POSITION: Community Conservation Crew Leader – Portland Summer Youth Crews
DATES:
- Leader Training: June 1 – June 11, 2026
- Summer Session: June 15 – July 17 (Session 1)
- July 21 – August 21 (Session 2)
LOCATION: Portland, OR. Leaders will need to commute to the central meeting location each day and transport the crew to the daily project site. There is also a 10-day leader training in Eugene, OR, that involves camping. Project locations generally include city parks, public lands, and community gardens.
BENEFITS:
- $8,880 living stipend
- $1,956.35 AmeriCorps Education Award for college tuition or applicable student loans.
- Gain industry-sought technical skills, certifications, experience, and references to open career pathways
- Network with local conservation nonprofits and land management agency personnel
POSITION OVERVIEW
- Connect people with nature
- Impact the lives of young people
- Teach job skills and education lessons
- Accomplish meaningful service projects
Crew Leaders lead, manage, and support crews of up to 8 youth ages 15-18 with one co-leader. Crews include approximately 8 youth members and 2 leaders. Youth members are local high school students from a variety of backgrounds who join a crew to build job skills and improve their local environments.
As a leader, you will be responsible for ensuring the physical and emotional welfare of your crew. The summer season is broken into two five-week sessions, so leaders will oversee two separate groups over their term of service. Crews work Monday through Friday and meet each morning at a central location in their community. You’ll work together on hands-on, conservation-oriented projects on federal, state, and private lands, and facilitate short daily lessons with our accredited outdoor education curriculum.
This is hard work. Projects are physically challenging; you’ll train your crew to safely use hand tools to maintain trails, cut down invasive plants, and restore parks and community gardens. Many youth crew members are new to the work environment, and you and your co-lead will be responsible for teaching them appropriate job skills, behavior, and language. The youth you work with will challenge you to be the best leader you can be, and you’ll watch them grow as a team during the summer of a lifetime.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- At least 20 years old
- CPR certification, or willingness to obtain prior to employment start date
- Current Driver’s License and willingness and ability to frequently drive an NYC vehicle, transporting the crew and equipment
- Must pass a criminal background check and have an acceptable driving record for the past three years
- Recreational/professional outdoor experience, accustomed to living for periods of time without modern conveniences
- Prior experience working with youth/teens
- Experience/desire in working with populations of wide backgrounds
- Excellent organization, time management, punctuality, judgment, and communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively and thrive in a team setting
- Spirit of adventure and desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others and the environment
- Experience/desire in working with populations of broad backgrounds
- Support the continued growth and delivery of Inclusion and Belonging initiatives and seek to remove barriers to participation in outdoor programs for underrepresented populations
PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Physical Condition: Applicants in good physical condition, capable of working long hours on strenuous, labor-intensive projects are preferred as NYC’s work projects often require heavy lifting, constant bending, digging, and long hikes to and from the worksite.
- Work Environment: This position will work outside in all types of weather conditions and environments, including but not limited to high elevations, remote areas, cold, rain, snow, heat, humidity, wind, etc. The noise level in the environment is quiet to loud. PPE is provided, and use is required.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions of the position.
TO APPLY: Full job description and application can be found here: https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobs/1281300. For questions, contact Araya Jensen, Field Risk Manager: arayaj@nwyouthcorps.org.
Northwest Youth Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
