Description
The Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC), founded as a non-profit agency in 1998, provides young women and men with structured, safe and challenging work and educational opportunities through employment projects that promote personal growth, the development of social skills, and an ethic of natural resource stewardship. The SCC program model, built upon the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, incorporates guiding principles of experiential learning, respect, openness and willingness, commitment, responsibility, pride, excellence, health and safety, and fun.
SCC offers programs year-round throughout the Southwest from offices in Durango, CO, Salida, CO, Acoma, NM and Tucson, AZ. Most of SCC's Colorado and New Mexico-based programs operate from March - October while most of the Arizona-based programs operate from September through April. SCC operates a continuum of programs from community-based initiatives for younger teens to residential camping crews for high school and college aged individuals to leadership programs for college graduates.
SCC service projects take place throughout a five state region: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. On many projects corpsmembers work, learn and commonly camp in teams with up to six crewmembers and 2 crew leaders. Projects include fuels reduction, erosion control, tree planting, trail building, fencing and exotic plant removal.
Corpsmembers earn competitive wages while learning valuable work and life skills. Innately, through the program structure, SCC places a strong focus on leadership development and environmental stewardship. SCC's strengths lie not only in its service project accomplishments, but also in its ability to provide a viable work force to the region while offering exceptional educational and employment opportunities to participants.
