Foundation News

The Sierra Club has officially joined the national partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC). The program, championed by Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, connects youth and veterans from all walks of life with America's public lands through stewardship and employment opportunities. Expanding the 21CSC is part of the Secretary’s plan for connecting tens of millions of youth over the next three years with opportunities to play, learn, serve and work in the great outdoors.

Along with dozens of partners through the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), a project supported by The Sierra Club Foundation, the Sierra Club called on the White House to prioritize the 21CSC. The opportunities provided by the 21CSC will encourage youth to assume responsibility for the stewardship and preservation of America’s great outdoors, while teaching them basic job skills at a time when youth unemployment is near record levels and young people are missing out on critical early job experiences. The cost-effective conservation, restoration and visitor service improvements provided by corps members will help ensure that future generations also have opportunities to experience our public lands.

We know that the future of conservation depends on our ability to ensure that all people, particularly children and youth, have opportunities to experience nature today. Through our Mission Outdoors program, we are training mentors and outdoor leaders to connect 14,000 young people with nature every year.

“The partnership is part of the Sierra Club's ongoing efforts to engage youth with nearby nature and the great outdoors,” said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “We look forward to working with Secretary Jewell to open outdoor opportunities to youth across the country.” Programs like the 21CSC and others that make nature more accessible to youth are critical for the health of our communities and the future of our wild America.