Fed announces new summer job program for youth
As part of a federal government initiative to create summer jobs for youth, the Department of Interior (DOI) recently announced a new competitive grant initiative to hire 20,000 young adults, ages 15-25 for summer jobs on public lands.
In an attempt to expand work opportunities for young people, federal agencies have joined together in implementing Summer+, a program that calls for businesses, non-profits and government to work towards providing employment opportunities for low-income and disconnected youth in the summer of 2012. The new environmental initiative is coordinated primarily through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) with support from the Bureau of Land Management, the Department of Agriculture and the Council for Environmental Quality. It would seek to expand youth employment opportunities in national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.
The competitive grant is funded at a total of $1.4 million from NFWF, federal agencies and private partners through the America’s Great Outdoors: Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists initiative. It currently includes 17 projects across 15 states. Projects involve mentorship, plant and animal invasive species management, federally protected species monitoring and various research and ecosystem restoration activities.
The Summer+ proposal was first announced in January and was originally included as a component of President Obama’s American Jobs Act. View the official announcement here or click here for information on how to get involved.
Photo Credit: Council of Environmental Quality