RMYC Conservation, Canine Leadership and Prevention Programs offer
positions aligned to each participating Corpsmember’s interest and ability.
Upper Rio Grande (URG)
Conservation Program
The RMYC Upper Rio Grande (URG) Programs offers paid community service opportunities in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local agencies. Throughout their service at RMYC, Corpsmembers receive on-the-job trainings and other personal and professional development opportunities.
URG Conservation Crew
The RMYC Upper Rio Grande (URG) Conservation Program, operated out of Taos, offers paid opportunities in a variety of environmental or community based projects in service to our federal, state, tribal and local land management agencies. Projects may include a combination of trails construction, erosion control, invasive species control, forest restoration, and fire prevention activities.
RMYC URG works closely with Taos Pueblo, Picuris Pueblo and other Native American communities to provide a unique learning experience and community development opportunities.
URG Canine Leadership Crew
In 2018, RMYC initiated the Canine Leadership Crew to provide paid work experiences for youth ages 15-22 whom have barriers to employment, such as disability or health conditions, themselves. The Canine-Assisted Leadership Crew members and their service dog they are training will also be Camp Counselors at Camp L.E.A.D., a leadership, empowerment, and abuse prevention day camp in Taos for younger children with disabilities.
URG Prevention Program
With the support of a grant through NM Department of Health’s Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP), Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ Prevention Program is working to reduce underage drinking, driving while intoxicated, and alcohol outlet density in Taos, NM. Using environmental strategies such as radio and print PSAs; Responsible Beverage Service training for bartenders and waitstaff; and working with local law enforcement officials on saturation patrols and DWI checkpoints, RMYC strengthens the community’s perception of risk and consequence for harmful substance use. Additionally, RMYC staff administer two statewide community surveys per year for Taos, one that measures the general population’s perception of risk and consequence, the other that measures local middle school and high school youth risk and resiliency factors. Data from these surveys is shared nation-wide.
Middle Rio Grande
MRG Conservation Program
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ Conservation Crews work either a full season up to 1700 hours (between April and November of each year) or as part of a summer crew from June to August for up to 400 hours. Corpsmembers are between the ages of 17 and 25 and receive a stipend for their work as they gain meaningful experience, soft and hard skills training and professional development. All Corpsmembers who complete a full season become eligible to receive a scholarship award.
The RMYC American Sign Language (ASL) Inclusion Crew, started in 2016, runs with Corpsmembers from the deaf and hard of hearing community. Corpsmembers from the New Mexico School for the Deaf participate in this and the Canine Leadership Program out of Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico.
The RMYC Middle Rio (MRG) Conservation Program, operated out of Albuquerque, offers paid wilderness and community service opportunities. Corpsmembers might work in wilderness conservation on 8-day spikes or on daily assignment.
Most crew work on projects as determined by Federal, Tribal, State and Local Government partners with a focus on invasive species removal, climate response, erosion control, trail construction and/or community service. All Middle Rio Grande Rocky Mountain Youth Corps Crews can be deployed locally, regionally, and state-wide.
Individual Placement, Interns and VISTA
Individual placements, interns, and AmeriCorps VISTAs work directly with sponsoring organizations and land-managing agencies to build capacity of community organizations and/or support the mission of the agency. These individual positions are catered to the needs of the hosting organization and will have a focus in different expertise based on hosting organization needs.
Projects may include:
- Fundraising
- Organizational capacity building
- GIS mapping
- Forest monitoring
- Recreation, range, biology, fire support