Youth Corps & Mentoring at State Parks
California State Parks has a deep history partnering with youth corps and mentoring young people, beginning with the federal Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s.
Today, State Parks builds on innovative partnerships with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) and many other conservation corps jurisdictions and nonprofits to create fulfilling professional development experiences that also inspire youth into life-long State Parks careers.
Youth Corps in State Parks
The State Parks and CCC youth corps partnership began with the North Coast Redwood District’s trail program and the Del Norte California Conservation Corps Center in the early 1980’s.
Building on that success and others, in 2008 State Parks created the Statewide Trail Crew Program within its District Facilities Management (DFM) Division, to add capacity and technical expertise for complex trail projects throughout the State Park System.
Leveraging additional efficiencies since 2015, a master agreement with the California Conservation Corps has supported project and maintenance work by youth crews in 19 of the Department’s 21 Districts, with a total approximate encumbrance of $53.5M as of 2025.
DFM’s model of partnering with the CCCs was so successful, legislation was enacted in 2016 to provide for master contracts with other youth corps programs, including nonprofits focused on mentoring youth.
A 2019 amendment added the option to provide individual internships for corpsmembers (in addition to trail crew roles). Since then, individual internships have served in a variety of disciplines, including natural and cultural resource management, visitor services, interpretation and education, Geographic Information Systems, and administration – with a number going on to compete successfully for permanent State Parks jobs.
Corpsmembers’ Pathways to Careers at State Parks
Corpsmembers work alongside State Parks trail crew leads to gain knowledge and develop skills and knowledge to be trail workers. State Parks staff actively work with CCC’s Recruitment Manager to post available State Parks District Facilities Management and District trail positions. As a result, more than 350 former corpsmembers have been hired into State Parks jobs, including the following programs within the District Facilities Management (DFM) Division:
- Statewide Trail Crew: 95% former corpsmembers
- American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Maintenance Crew: 100% former corpsmembers
- Cannabis Watershed Protection Program roads and trails crew: 70% former corpsmembers
Interested in working for the California Conservation Corps or other youth corps programs at State Parks?
State Parks typically has Statewide master agreements in place with the following organizations; learn more and apply directly at:
- California Conservation Corps
- American Conservation Experience
- Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps (ESCC)
- Farmworkers Institute of Education and Leadership's (FIELD) Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps
- LA Conservation Corps (LA State Historic Park Internship Specific Master Agreement)
Some California counties and other local jurisdictions also administer youth corps organizations that may work with State Parks or other parks systems.
Interested in building and maintaining State Parks trails and other infrastructure? Learn more. See all State Parks job listings here.
Other State Parks Youth Mentorship Opportunities
- ParksCalifornia’s Career Pathways Program. Nonprofit ParksCalifornia also administers youth mentorship programs in support of parks initiatives. State Parks’ Waterway Connections Initiative has funded mentorship programs that support underserved communities around inland waterways. For more information, see Career Pathways.
- State Parks Office of Community Involvement’s Outdoor Youth Connection. This training program works with youth to experience the connection between the outdoors and their community, through learning camping skills, team-building activities, personal reflection, and journaling.
- Volunteers in Parks. State Parks relies on volunteers to assist in many aspects of State Park operations; some opportunities are available to youth.