Youth Conservation Corps

 

Make new connections alongside your YCC co-workers and Kenai Fjords National Park.

NPS Photo/ J. Rodrigues

Kenai Fjords National Park Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) offers unique summer employment opportunities to teens. This program is open to applicants ages 15 through 18. These positions are designed to give students the background they need to pursue a variety of jobs in the future. It is a great way to learn new skills and begin building a resume. Participants are encouraged to apply for uniformed positions in the park following their YCC year.

Applicants must have parental consent to participate in the program. Enrollees will be paid a wage of $15.00/hour (Interpretation and Resource Management) or $19.00/hour (Maintenance) and will work for 10-12 weeks beginning in late May and ending in early August. Housing is not provided.

Positions exist in Interpretation, Resource Management, and Maintenance as described below.

Applications for YCC 2025 are now CLOSED.

Application info and eligibility can be found at the bottom of the page.

 

Help visitors discover what makes Kenai Fjords special with the Interpretation and Education Division.

NPS Photo/ K. Troutman

Are You Excited to Share Your Beautiful National Park With Others?

Interpretation Division (2-3 positions, $15/hr):

These positions staff the Kenai Fjords Visitor Center and Exit Glacier Nature Center front desk and provide quality customer service to park visitors. Work includes answering trip planning questions, sharing safety tips, and working with Junior Rangers. Walking around the Exit Glacier area trails to greet visitors, answer questions, share safety tips, and provide informal interpretation. Staffing a “touch table” and talk with visitors about park resources (topic and props may be based on employee’s interests). In additions, YCCs may assist with projects as assigned and shadow park staff in a variety of disciplines.

• Position Requirement: must be 15 years old by start of the program.

• Work Schedule: eight, 8-hour days every two weeks.

 

Get up close and personal with your local park as you tackle invasive plants with the Resource Management Division.

NPS Photo/ E. Anger

Are You Excited Work Outdoors and Take Care of Your National Park?

Invasive Plant Management Team (2 positions, $15/hr):

These positions include a range of duties as part of the invasive plant management team. Work is performed outdoors in all weather conditions. Duties include hiking on and off trail, collecting native seeds, assisting with GPS mapping efforts, and hand pulling invasive plants, while learning about various natural resources. YCCs will be required to complete some outdoor safety training, should have sturdy hiking boots, experience hiking over rough terrain, and the ability to follow technical instructions.

• Position Requirement: must be 15 years old by start of the program.

• Work Schedule: eight, 8-hour days every 2 weeks.

 

Get a head start in the trades learning a wide range of new skills

NPS Photo

Are You Excited About Hands-On Trades Work?

Maintenance and Trails (1 position, $19/hr)

These positions include a wide range of duties working with the Building and Utilities (B&U) Department or the Trails crew. Work is often performed outdoors in all weather conditions and can be physically challenging. Trails duties may include hiking as many as 8 miles per day, wearing a backpack and lifting heavy loads, trail brushing, clearing drains, repairing trail tread, hauling materials, transplanting native vegetation, digging, installing signs, and collecting data. Tools used may include shovels, picks, sledges, rakes, wheelbarrows, and hand tools. B&U work may include light maintenance and landscaping of park grounds, cleaning buildings and yards, and assisting maintenance and trades workers as assigned. YCCers are responsible for actively participating in safety trainings, adhering to safety policies, and wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required.

• Position Requirements: must be 17 or 18 years old by start of the program. Must be 18 years old to work with power tools. Cannot turn 19 before end of program.

• Work Schedule: eight, 9-hour days and one, 8-hour day every two weeks.

 

How to Apply

Applications for YCC 2025 are now CLOSED.

When open, applications will be available:

• To download

• From Seward High School

• From the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in the Small Boat Harbor (9am - 4pm Monday - Friday). Ring the doorbell at the entrance and someone will come down to give you one.

Complete applications must include the Program Interest Ranking and United States Youth Conservation Corps Application Form (Form DI-4014). Once filled out, applications can be turned in by:

• E-mailing to [e-mail]

• Turning into Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in the Small Boat Harbor

For more information about the YCC program please contact the Youth Coordinator, Joe Rodrigues, by email or phone, [phone].

Enrollee Eligibility

Young persons, 15 through 18 years of age, who are permanent residents of the United States, its territories or possessions, are eligible for employment without regard to social, economic, racial, or ethnic backgrounds.

To be eligible youth must:

• Be at least 15 years of age before the start of the program and not have reached 19 years of age during employment as a YCC enrollee.

• Be permanent residents of the 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, because park housing is not available.

 

More Opportunities at Kenai Fjords