The United States Youth Conservation Corps, part of the National Park Service, is a summer employment program for youth ages 15 to 18 that engages them in meaningful work experiences at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and fish hatcheries while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility. One role of the 4-H National Headquarters is to connect 4-H and positive youth development with various federal research, opportunities, and activities. To facilitate that work, they are actively involved with inter-agency working groups and White House initiatives.
Jasmine Rudd, a twelfth grader who attends Red Oak High School, was selected to participate in the Youth Conservation Corps during the summer of 2017. Rudd’s Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) extension agent in Dallas County, Cynthia Pierfax, encouraged her to apply after 4-H National Headquarters shared information with state extension programs about this all-expenses paid summer job. Rudd began exploring the field of agriculture when she attended an annual Career Awareness & Youth Leadership Laboratory (YLL) camp in 2015 on the campus of Prairie View A&M University. She shares her experience in the passage below:
I spent three weeks in Orleans, California doing an internship with MobilizeGreen this past summer. This internship was part of the Youth Conservation Corps, and I am so grateful for this experience because of the different things it taught me and for opening my eyes to a part of nature I would never had a chance to experience in my home town. Our supervisor, Kyle, also told us about the native tribes that lived there. We learned how they hunt and live and about their culture.
We learned a lot about conservation and trail working. A typical day at work was either clearing a trail or clearing something that was making it difficult to drive or walk through the community of Orleans. The blackberry bushes were growing rapidly, so we cut down and trimmed the bushes. Some parts were saved so they could be used to practice putting out fires.
I learned about teamwork because we had to work together as a team and communicate. When clearing trails and building fences, we all had to do our part for the team to complete our goal.
My favorite part about the internship was camping. I had to chance to swim in a river where the water was clear, and I also went kayaking and white water rafting. This was my first time seeing wildlife up close. I had a chance to see deer, snakes, a bear, and salmon. We built a fence to separate the camping site and wildlife so everyone could live peacefully.
It is a good opportunity for students going away to college because of the time separation. You get to see how it feels to be away from home. It also gave us everlasting friendships. Being with someone for three weeks creates a bond and you never want it to end. This was a well needed experience!
Ivanna Buendia, a 10th grader from Lopez High School, participated in the Youth Conservation Corps as well and was a 2016 YLL participant. Her internship was in Wisconsin. Buendia has been a 4-H member and club president for the past two years. She also received information about the opportunity from her CEP extension agent in Cameron County, Guadalupe Castro. Similar to Rudd, she realized the importance of teamwork and communication and describes it as one of the most exciting experiences in her life, indicating she can’t wait to apply again next year and learn new things.
When partners and agencies share information about internships and employment opportunities for youth and students, the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences posts announcements at http://www.pvamu.edu/cafnr/opportunities/. For more information about the United States Youth Conservation Corps visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/youthprograms/ycc.htm. To learn more about other opportunities identified by the Federal Inter-Agency Working Group on Youth Programs go to https://engage.youth.gov/opportunities.
Rukeia Draw-Hood, Ph.D. Jazmine Rudd, 4-H Participant
Program Leader (4-H)
(936) 261-5130
Hood@ag.tamu.edu