During these uncertain times, many organizations must adapt to a new kind of normal. It is imperative to update our regulations and behaviors as social distancing practices continue to expand. The Student Conservation Association
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Every year, SCA provides training, tools and projects that place motivated teens and young adults in the field to effect changes great and small. How do we measure the effects? Sometimes its through decreased CO2 levels or by the tons of trash collected or in the number of trees planted. Our success is also measured by the lessons learned, the perspective gained and the lives we transform—today and into the future. Often when the SCA project is over, the success story is just beginning. Take a look at some of our most recent accomplishments.
SCA's Response to World Health Regulations
Posted by Lukas Miller | Friday, May 1, 2020
Career Success, Education, People, Sustainability
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Monday, April 27, 2020
Since 2018, SCA has engaged local young adults in GulfCorps, a program in which members restore coastal habitats damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill while developing valuable career skills.
Since mid-March, however, SCA’s GulfCorps teams in Alabama have relocated from their waterfront worksites to their respective dens and dining rooms,...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Wednesday, April 22, 2020
This 50th Earth Day is unlike any other and Katie Wareham is celebrating in similarly unique fashion: she’s exiting a self-imposed 14-day quarantine.
But before we get to the end, let’s start at the beginning.
Katie, a 23-year old from Frederick, MD, is and has been healthy since starting as an education...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Monday, April 20, 2020
March 16th marked Zack Rowatt’s and Erica Watkins’ first day as interpretive interns at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. That’s also the day the White House issued a work-from-home advisory, the Dow fell 3,000 points, and America moved into a new phase of the coronavirus outbreak.
More than a month...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Tuesday, April 14, 2020
by Kevin Hamilton, SCA VP for Communications
On April 21, 2009 – barely three months after his inauguration – Barack Obama planted native trees with SCA volunteers at Washington, D.C.’s Kenilworth Aquatic Garden, an event that would mark his first Earth Day as president. Mr. Obama brought some friends, too,...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, April 8, 2020
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (which was after we took the photo above), SCA alum Sarah spoke about how her SCA experience helped to build coping skills like, “how to make bread. how to spend time alone, in the forest in quiet contemplation, or play killer card games.”
It...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Thursday, March 19, 2020
This. This post is everything right now. These are trying times indeed, but if we sit back and reflect on the words Sarah recently posted in SCA’s Alumni Facebook group, we will know we are well-prepared and will get through this together. We are grateful to the many who...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, March 18, 2020
It’s no secret that many of us are feeling confined right now. Between anxiety-inducing headlines and canceled social gatherings, our mental health is taking a hard hit. Aside from listening to podcasts, reading new books, and learning recipes, you might be wondering if there are other remedies to greatly reduce...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, March 11, 2020
In continuing our celebration of AmeriCorps Week 2020, Alumna Simone Maule reflects on her SCA AmeriCorps experience that provided the opportunity to serve a local New Hampshire community and created a path towards a career in environmental education.
My Experience
During my SCA term, I had the privilege of serving as...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Monday, March 9, 2020
To celebrate AmeriCorps Week 2020, we are sharing the service stories of SCA AmeriCorps alumni and how their experiences impacted them. Anna Kellner took the plunge and explored challenges she had never encountered before, and those challenges ultimately ended up being the greatest reward. In her own words, here is...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Monday, March 2, 2020
In February, we introduced SCA interns – and twins – Megan and Katie Woods, who are researching underplayed yet essential moments from Boston’s past at the National Parks of Boston. In her blog, Megan examined the presence of African Americans on the local historical landscape. To bridge Black History Month...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Monday, February 24, 2020
SCA Alum Jacob Solon acquired many skills from his time as a member of the Excelsior Conservation Corps that are now applicable at his current professional role.
HOW I FOUND IT AND WHY I JOINED
I found the ECC while attending the spring 2018 job fair put on by
...Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Friday, February 14, 2020
SCA interns – and sisters – Megan and Katie Woods are researching rarely recognized yet essential moments in US history at the National Parks of Boston. In a fortuitous turn, their work coincides with this, African American History Month, and March’s Women’s History Month. Here is Part One of their...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Thursday, February 13, 2020
Few if any calendars make note of it, and Hallmark has no greeting card for it, but February is National Youth Leadership Month. A time to advance and celebrate the rising leaders among us who are making a difference in our communities and the world at large.
Of course, that’s a...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Jane Clark’s experience as a member of SCA’s Excelsior Conservation Corps provided valuable leadership skills, the opportunity to work on a team, and how to balance heavy workloads.
How I Found It and Why I Joined
I joined the Excelsior Conservation Corps a year after graduating from college with my...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Friday, January 24, 2020
SCA volunteers are known for their contributions to America’s parks and forests, but often less recognized is the extraordinary influence site supervisors have on these young stewards. Rangers, biologists, trail foremen, and others instruct, advise, and inspire SCA members on a daily basis, helping to shape everything from their perspectives...
Service in Honor of MLK Jr. Day
Posted by Ally Ratliff | Tuesday, January 21, 2020
On Monday, January 20th, Student Conservation Association (SCA), in sponsorship with American Express and Southwest Airlines, teamed up with National Park Service (NPS) to serve at Anacostia National Park. In honor of MLK Jr. Day, over 150 community volunteers came out to help remove litter from the park shoreline and...
Parks, Volunteer Opportunities
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Tuesday, January 14, 2020
By Nancy Fernandez
Jessica Zamudio and I first met in 2015 when we were both selected to participate in a special internship program run by the Student Conservation Association that introduced undergraduate and graduate students to career opportunities in the National Park Service. For students, it can offer the experience of...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Monday, January 13, 2020
These are the photos that the SCA Instagram community liked best in 2019! Whether you're looking for stunning outdoor landscapes or stories of adventure from the field of conservation, our Instagram posts had something for everyone last year. You can follow along in 2020 and beyond at @the_sca and...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Friday, December 27, 2019
As the season officially transitions from fall to winter in the United States, the country’s scenic landscapes go through their own spectacular changes as well. While temperatures can drop to a frightfully bitter level, many parks transform into winter wonderlands with an abundance of activities and pastimes that anyone can...