2027 Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps - Ridgway Youth Crew

Student Conservation Association • Ridgway, PA

20h • Onsite

About The Position

The Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), is recruiting motivated, team-oriented high school students for the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps summer program. Crew members work with peers on hands-on trail, habitat, and facility projects on Pennsylvania public lands in state parks and forests. Crews are supervised by two trained adult crew leaders or one solo leader. Participants earn $17.31 per hour, build practical job skills, and take part in environmental education and team-building activities connected to conservation, natural resource management, and outdoor recreation careers.

The program runs from June 28 through August 6, 2027. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break; travel between the meeting location and worksites is included in the paid workday. The position is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Housing is not provided. Crews meet at a central location in the program city and travel together to worksites in an SCA vehicle. SCA supplies 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. Crews move to safe or indoor work during short periods of bad weather when possible. In severe or dangerous weather, a crew may be called off for an unpaid day, so 37.5 hours per week is not guaranteed. Participants may encounter severe weather, poor air quality, high 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, 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 field approval before the program begins.

Requirements

• Must be ages 15–18 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 the program city 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 every workday, arriving on time and ready to work; no more than three absences are permitted for the season.
• Must bring sturdy, closed-toe work boots, long sturdy pants, weather-appropriate clothing, and a backpack or bag for personal items.
• Must follow crew leader and project partner instructions and comply with SCA safety policies and procedures.
• Must demonstrate teamwork, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic.

Responsibilities

• Complete trail maintenance and construction projects, 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 for the season.
• Work as a team to complete daily tasks and projects as routines, weather, and conditions change.
• Follow instructions from crew leaders and project partners.
• Follow SCA safety policies and procedures and help maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming crew.
• Participate in environmental education and team-building activities.
• Help track project accomplishments and data, and complete end-of-program feedback surveys.

Benefits

• Pay of $17.31 per hour, approximately $649 per week before taxes, paid biweekly.
• Hands-on job skills and experience in conservation, natural resource management, and outdoor recreation.
• Environmental education and team-building activities.
• Tools, crew work shirts, and required safety equipment supplied by SCA.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed