The Summer Youth Employment Program Has Begun!
This week, we're kicking off Tree Trust's 41st year of the Summer Youth Employment Program! On Monday, June 19th, about 350 young people from Hennepin, Washington, and Dakota counties, plus St. Paul, began their nine-week summer jobs. Participants either work outside on crews or in individual internships.
Participants in the Youth Conservation Corps work on crews in park and recreation areas to complete outdoor construction projects like timber staircases, paver patios, retaining walls, and boardwalks. If you're out in Twin Cities parks and trails this summer, you might just spot one of our youth crews, improving the landscape and building their skills under the supervision of Tree Trust's summer staff.
Summer staff received 100+ hours of training in early June. It began with a trip to Camp Courage, where they practiced their construction, management, and teamwork skills; and then culminated with two weeks of classroom and more "field" training to hone their skills on working with youth and learning about the projects they'd be leading. Youth participants are also supported by site supervisors, counselors, and a summer employment skills specialist.
If you'd like to learn more about the history of the Youth Conservation Corps, you can watch
this video
, in which our two founders discuss the first years of Tree Trust and describe how we have built such strong and lasting relationships with our park and recreation area partners.
Participants in individual internships are also beginning their work at local schools, nonprofits, and businesses. Nearly 100 young people will be building job skills with their supervisors and Tree Trust case managers.
To see photo updates from both programs, be sure to follow our social media throughout the summer!
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