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The SCA's Motto is "Changing lives through service to nature." HISTORY OF THE SCA In 1955, Elizabeth Titus Cushman(Maiden Name), a Senior at Vassar College wrote her senior thesis called "A Proposed Student Conservation Corps". The Idea was to take the burden of labor intensive jobs such as entrance fee collecting or trail work from the National Park Service and shift to the SCC. In 1957, The Student Conservation Program(forerunner to SCA) had two separate programs in Grand Teton National Park and Olympic National Park . In 1964, the Student Conservation Program breaks away from the National Park Service , and forms the Student Conservation Association. Since then the Student Conservation Association has grown tremendously. CONSERVATION CREWS Every summer, over 600 high-schoolers aged 15-19 are placed into crews of 6 or 8 in national parks throughout the United States. The crews are roughly divided into frontcountry and backcountry crews, with frontcountry crews having easier access to such things as roads and showers. ]] The projects performed by the crews vary. Most of the work for the high school conservation crew involves trail work of some kind. The projects last from 21-30 days with a 4-5 day recreational trip at the end as a reward for a job well done. The program is free to students except for the cost of transportation to the prearranged meetup spot, usually a nearby airport. Expenses are shared between the SCA, agency partners, and individual donors. Financial assistance is available to cover transportation costs and SCA can provide gear to those needing it (through its partnership with L.L. Bean ). Once at their worksite, the students work six days on and one day off. The crews are led usually by two crew leaders, men and women over the age of 21. Most crew leaders are college students or teachers. The sponsoring organization such as the Park Service or Bureau Of Land Management provides instruction and tools, but the crews are responsible for completing it without supervision. On days off, they may undertake an ambitious hike or just relax around camp. At the end of their conservation project, all crews take a short recreation trip to enjoy the area. In backcountry crews, this is usually a backpacking trip. An online application as well as a catalog of conservation crew worksites is available on the SCA website. SCA begins reviewing applications in January and offers of placement are sent out beginning in April. CONSERVATION INTERNS Through partnerships with agencies such as the National Park Service, people 18 and over are placed in internship positions. There are two different types: short and long term internships. The short term internships last under three months, while long term internships can last from 6 to 12 months. The jobs performed by the interns varies. They can include backcountry patrol, working with visitors, and conducting ecological surveys. The interns are provided with a stipend, housing (in most cases), and an AmeriCorps Stipend. Applications and a catalog of current intership openings are available on the SCA's website. Some internships are very competitive while others are not filled. The admissions process for each intership is on a rolling basis, with each intership position having a closing date. Students can apply for as many positions as they wish. Many of short term Conservation Internship Positions involve work such as soil and water monitoring, GIS work, naturalist work, interpretation, visitor assistance, and more. The majority of short-term conservation internship position are during the summer season, but positions are offered all year long. Interns can work either on a one-to-one basis with state or federal professionals, or in groups as part of the Conservation Corps. REFERENCES
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