Grant Provides Summer Jobs for YESS Students

Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) was recently chosen to receive a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant which provides summer jobs for young people with the goal of training the next generation of natural resource professionals.

This grant was formed in response to President Barack Obama's call to increase summer employment for youth; nationwide, 20 programs received the grant out of 300 applications.

MHCC's Project YESS (Youth Employability Support Services) team wrote the grant and will identify at-risk and low-income youth to participate in this opportunity. These students will work closely with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and other organizations and agencies to build trails, maintain parks, assist professionals with salmon restoration and perform many other functions aimed at restoring and preserving wildlife habitat and outdoor opportunities for people.

"The purpose of this grant is to give students hands-on experience and exposure to all the amazing careers in conservation and natural resources. We want them to gain work experience, but we also want to get them out of the city and immersed in the natural world," says Michael Oliver, Project YESS's advising specialist.

Look for the Project YESS booth at the Summer Jobs fair that will be held winter term on the Gresham campus, 26000 S.E. Stark St. For more information, please visit mhcc.edu/yess.