One of the most popular volunteer organizations with young people, the Student Conservation Association is a privately funded organization that works in concert with the National Parks Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, to provide young people with an opportunity to spend a summer preserving our national lands. SCA places over 1,500 students each year.
As a SCA volunteer, you are given the official title of "Resource Assistant." While the jobs are unpaid, volunteers are given free transportation to and from the work site, free uniforms, free lodging, and a stipend of $200/month to cover miscellaneous expenses.
Volunteers work as wildlife monitors, aides to agency employees, tour leaders, backcountry patrollers, and welcome center staff. Besides the main benefit of helping to conserve natural resources, SCA jobs can lead to paid positions in conservation agencies or natural resources organizations. Academic credit can sometimes be arranged, and many view their volunteer time as a resume-building internship. Volunteers work 40 hours per week.
To volunteer with the SCA, you must be at least 16 years old. You do not need to currently be a student, but past academic experience relating to the position you apply for is appreciated, not required. You do not need to be a legal resident of this country to volunteer with the SCA.
If you are interested in working with the SCA, apply for the job at least two months prior to the date you would like to begin for the best results. If you have waited until the last minute, give them a call to see what they still have available.
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SCA Resource Assistant Program
P.O. Box 550
Charlestown, NH 03603-0550
(603) 543-1700
