Manzanar National Historic Site Recruiting Youth Conservation Corps Members

Youth Conservation Corps members refinish the Manzanar sign. (NPS photo)

Manzanar National Historic Site will sponsor an eight-week Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program this summer.

Youths 15 to 18 are encouraged to apply, provided they do not reach their 19th birthday before Aug. 2, 2019.

YCC team members will work June 10 through Aug. 2, earning the California minimum wage of $12 per hour. They will work at Manzanar National Historic Site under the supervision of National Park Service (NPS) staff Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Those selected will need to provide their own transportation to work and will be required to have their own checking or savings account for payroll direct deposit before they begin.

“We have had YCC crews since 2002 and have given local youth an opportunity to learn about American history and to participate in preserving resources associated with this part of the Owens Valley,” said Superintendent Bernadette Johnson. “Last summer, the crew included members from Big Pine, Independence and Lone Pine, so we look forward to seeing this year’s applications.”

The YCC team will focus on the preservation of resources associated with the confinement of Japanese Americans during World War II, the Manzanar orchard community and the local Paiute. The crew will have opportunities to visit other historically significant areas in the valley in order to gain a more complete understanding of Owens Valley history and the issues facing the protection of these resources in the future.

Applications may be obtained from the Manzanar National Historic Site Visitor Center, 5001 Highway 395, six miles South of Independence. The completed application must be received at Manzanar no later than Friday, March 29, to: Manzanar National Historic Site, Attn: Human Resources, PO Box 426, Independence, CA 93526.

The participants and alternates for the 2019 program will be notified by April 10. For more information, please contact Facility Manager Jim Baker at (760) 878-2194, ext. 3337.