The San Juan Islands Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) provides conservation and stewardship programs for youth ages 12-18. Our cornerstone summer program runs for 8 weeks June-August, with a 10 -15 person crew led by 2 adult field guides per island on Orcas, Lopez, and San Juan Island. Year-round programs are held in partnership with Lopez Family Resource Center, Orcas School District, Wolf Hollow Rehabilitation Center, San Juan Preservation Trust, and San Juan County Land Bank. 

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Youth Conservation Corps Winter Program

The Youth Conservation Corps is launching a YCC Winter Program to empower young people to protect our island home. We're teaming up with local environmental organizations like Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, San Juan Preservation Trust, and San Juan County Conservation Land Bank to create a 10-day program for 10 passionate individuals aged 12-18.

From January to May 2025, crew members will dedicate two Saturdays a month to hands-on projects that enhance wildfire preparedness, restore forest health, and protect wildlife habitat. Beyond practical skills, our program fosters environmental education, teamwork, and a deep connection to our community.

Your support through the 2024 SJI Cares County Fair Program is crucial in making this program a reality. Your donation will fund essential elements like program coordination, participant stipends, tools, and safety equipment. Let's invest in our youth and create a brighter future for our islands together! Fundraiser begins at 12:01 on August 15 and ends on 11:59pm on August 18. More details here. 

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Youth Conservation Corps Summer Program

​Youth crew members will work closely with program staff, conservation professionals, and partner education programs on stewardship/restoration projects, inquiry-based experiential outdoor education, and professional development. In doing so, YCC members gain applied job skills and training that can help propel them into their future.​

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The program looks to provide a range of skills and knowledge for crew members that includes weekly educational themes during the summer program:

• Team building & anti-bullying (training week)

• Sense of place

• Localized food systems

• Land management ethics

• Marine ecosystems & nearshore environments

• Endangered species preservation

• Forest & fire ecology

• Art & environmentalism ​

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Daily activities can include: forest stand mapping, Traditional Ecological Knowledge of native plants, and wildfire risk reduction, wetland and riparian zone recovery, invasive weed removal, and trail building/brushing.

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What will students gain from YCC? 

Whether interested in the summer program, or one of our year-round offerings, YCC is an excellent resource for kids and families living in the San Juan Islands. The YCC is an opportunity for youth to not only spend time outdoors learning about local conservation and stewardship efforts, but actually improving wilderness areas across the islands. Our program is dedicated to establishing an ethic of care and stewardship among youth while also providing mentorship and professional development training from local environmental professionals.

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By the end of each season every crew develops a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing not only that they have grown and changed themselves, but that they have contributed in important ways to their community and to the environment. Students receive a financial stipend at the season to celebrate and thank them for their hard work.