Forestry personnel plan and supervise work projects performed by the wards. Crews typically work in state and county parks performing stream clearance, wildland fire prevention tasks, and restoration work. During the fire season, ward crews are involved in wildland fire suppression through the state of California. Camp crews are also assigned to flood control activities. The major emphasis of a camp program is on employability skills, with a strong emphasis on developing good work habits.
Wards also receive leadership training within their crew structure.
The academic programs are in the evenings and on Saturday. All non-high school graduates participate in either a GED preparation, a high school credits program, or remedial labs. The aim is to build up basic educational skills and the completion of basic educational requirements for normal entry-level employment. Each camp also has a formal drug program. The previous statement causes an error in IE 4.0.