2023 Lv Youth Peer Leader (Americorps)

Title: Youth Peer Leader

Pay: $600/week up to 40 hours/week + 300 hr Americorps Award amounting to $1,374.60

Dates: May 29- June 30th and July 10-August 11; 10 weeks in the summer with a week off July 3-5

Youth Programs for the Southwest Conservation Corps, Los Valles Region are 5-week programs designed to engage local youth in their communities and provide them with meaningful work and job skills. Crews consist of 6 members with 2 crew leaders who have completed 8 weeks of technical and leadership training. Crews work 8-4:30 M-F. M-Th members work at the project site and F is an education day. Crews are either camping or day (see options below). High school crews play a vital part in their communities by working on local projects, such as, invasive plant species removal, painting signs and fences, trail maintenance and construction, habitat improvement projects, and road, bridge, parks and open space clean ups. Crew members must be willing to work under the leadership of their crew leaders, be on-time each day, perform hard physical labor throughout the summer season in a variety of weather conditions, wear a uniform and personal protective equipment everyday, and participate in group activities and end of the day debriefs. Getting dirty, hot, and sweaty are norms for the program and members must be willing to 'get dirty' to get the work done. Along with technical skills, crew members will participate in education days to make the work meaningful and promote environmental stewardship. They will also learn effective communication, leadership skills, how to work in a team, work ethic, and the importance of civic engagement.

Peer leaders will be provided with additional training and have additional leadership responsibilities. This position is designed to give members who have participated in multiple youth session a chance to continue developing skills.