Application forms are available by emailing the Denali National Park and Preserve Human Resources Office and from all high school guidance offices in the Denali Borough School District. The application is also available online.

Important: In the essay question portion of your application, please rate, 1 to 3 (with 1 your top choice), your preferences among the three park areas offering YCC positions for summer 2022: Trails, Interpretation, and Kennels. The park will make selections based on applicants’ desired position priority list and input from school staff. We hope to be able to match applicants with the work experience they desire. If two applicants are equally matched for a position, the park will use a random drawing method to make the selection. The park will give preference to local applicants; first preference will go to local applicants who have not yet participated in YCC, and second preference will go to local applicants who previously have participated in YCC. Applicants who are not local will then be considered.

Please return your application via e-mail or regular mail (no applications will be accepted in person) to:

denali_applications at nps.gov (please note, this is a new email address for applications)

or:

Krista Johnson, Human Resources Office
National Park Service--YCC
P. O. Box 126
Denali Park, AK 99755

Applications must be received via e-mail by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 4, 2022 or postmarked by Friday, March 4, 2022. In order for the applicant to be considered for positions, mailed applications must be received by Friday, March 11, 2022. Applicants may be contacted by selecting officials after March 16, 2022.

Individuals selected for participation in the program must have a Social Security number. Social Security card applications are available from the Social Security Office located at 101 12th Ave., Fairbanks, and should be filed as soon as possible to allow time for processing.

For more information about how to apply, please contact Denali YCC Coordinator Krista Johnson at Denali National Park and Preserve Human Resources.