Conservation Corps - Alaska-2026 Alaska Corps Team Member Position

SCA Alaska Corps Teams 2026

 

The SCA Alaska Corps is a 14-week AmeriCorps program focused on leadership development, completing trail work projects and building a sense of community. As a member of a 5-person crew you will be led by one SCA Project Leader. The group will live and serve together for the duration of the program. 

 

Members should be prepared to camp through the summer and face the challenges of weather, insects, remoteness and wildlife typical of outdoor work in Alaska. This is an opportunity to learn the hard and soft skills of being in the outdoor industry; folks will walk away with experience in conservation trail work and outdoor living skills. 

 

Alaska Corps teams live and work together for the duration of their program. SCA emphasizes the importance of community building and growth in interpersonal skills throughout the program.

 

Program Description:

The Student Conservation Association's Alaska Corps team is focused on providing young adults opportunities to grow competitive skills in the field of conservation trail work to prepare them to move into jobs with our project partners after their term of service. Our partners include The US Forest Service, The National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and other national, state, or local environmental agencies. Skills will include hands on conservation service experience, professional development training, and nationally recognized certifications. 

Members of the crew will spend 3 months on service projects with various federal, state and local agencies across Alaska. Service projects will include trail work projects: construction of new trail using hand tools, maintenance of current trail including drainages, boardwalks or brushing, or fuels reduction work (felling and bucking dead trees).  

Duration of projects will vary. A variety of projects will be performed with various partners across Alaska.

 

Service will be outdoors and will typically require heavy lifting (~50 lb.). Members will use hand tools and may have the opportunity to use equipment such as chainsaws. Team members will be supervised in the field by an SCA Project leader. All team members are expected to be respectful, on-time, hardworking, and aware of conditions to ensure a safe service environment. 

 

Due to the geography and logistics in Alaska, applicants must be able to commit to the full duration of the season.  

 

Program Dates:

*Please note – Site Locations are TBD.

 

Dates may change, but training opportunities will remain the same. 

May 15 - Aug 22, 2026: Corps Team Member Dates (14 weeks)  

 

•2 weeks SCA training in SCA program, Wilderness First Aid and Conservation Work Skills 

•12 field weeks completing SCA service projects  

Leadership Development: 

Leadership development is an important component of the SCA Alaska Corps program. Members will go through intentional leadership and communication training to prepare them to excel as leaders in the field. Responsibilities include self-leadership and group participation; cooking meals, critically thinking about hazards and risk on the project, and reporting outputs and timesheets related to member service activities.

 

SCA Alaska field staff will be assigned to support the crew to provide technical on-the-ground support/training and additional leadership training and guidance (as needed). 
  
Crew Housing:

Members should expect to camp in a tent throughout the program. Housing(a tent) will be provided during work projects “hitches” of the program in the form of shared tents or shared communal bunk houses. Members will provide their own sleep system (sleeping bag and pad). 

Transportation:

Program vehicles will be provided for the daily commute to the work site, and they will be driven by the SCA Project Leader and any AmeriCorps member who is 21+ and successfully completes SCA’s Drivers Training.  During field season, members should expect to be traveling with their crew to project sites throughout Alaska, which may include ferry or plane travel. 

 

Hours: 

Corps members serve approximately 40 hours a week for the duration of the program. Service does not follow a typical Monday-Friday schedule often. 


Primary Responsibilities:

• Ensure project, basecamp, community, and general safety standards are upheld; full engagement is expected in all service projects and community activities.  

• Uniform: AmeriCorps Member will be required to wear the AmeriCorps and SCA logo daily    

• Interfacing with gener