Youth Conservation Corps Intern

Are you a high school student interested in learning about the environment?

Do you want to earn money and have fun while learning, meeting new people, and challenging yourself?

Then look no further, this is the internship opportunity for YOU!

About the Role: King County Parks Youth Conservation Corps (kcpyouthcorps.org) is offering 24 incredible paid student internship opportunities for high school students to gain hands-on experience in environmental leadership, restoration practices, and completing group and individual projects. This is a six-week program that runs from Tuesday, July 8 -Thursday, August 15, 2024. Interns work 22 hours per week. 

Who should apply? We are looking for high school aged youth from King County interested in learning about parks and the environment to join the Youth Conservations Corps (YCC). No previous experience in conservation or environmental topics is required. We welcome teens of all identities to apply; the lived experiences, perspectives, and expertise of Black, Indigenous, and youth of color are especially essential to the success of this work. People identifying as LGBTQ and people living with disabilities are also encouraged to apply.

About the Team: The King County Parks Volunteer Program works to provide meaningful opportunities to connect people of all ages to our parks through hands-on service learning, environmental education opportunities and teen career pathway development programming. The Volunteer Program is interconnected throughout DNRP and views their work as collaborative, taking an intersectional approach to environmental work.

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice: King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a YCC Intern you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.What You Will Be Doing:

This program is not your typical Youth Conservation Corps. Though restoration projects in Parks are a focus of the program, more than half of the internship experience involves workshops on different environmental topics and independent project work. Below is a percentage breakdown of a typical week as a YCC intern:

• 30% Educational field trips to places like the Woodland Park Zoo and the Renton Wastewater Treatment Facility.
• 30% Workshops/speakers on topics such as cultural resource management, botanical drawing, and urban heat.
• 20% Hands-on restoration work in local urban parks.
• 20% Independent work on individual creative project related to overall program themes.

Throughout the program, interns can expect to:

• Build skills related to ecological restoration and plant identification.
• Participate in workshop about local environmental challenges.
• Explore solutions to problems impacting human and environmental health.
• Develop and build-upon career skills such as writing, publics peaking, and interviewing.
• Complete creative independent project.

Qualifications You Bring:

• Must be at least 15 when program begins and a rising 10th, 11th or 12th grade student in King County.
• Reside in King County.
• Have an interest in learning about Parks and/or the environment.
• Able to attend entire 6-week internship program (Tuesday, July 8 - Thursday, August 14, 2025).
• Open-minded, inclusive, and enjoys working on a team.
• Ability to work outdoors on uneven terrain with or without accommodation.

Competencies You Bring:

• Action Oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with high energy and enthusiasm.
• Ensures Accountability: Holds self-accountable to meet commitments.
• Collaborates: Works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relates openly with diverse groups of people.
• Self-Development: Actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged.
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness: Uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.

Working Conditions:

• Work Location: We offer two program locations. Please indicate your preference in the supplemental questions:
  1. TAF Bethaday Community Learning Space, 605 SW 108th St, Seattle, WA 98146.
  2. Westhill Community Center (WHCC), 12320 80th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98178
• Transportation: Interns will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the program location each day. Interns will travel together in a 15-person passenger van to various project sites and for weekly field trips.
• Work Schedule: Work hours are Monday-Thursday each week as follows:
  1. Monday: 9am - 4pm meet at Bethaday or WHCC
  2. Tuesday: 9am - 4pm meet at Bethaday or WHCC. 
  3. Wednesday: 9am - 2pm meet at Bethday or WHCC 
  4. Thursday:9 am - 12 pm meet virtually from personal computer; All Thursdays throughout the program will be virtual except for the final Thursday on August 14. This day will be an end-of-program celebration. Interns should plan to be in-person from 9 am -4 pm.

Application and Selection Process: Application materials will be screened for clarity and completeness. A cover letter and resume are NOT REQUIRED for this application. Please be sure to complete the required supplemental questions to tell us why you are interested in the Youth Conservation Corps and what you hope to gain from this experience. The most competitive candidates will be invited to participate in a panel interview.

• Applications due by April 30, 2025.
• All applicants can expect to hear if they were selected for an interview by Friday, May 9, 2025.
• Interviews will be scheduled the week of May 12, 2025. Interviews will be over Zoom after school. 
• Those accepted into the YCC should plan to attend our orientation in June. This is an opportunity to meet your cohort, complete required paperwork, and ask any question you may have.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: SaharArbabatsarbab@kingcounty.govor206-276-5773

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ , people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Salary : $20 - $26