Pa. Outdoor Corps marks 10 years of jobs, conservation

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• PA Outdoor Corps celebrates 10 years of conservation service

• Over 1,400 youth trained in trail, habitat, and land work

• Shapiro budget invests $5M to expand program in 2024–25

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is celebrating 10 years of youth job training and conservation, backed by a $5M investment in Governor Shapiro’s 2024–25 budget.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker visited the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps crew at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center in Cumberland County to mark the program’s anniversary and highlight its impact on workforce development and environmental stewardship.

“The young people we visited today and who participate in this program each year are our future leaders — in conservation and in public service,” Dunn said in a statement. “I am grateful that Governor Shapiro and our partner agency, the Department of Labor and Industry, are willing to invest in this important conservation workforce development program. I’m proud to see many Outdoor Corps alumni continuing their work with DCNR, the U.S. Forest Service, and other respected agencies.”

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps has offered hands-on conservation job training over the past 10 years to more than 1,400 people ages 15 to 25 — building skills, supporting career readiness, and improving public lands across the commonwealth.

DCNR has expanded conservation efforts by strengthening the Outdoor Corps workforce development initiative. Shapiro’s bipartisan budget invests $5 million to enhance and grow the program, increasing job training and stewardship skills. According to a release, the investment supports hiring additional staff and restructuring the program into a regional model to improve efficiency, expand recruitment, and strengthen community partnerships.

Launched under Dunn’s tenure, the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps has provided paid conservation work experience, hands-on job training, and career readiness skills. The program is run by DCNR and the Student Conservation Association (SCA), with support from L&I and private philanthropic partners.

“Programs like the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps are exactly what workforce development should look like: hands-on, community-focused, and future-driven,” Walker said. “By connecting young Pennsylvanians with real-world conservation work, we’re helping them build job skills and empowering them to see themselves as leaders and changemakers. L&I is proud to support Secretary Dunn’s vision for an Outdoor Corps of young people who are getting real-life experience in how to protect our commonwealth’s natural resources.”

Modeled after U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is open to individuals ages 15-25 and provides experience in trail restoration, habitat enhancement, and tree planting.

The Outdoor Corps offers opportunities statewide through two program formats:

• Six-week youth crews (ages 15-18): Held during the summer in locations across Pennsylvania, including Altoona, Chambersburg, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lockhaven, Meadville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Ridgway, Scranton, Wellsboro, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, and York. An American Sign Language Crew is also available.

• Ten-month adult crews (ages 18-25): Based in Altoona, Dubois, Harrisburg, Laurel Highlands region, Meadville, Philadelphia region, Pittsburgh, Somerset, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport, along with a statewide Cultural Resources and Residential Trail crew.

The program seeks participants from underserved communities to increase awareness about conservation in them, and to diversify young people who have an interest in natural resource protection jobs.

As of the 2025 season, crew members had accomplished the following:

• 5,272 acres of land improved
• 1,065 miles of trails managed
• 50 miles of waterways improved
• 7,633 improvements to structures
• 18,970 native trees and shrubs planted
• 30,959 datapoints collected
• 1,105 certifications gained

Alumni of the program have worked with leading conservation organizations, including DCNR, SCA, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.