Conservation Corps MN, Summer Youth Corps

03/12/2026

Dear SYC community,

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (CCMI) is standing at an exciting threshold, a chance to reimagine, reinvigorate, and re-launch the Summer Youth Corps (SYC) program for a new generation of young people. SYC has always been more than a program: it’s been a rite of passage, a community, and a deeply transformative experience for thousands of youth, including young people from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

Our opportunity now is to honor that legacy while courageously designing a program that matches the realities, hopes, and needs of today’s youth. Your candid input is an important part of this; we value your insights.

Please take a moment to share your anonymous feedback using the link below before March 30, which we'll use to guide our redesign of the SYC program. Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8gJzPaLqMsAkNngmPgqppeDRPoG7Yzcv1Oc_fLbp371ZJzg/viewform

Image Description: Youth Corpsmember wearing a blue CCMI t-shirt and a yellow helmet, hugging a tree and smiling. Text at the top of the photo reads, "SHAPE SYC'S FUTURE Your Feedback Needed!"

04/20/2022

Share your Corps experience and you could win!

1) Make a public post on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok about one reason why someone should join the Corps.
2) Tag us .
3) Include at least one photo or video.
4) That's it!

Winner will be chosen and notified next Tuesday (4/26)

And remember, all alumni are also eligible to receive a $100 referral bonus for each new member they refer who joins!

08/18/2021

Bittersweet to be wrapping up our summer adventures, grateful the experience has a lasting impact on so many crew members, crew leaders, and staff!

Alum Maxx Liegl won grand championship on his presentation about his experience with SYC this summer, and now is heading to the State Fair. Be sure to check it out!

05/13/2021

Thanks to everyone who joined our Parent/Guardian Orientation tonight - we are excited to kickoff the summer and cannot wait for youth to join!

For those who were unable to join tonight, here's the recording which will also be emailed out to everyone. My video skills are not as good as my outdoor skills and it turns out I recorded in a way that makes it harder to edit BUT I recommend skipping ahead to min 4:15 where the presentation begins:

03/26/2021

Youth alumni - don't miss your chance to spend another summer with Summer Youth Corps! Apply for Wilderness Crew today - priority deadline is next Thurs, April 1st:

Summer Youth Corps participants will add value to themselves, their community, and the environment through their dedicated service. Corps members will participate in a rigorous program of work, educat

03/19/2021

Wrapping up an incredible week of learning with The Corps Network's virtual conference. Check out the opening session on their YouTube to be inspired about the legacy you have / will contribute to as alumni / prospective members!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW83DbKmzHU&t=2079s

If you do not have time to watch it all, I highly encourage listening to the keynote speaker Dr. Michael McAfee starting at 58mins. I am so struck by Dr. McAfee's quote "Who you are today is good enough to begin the task of collective liberation for everyone."

Hope you are all feeling grounded in your own power -- and as always, sending fluberance!

Welcome to The Corps Network's Conference! Please use the chatbox on the right hand of the screen to interact with other attendees and ask any questions to s...

12/19/2020

Wishing Happy Holidays and New Year to all our alumni and friends of Summer Yourh Corps!

Please help us spread the word this season: Summer 2021 Crew Leader, Interpreter, and Field Coordinator (seasonal staff) positions are posted and accepting rolling applications!

P.S. Alumni, you can earn $50 for referring great people to serve with the Corps!

08/26/2020

Last week, SYC officially wrapped up an atypical (no youth, no basecamp, so much COVID protocol) yet still AMAZING summer with ten AmeriCorps members and one Field Coordinator! For photos, please check out our instagram

As we head into the Fall and begin planning for future programming amid the pandemic, we are considering how to safely address accessibility for youth across the state and for ASL crews.

For folks interested in joining or supporting SYC next year and beyond, check out this amazing opportunity with CorpsThat to learn about American Sign Language and Deaf culture this Fall!

CorpsTHAT is teaching American Sign Language Classes for outdoor professionals, land managers, or individuals who want to learn ASL through an outdoor lens. Our teachers are Deaf, native ASL users, and outdoor enthusiast themselves. This course will meet on Zoom for an hour twice a week for 10 weeks. Along with basic vocabulary and sentence structure, students will learn an introduction to Deaf culture and etiquette tailored to outdoor settings.

Due to high demand, we just added an additional course M/W at 6-7 pm EST.

Course costs $400/per student, to register to visit the link in our bio.

ID: Black and white photo of two people signing with the background of the badland’s eroded hills. The text reads: Learn with us! ASL in the Outdoors, 10 Week Long Courses, Courses start Sept 9th and end by Nov 23rd Beginning ASL: Monday and Wednesday 6 pm-7 pm (EST) Location: Online Cost: $400 per student, Register at www.corpsthat.org

Photo taken on the lands of the Cheyenne, Minicoujou, Očeti Šakówin, Lakota, and Arikara people and others hidden due to colonization.

08/05/2020

Want to learn about how COVID-19 ultimately impacted SYC and how the program is operating this summer? Check out one crew leader, Aden Herb's, reflection on the Corps' blog!

Also for frequent peaks at the incredible work the crews are doing, check out our new Instagram

by Aden Herb, Crew Leader/ AmeriCorps member with the Summer Youth Corps program of Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa - 7/28/2020 As a returning AmeriCorps member for Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa with 3 seasons of Summer Youth Corps under my belt (working on my 4th!), I’ve