If you are between the ages of 17 and 28, like to work hard,  and would like to contribute to the restoration and preservation of parks and public lands in Texas and beyond, Environmental Corps may be for you!  Being an Environmental Corps member is a unique and wonderful opportunity to serve local Texas communities while gaining career experience and learning about the natural environment.

Our members:

• Are between the ages of 17 and 28
• Range from current high school students to recent college graduates
• Serve for terms of 3 months, 6 months, or 11 months

Here are just a few of the benefits:

• Training in landscaping, trail building and maintenance, and chainsaw use/maintenance
• Leadership development and career development oportunities
• Health insurance
• Paid daycare for those with children
• Living allowance of up to $520 bi-weekly
• AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,325 for 900 hours of service, or $4,725 for 1700 hours of service
• Opportunity to work towards a High School Diploma or GED during your term with E-Corps

Positions Available

Service Learning Academy (SLA) and Summer Youth Crews

• SLA crews are open to applicants who are still earning their high school diploma or GED, and the summer crew is also open to a limited number of recent high school graduates.  SLA crews complete service projects and jobs training activities for part of the day and work on their diploma for part of the day.  Summer crews complete service projects for the entire day, but are also eligible to earn elective credits while in the field.  Crew members enrolled in these programs receive a 300 hour AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion of their term of service.

Local Environmental Corps Crews

• Local Crews are open to applicants already having a high school diploma or GED (or even a PhD).  Members serve terms of 6 months or 11 months, earning a either a 900 hour or 1700 hour AmeriCorps Education Award.  Crew project sites are mostly in the Austin and central Texas area, with a few projects in other parts of the state or neighboring states.

Trails Across Texas Crew (TAT)

• The TAT crew is , like our local crews, open to applicants already having a high school diploma or GED.  However, this crew works almost exclusively on priority trail projects in Texas State Parks.  This crew travels extensively and can be out of the Austin area for up to 2 weeks at a time.  Members serve terms of 6 months, earning a 900 hour AmeriCorps Education Award.

Barton Creek Greenbelt Crew

• The newest addition to the Environmental Corps line-up, the Barton Creek Greenbelt Crew, will focus their efforts on maintaining and improving Austin’s most popular trail and natural area.  Members will serve a term of 11 months (1700 hours) on a crew of 5, with most members having prior trail experience.

For additional information on crews, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Application Dates

Positions are posted on the AmeriCorps website up to 3 months prior to program start dates.  Applications may be submitted from this time until the positions are filled, but keep in mind that positions are usually filled well before the start of the program.  Please refer to the crew calendar for program start dates.

General 2010-2011 application dates are as follows:

• 2011 Crew Leaders – September 15 – Nov 30
• Trails Across Texas Crew Members – October 1 – December 31
• Local Crew Members – October 1 – December 31
• Barton Creek Greenbelt Crew Members – October 1 – December 31

All positions will remain open until filled.

JOIN ENVIRONMENTAL CORPS NOW!

UPDATE: Due to a shift in our program calendar, we will not be recruiting for fall 2010 Local E-Corps crews.  We will be accepting applications for 2011 E-Corps Crew Leader and Crew Member positions starting in October.  Please check back for more information.

SLA Crews – Fall 2010 – We are currently looking for AYW students and students currently working towards a high school diploma for our fall Service Learning Academy Crews.  If you are interested please contact Seth VanHorn at 512.415.2208 or svanhorn@americanyouthworks.org.