Sonoma County Seal
The Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps (SCYEC) is heading into its 13th year of providing young adults with a meaningful, paid work experience, career exploration, and environmental education. Individuals participating in the program will begin working Monday, June 14, but will have their first team-building kick-off event on Thursday, June 17. SCYEC is dedicated to community improvement projects, providing paid work experience and educational opportunities for youth. The kick-off event will be the only in-person event to provide an opportunity for the media to interview and photograph program participants and providers.
This summer, SCYEC will be providing work and learning opportunities for approximately 32 crew members. The program is open to all young people ages 18-24, prioritizing youth with barriers to education, training, and employment including foster and former foster youth, youth living in high-poverty neighborhoods, youth involved in the justice system and homeless youth. Project hosts provide worksites county-wide, and many contribute funding to support the work. This summer’s hosts include Sonoma Water, Transportation and Public Works, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, City of Santa Rosa, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, and Luther Burbank Experiment Farm.
The 32 participants will be divided into four crews, three summer and fall groups and one year-round crew, that will be deployed throughout the county on a variety of environmental and conservation projects. This year’s projects include fire abatement, flood mitigation, creek and open space clean-up, invasive species and vegetation removal, parks and trail maintenance, and sustainable community gardening. The summer groups will conclude their work on Thursday, Aug. 5.
Worksites are located in all five supervisorial districts. All crew work and weekly education days will be conducted in accordance with Cal/OSHA’s model COVID-19 prevention program, as well as local and state directives. Events will be conducted virtually or in small, socially distanced outdoor gatherings limited to the crew members, those working directly with the crews, and event facilitators.
