2027 Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps - Harrisburg Youth Crew

Student Conservation Association•Harrisburg, PA

23h•Onsite

About The Position

The Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), is seeking motivated, team-oriented high school students for the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps summer program in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Crew members work with a small peer team on hands-on trail, habitat, and facility projects on public lands in state parks and forests. Crews are supervised by two trained adult crew leaders or one solo leader. Members earn $17.31 per hour, build practical job skills, and participate in environmental education and team-building activities related to conservation, natural resource management, and outdoor recreation careers. The program runs June 28 through August 6, 2027, for six weeks. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break; July 5 is a standard workday. The stated schedule is 37.5 hours per week, and travel between the meeting location and worksites is included in the paid workday. Weekly hours are not guaranteed because severe or dangerous weather may result in an unpaid day off. Housing is not provided. Crews meet at a central location in Harrisburg and travel together to worksites in an SCA vehicle. SCA provides tools, crew work shirts, and required safety equipment. Members must provide sturdy, closed-toe work boots, long sturdy pants, weather-appropriate clothing, and a backpack or bag for personal items. The work is field-based, and schedules and projects may change on short notice. Members may encounter severe weather, poor air quality, heat and humidity, poisonous plants, tick- and mosquito-borne illness, snakes, and other wildlife. Applicants must be ages 15–18 at the start of the program, current Pennsylvania residents, available for the full program, live in or near the program city with reliable transportation to the daily meeting location, and complete onboarding and receive field approval before the program begins.

Requirements

Must be 15–18 years old at the start of the program.
Must be a current Pennsylvania resident.
Must be available for the full program, June 28–August 6, 2027.
Must live in or near Harrisburg and have reliable transportation to and from the daily crew meeting location.
Must complete all onboarding requirements and receive field approval from SCA staff before the program begins.
Must attend workdays on time and ready to work, with no more than three absences for the season.
Must work as part of a team, follow instructions, maintain a positive attitude and strong work ethic, and follow SCA safety policies and procedures.
Must have sturdy, closed-toe work boots, long sturdy pants, weather-appropriate clothing, and a backpack or bag for personal items.

Responsibilities

Work with a team to complete trail maintenance and construction, including water management, brushing, blazing, and reroutes.
Participate in habitat restoration, including invasive species identification and removal, data collection, and tree planting.
Perform facility maintenance, including painting, staining, and basic carpentry.
Help build projects such as picnic tables, stairs, and signs.
Perform fencing and boundary line maintenance.
Attend workdays on time and ready to work, with no more than three absences during the season.
Follow instructions from crew leaders and project partners, and follow all SCA safety policies and procedures.
Help maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming crew environment and adapt to changing routines, weather, and conditions.
Participate actively in environmental education sessions and team-building activities.
Help track project accomplishments and data, and complete end-of-program feedback surveys.