The Youth Conservation Corps is perhaps the most well recognized youth program in the NPS. The YCC has been instrumental in introducing young Americans to conservation opportunities in national parks since the program was created in 1970. This program was created through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture- Forest Service in Public Law 93-408 which states the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may contract with any public agency or organization or any private nonprofit agency or organization which has been in existence for at least five years for the operation of any Youth Conservation Corps project. Since its inception, the YCC has worked with many conservation agencies throughout the country to provide educational and team building skills for young people. Hundreds of employees currently working in land management agencies were introduced to the field via the YCC.

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The YCC was established on August 13, 1971 through Public Law 91-378, as a three-year pilot program, with the intention of achieving several objectives. The most important objective being to take young adults from different social, economic, racial, cultural and gender backgrounds and placing them in an environment where they could cultivate work, social, and educational skills. In 1974, it became a permanent institution.

Presently, Congress mandates that the National Park Service, in partnership with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA Forest Service, must have a program no less than $2 million annually. Regional youth coordinators and park staff work closely with local school and youth organizations to advertise YCC positions and recruit young adults to participate. Participants must be between 15 and 18 years of age to enroll in YCC programs.

In essence, the YCC hopes to capture the idealism of youth and create an environment where such idealism could be put into practice. This summer employment program permits men and women to enjoy working, earning, and learning by doing projects that further the development and conservation of the nation’s natural resources. Today, there are two YCC Residential Centers, which are Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks. Individual parks, such as Shenandoah, the Grand Tetons, and many others, also host YCC programs. To learn more about the YCC and its history, you can call the Youth Programs Division at the Washington Office at (202) 513-7146 or visit your state's YCC website. For more information about working in a national park, contact the park that you are interested in working at. You can search the contact information for your park at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/.