Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)

The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a paid federal youth employment program that lets teens ages 15 through 18 do hands-on conservation work at national parks and other public lands. YCC programs run at national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries across the country. Most programs last 8 to 10 weeks, and some run as long as 18 weeks. Members earn at least the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher, and usually work 40 hours a week. Projects can include building trails, repairing fences, cleaning up campgrounds, improving wildlife habitat, restoring streams, preserving historic buildings and place-based STEM work. Members also go on educational field trips. YCC is a local day program, and Yellowstone National Park is the only YCC site that houses members overnight.

Open to youth ages 15 through 18 who are permanent residents of the United States. Participants must live close enough to commute to their site every day and arrange their own transportation (except at Yellowstone). To apply, students choose a participating park near them and follow that park's contact information. The National Park Service says applications for the 2027 season will open in late January or early February, when it posts the new list of participating parks.