Environmental Education – Adult Crew Leaders YCC; CSA II’s, Ages 18 – Continuous

City of Portland Bureau of Human Resources

Recruitment began on January 30, 2026 and the job listing expires on March 2, 2026.

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). 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:

• Community Gardens Crew – Citywide (hiring
  2)
• No Ivy League – West side (hiring
  2)

Visit our website to learn more about the crews and the crew leader role:
Crew Leader Information

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 Community Service Aide II’s 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. To learn more, click Language Pay Overview. We encourage all applicants to apply, and especially those who may speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Chinese, or Russian.

Representation matters! We are committed to equity and inclusion and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We encourage those who may have non‑traditional experience to apply.

• Dates vary by crew; see below:
• Community Gardens and No Ivy League:
  May 20 – August 12
• City Nature East Crew:
  June 1 – August 12
• Pay: $22.00 – $24.00 an hour, depending on experience and training.

Crew leaders take part 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!

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.

Daily responsibilities include creating a safe work environment, teaching technical skills, ecological lessons, tracking crew activities and youth progress, attending weekly collaboration meetings, and more.

• Mentor and lead teenage youth:
  Get to know and care about each of the teens on their crew as individuals and co‑workers. Guide youth in job skills development, teamwork, professional goals, and ecological knowledge. Create a sense of community where teens feel they belong and look out for each other.
• Co‑lead field‑based projects:
  Work with a co‑leader to plan daily schedules and lead natural areas restoration projects. Projects may include community gardening maintenance, removing invasive plants, planting native plants, maintaining trails, and/or surveying and maintaining trees.
• Teach:
  Mentor youth in basic job skills in their first job—work readiness, staying on task, teamwork, and leadership. Teach safe use of tools and equipment for trail work, gardening, and habitat restoration. Facilitate team‑building activities, icebreakers, and ecological lessons such as plant identification, soil health, tree care, and animal identification.
• Collect data and report:
  Track and report on crew activities, youth progress, and project outcomes daily and weekly. Attend weekly crew‑leader meetings to collaborate and share insights. Complete mid‑summer and end‑of‑summer evaluations and participate in environmental science and data collection projects.
• Additional duties:
  Assist and perform other programmatic duties as needed and assigned.

The ideal candidate is comfortable leading work outdoors and enjoys building connections with teenagers from diverse backgrounds. They balance warmth and high expectations while teaching…