Youth Conservation Corps

Discovering National Parks of Boston

“My favorite week was when we took the campers to Spectacle Island. It makes me remember when groups became the closest and YCCs began leading more.” - Hazel, 2024 YCC

Where: Boston, MA – Charlestown Navy Yard

When: June – August

Age: 15-18 years old

Eligibility: US citizen, national, or permanent resident. Must live locally.

Interest Areas: Nature, recreation, outdoors, urban parks, working with children, teamwork

Earn: $16.00/hour

Application: Rolling acceptance through May 2^nd, 2025 at 11:59PM

Questions? E-mail applications and questions to Jen Steele at jennifer_steele@nps.gov.

A Summer Like No Other

Over the course of 5 weeks YCC’s work as a team alongside park staff to co-facilitate camp experiences for youth serving organizations. We will be hosting various Greater Boston YMCAs to lead field trip experiences at the National Parks of Boston.

Sites visited:

• Charlestown Navy Yard
• Black Heritage Trail
• George’s Island
• Peddock’s Island
• Spectacle Island

YCC employees are expected to be eager to work with youth (ages 7 – 12), be a positive, contributing team member, and open to learning or participating in a variety of topics.

In addition to facilitating activities for young campers, YCCs will participate in professional development trainings and experiences relating to public land management.

Program Expectations

• Lead games and activities for young campers relevant to park sites.
• Uphold safety standards for all program participants.
• Be an active participant in group discussions to strengthen future engagement
• Prepare and maintain program equipment.
• Foster appropriate and respectful relationships with colleagues, YMCA campers, and staff.
• Wear program t-shirt and appropriate clothing for working with youth outdoors.
• Communicate with supervisors responsibly.
• Participate in trainings relevant to job expectations – CPR/First Aid, working with young children, and various career development sessions.

Requirements

• Be 15 years old before or on the first day of work and not reach 19 years old during the program duration
• Housing within the local area is not provided or available. YCCs must be local and able to commute to and from work.
• Be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Reporting for Work, Schedule, Salary, and Leave

• The program will meet everyday in the Charlestown Navy Yard – 21 Second Avenue Boston, MA 02129
• A typical workday is 9AM – 4PM.
• YCC pay is $16/hour
• The program will be full time (Monday – Friday):
  • Wednesday June 25th – Friday, August 15th
• Transportation for programming throughout the day will be provided by NPS.
• Although YCCs do not acquire paid leave exceptions for unpaid leave can be used for illnesses, religious holidays, etc.

Recruitment Process

If interested in joining this summer’s Hill to Harbor YCC program, download the YCC application form. To apply, e-mail the completed form to Jen Steele at jennifer_steele@nps.gov.

Apply by Friday, May 2^nd to be considered for the 2025 Youth Conservation Corps with the National Parks of Boston.

• We will host group interviews with no more than 5 applicants per group.
• If selected, the paperwork process will begin immediately to ensure onboarding in a timely manner.

If you have any additional questions about the program or application process, do not hesitate to reach out to us directly by e-mailing us.

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If you do not live in the Boston or Great Boston area, there are numerous Youth Conservation Corps opportunities across the country. To find a YCC program near you, check out Youth Conservation Corps Opportunities.