Environmental Education - Adult Crew Leaders YCC; CSA II's, Ages 18 Continuous

The Position

Love nature, the outdoors, and mentoring teens (ages 14-19)? Apply now to be a Crew Leader with Portland Parks & Recreation's Youth Conservation Crew (YCC)!

Apply early! Interviews begin as soon as March for positions starting in June.

There are 8 crew leader positions open across 4 crews working to conserve our parks and natural areas:

• Trail Crew – Citywide (hiring
  2)
• Community Gardens Crew - Citywide (hiring
  2)
• No Ivy League – West side (hiring
  2)
• Natural Area Crew – East side (hiring
  2)

Visit our site to learn more about the crews and the crew leader role. Portland Parks & Recreation

Job Type: Casual, Part-time. These are part-time jobs where you can work up to 1,400 hours in a year. Employees in these positions serve se jobs are called Crew Leader positions by the City of Portland.

Benefits: These jobs are not eligible for benefits.

Language Pay: If you speak another language besides English and use it to help the community, you may get extra pay. We encourage applications from Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Chinese, or Russian speakers.

Studies have shown that women and People of Color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification. We are committed to finding the best candidate for the job, including those from less traditional backgrounds. Representation matters!

• Dates:
  Varies by crew; see below

• Trail Crew:
  April 9 – August 12, 2026

• Communities Gardens and No Ivy League:
  May 20 – August 12

• City Nature East Crew:
  June 1 – August 12

• Hours:
  
  Monday 8:30am – 2:30pm;
  Tuesday – Friday 7:30am – 3:30pm

• Pay: $22.00 – $24.00 per hour, depending on experience and training

Crew leaders participate in professional development, networking, and growth opportunities throughout the season. For many, YCC is an entry into working at Portland Parks & Recreation. We support Crew leaders in achieving their professional goals.

We encourage YCC Crew Member alumni to apply!

Portland Parks & Recreation is dedicated to making sure everyone can enjoy our parks and services, no matter their background. We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion. We encourage people who speak other languages to apply.

Youth Conservation Crew (YCC) crew leaders are responsible for co-leading and supervising a crew of up to 10 teenage youth while completing hands-on conservation projects throughout Portland's parks and natural areas. Working alongside a co-leader and crew sponsor, crew leaders mentor and support youth (ages 14-18) in their professional growth and first-time work experience. Crew leaders teach essential job skills in natural areas maintenance, teamwork, and leadership while fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Crew leaders lead field-based projects such as trail building, habitat restoration, community gardening, and tree care while keeping youth work crews safe and on track to complete projects in a timely manner. Daily responsibilities include creating a safe work environment, teaching technical skills and ecological lessons, tracking crew activities and youth progress, attending weekly collaboration meetings, and more. This position offers an opportunity to gain leadership experience in a field-based role and to foster an inclusive work environment.

YCC Crew Leaders get to:

• Mentor and lead teenage youth: Get to know and care about each teen, guide them in job skills development, teamwork, professional goals, and ecological knowledge. Create a sense of community where teens belong and support each other.
• Co-lead field-based projects: Plan daily schedules and lead restoration projects, including community gardening maintenance, removing invasive plants, planting native species, maintaining trails, and tree care.
• Teach: Mentor youth in developing job skills, work readiness, task focus, teamwork, and leadership. Teach safe use of tools and equipment for trail work, gardening, and habitat restoration. Facilitate team-building activities and ecological lessons.
• Collect data and report: Track and report on crew activities and youth progress, attend weekly meetings, and participate in evaluations and data projects.
• Additional Duties: Assist with other…