For more than a month you will live and work outdoors all day, every day. You may go to sleep watching the moon rise and get up in time to see the sun come up. It is a busy world, one where days blur into a rhythm of working, eating and sleeping. But it is also a world you will leave with lasting friendships, pride in accomplishment, fresh perspectives and untold new skills. The program offers youth a residential experience that combines a teenager's need for independence with the challenges of camping outdoors and the responsibilities of group living.
Youth work as members of an ten-person crew, supervised by two program staff.
Crews camp near each job site, live in tents, cook their own meals, and share the daily chores of camp life. NYC supplies trained supervisors, tools, vehicles, camping equipment, safety equipment, and worker's compensation coverage. Youth provide work clothes, sleeping bags, and work boots. NYC programs emphasize leadership development, hard work, commitment to team effort, community service, and personal growth. Challenging projects help corpsmembers develop self-confidence and discover that they can make decisions, hold a job, solve problems, and attain their objectives in life.