By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—It’s not always easy to find a path after high school. For others, the way forward isn’t quite so clear.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do after graduation,” said nineteen-year-old Isaac Kennedy-Mitchell at his parents’ house in Brandon last week. A 2024 OV grad, he was home after a three-month stint with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that gives young people an opportunity to work on outdoor projects across the state, helping to maintain Vermont’s parks, trails, waterways, and forests.
“My grandfather told me about Green Mountain Conservation Camp [a similar program within Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife]. I thought it looked really interesting, but the program began before graduation,” continued Isaac. “So, I looked around and found VYCC. I like working with my hands and I care a lot about the environment. VYCC makes a positive difference.”
The program operates for three seasons—it doesn’t run in winter—and Isaac joined for the fall season, which ran from September 3 through November 3. The summer program is open to youth aged 15+ and the spring and fall programs are open to youth aged 18+.
Isaac said the application process was straightforward.
“They asked if you mind camping and working in different conditions,” he said. The work is outdoors and during the week, the crews sleep in tents on the work sites. On weekends, the crewmembers can go home or sleep in tents at the main campus in Richmond (where there are indoor bathroom and kitchen facilities).
“We worked in Maidstone and Waterbury and slept in tents,” said Isaac, who thrived in the rough conditions. “When it got down to 20 degrees at night, I was a happy camper.”
The programs begin with training at VYCC’s main campus in Richmond, after which workers break into 6-member crews that focus on different tasks. Some crews concentrate on carpentry, others on trail maintenance, and yet others on logging.
Isaac was a member of the carpentry crew. His girlfriend, eighteen-year-old Sophiya Chase, whom he met during the program, worked on both the carpentry and trail crews. Neither had any experience before the program.
Sophiya, who hails from Tampa, Florida, learned about the program through a YouTube video.
“It seemed like a nice opportunity to travel and make a difference on the environment,” she said. “I’d never been to Vermont. I love it. The program made me want to stay here longer.”
Sophiya was certainly not the only out-of-stater in the program. In fact, of the 36 crewmembers overall this fall, only 4 were from Vermont, including Isaac. Some came from as far away as Los Angeles.
VYCC is modeled on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that the federal government operated during the Great Depression, providing pay to young men in exchange for their labor conserving the country’s natural resources. Like CCC, VYCC doesn’t take its participants’ labor for granted. The members are paid for their work, around $860 every two weeks. And since the crews are given weekly stipends for groceries and don’t have to pay rent, they can put away most of what they make. Plus, VYCC will reimburse up to $1,500 in post-program education and training expenses for those who make it through the full season.
Isaac said he’s thinking of using his bonus to pursue a “Game of Logging” certification, which would show that he’s been trained in logging techniques and safety. There are programs similar to VYCC around the country and Isaac said he’d like to head out west, perhaps to Montana.
“I always knew I’d work with my hands. I couldn’t do a desk job,” he said.
In addition to the technical and practical skills they learn, the program also provides a crash course in interpersonal relations, as the crews have to work together harmoniously to finish their assigned tasks. Fortunately, both Isaac and Sophiya said their crews got along very well. And Sophiya’s crew set aside time every week for the airing and settling of grievances.
“We had community meetings to resolve conflicts,” said Sophiya. “I’ve definitely grown as a person, broadened my perspective. It was good to work with people who were also interested in the outdoors. I didn’t really have that in Florida.”
They both also advised that anyone interested in joining the program should research what it entails.
“Know what you’re getting into,” he said. “It’s not a summer camp. We worked 16 to 18 hours per day sometimes.”
“Be prepared for difficult work,” added Sophiya. “Be prepared for rough conditions and to take care of yourself.”
But all the hard work had benefits beyond experience and pay: the friendships they made. In fact, Isaac and Sophiya were just about to head up to Maine to spend a few days with friends from VYCC.
“You meet a lot of cool people,” said Sophiya. “You make powerful connections and lasting friendships.”
Isaac nodded in agreement.
“Our whole crew loved each other.”
[Editor’s note: Anyone interested in learning more about VYCC should visit vycc.org for more details about the organization and its programs.]
