(COYCC Youth | Photos courtesy of Heart of Oregon Corps)
Long sunny summer days are ahead, and Heart of Oregon Corps’ Central Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (COYCC) program has summer jobs for young people! This is a great opportunity for youth ages 16-18-years-old to gain job skills and learn more about natural resources while improving public lands and reducing the threat of wildfires in our community.
Over 50 local youth will be selected for this competitive summer program and earn $16 an hour, working 36 hours a week, Monday through Thursday.
Hands-on projects in Central Oregon’s beautiful forests and high deserts include building trails, maintaining fences, piling hazardous fuels, restoring campgrounds, and improving wildlife habitat on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland. Non-project days include a first day hands-on training, Central Oregon Community College tour, job fair, and end-of-season awards celebration.
In 2025 alone, COYCC members dedicated 12,000 hours to improving public lands across Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, and northern Klamath counties.
“The conservation work the COYCC crews do has a positive impact that can be seen across our Central Oregon public lands,” said Nick Swagger, Forest Service Volunteer & Partnership coordinator. “We collaborate with Heart of Oregon Corps and the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council to organize one of the country’s biggest and longest teen-serving youth conservation corps.”
The COYCC program runs from June 22nd through August 13th. Members will work 9 hours a day, Monday through Thursday. Youth crews meet daily at a U.S. Forest Service site in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville, La Pine/Crescent, Madras, and Warm Springs. In this program, youth will gain work experience, leadership skills, and guided professional development while earning money and making friends!
“The COYCC program educates and provides hands-on experience for youth who are our future environmental stewards,” said Shelby Sauer, Heart of Oregon Corps Youth Conservation Programs Recruitment and Data coordinator. I have seen firsthand what a meaningful impact this program has on the youth who participate.”
That’s not all! We offer this amazing work experience for up to 30 youth who participate in our Camp LEAD program, a paid camping experience for youth experiencing disabilities. Members learn our leadership, empowerment, and advocacy curriculum while camping at Caldera near Suttle Lake in Sisters and working on conservation projects. Youth are paid $16 an hour for about 21 hours of project work they complete over the Monday-Friday camp. Then up to 8 participants have the opportunity to join the COYCC bridge crews for the last 3 weeks of the season.
Mandatory COYCC information sessions are being held across Central Oregon. Youth and parents who are interested in this opportunity should attend one of the in-person sessions. Information session details and our simple online application can be found at heartoforegon.org. For questions or more information, contact Youth Conservation Programs Recruitment and Data Coordinator, Shelby Sauer, email recruitment@heartoforegon.org or call/text 458-206-0535.
About Heart of Oregon Corps:
Heart of Oregon Corps (HOC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth and young adults through employment, job training, education, and service to Central Oregon communities. With the goal of career readiness, HOC hires and trains 225 youth ages 16-24 annually in the fields of conservation, construction, childcare, and warehousing logistics. Accredited by the Corps Center for Excellence, HOC is committed to training tomorrow’s workforce today and is accepting youth applications now!
About Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland:
Located near the geographic center of Oregon, the Ochoco National Forest consists of 845,498 acres of land divided into three ranger districts: Crooked River National Grassland, Lookout Mountain, and Paulina. The Forest is headquartered in Prineville.
The Forest administers land in the Maury and Ochoco mountains, which are southward extensions of the Blue Mountains physiographic province. Most of the Forest is drained by the Crooked and Deschutes rivers. Part of the north slope of the Ochoco Mountains drains into the John Day River. The forest is lush and beautiful with miles of roads and trails to enjoy, including three Congressionally designated wilderness areas.
About Deschutes National Forest:
Deschutes National Forest, bordered to the west by the Central Oregon Cascade mountains, encompasses nearly 1.6 million acres and offers year-around recreation opportunities. It is home to 5 Congressionally designated wilderness areas, several wild and scenic rivers, and the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, boasting more than 54,000 acres of lakes, lava flows, and spectacular geologic features.
heartoforegon.org • fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco • fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes
