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What Project Sponsors Need to Know?

From project planning to completion, it’s easy to use a youth corps. Youth corps are turnkey operations that get the job done. They arrive with the equipment, skills and supervision to succeed. If you have a land, water or energy conservation project, need a labor force, and would like to engage young people (ages 14-25, depending on the type of project) in your project, we can help. Youth corps employ and train youth and young adults, ages 14-25, and assign the right type and age crew based on the project sponsors’ needs.

Youth corps typically work for local, state, or federal government agencies but can also, under some circumstances, conduct work on private lands, in private homes, and for homeowners associations.

A youth corps crew can be as small as two people to as many as twelve, depending on the project sponsors’ needs.

Typical conservation projects include:

Land Conservation

  • Constructing and maintaining Colorado’s trail system
  • Improving outdoor recreation amenities such as playgrounds and parks
  • Mitigating fire fuels
  • Restoring wildlife habitat
  • Mitigating and removing invasive species
  • GPS data capture and verification

Water Conservation

  • Installing water-saving measures in low-income residents’ homes and other buildings
  • Mitigating thirsty invasive species
  • Constructing and planting drought-tolerant xeriscape gardens

Energy Conservation

  • Installing energy-saving measures and weatherizing low-income residents’ homes and other buildings
  • Constructing and rehabilitating affordable housing using energy-saving technology

To find the youth corps that serves your area and to discuss project opportunities, contact jfreeman@cyca.org or view the region map and contact the corps that serves your region. Before you hire a crew, though, here are some things you need to know.

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Shared Project Responsibilities

Hosting a youth corps requires cooperation, communication, and shared responsibility. Many sponsors ask “what do I need to provide?” The chart below details how youth corps generally share responsibility. Of course, a project may require a different breakdown of responsibilities which you can discuss with corps staff.

Youth Corps Responsibilities

  • Pre-project walk-through with sponsor’s staff
  • Adult supervision
  • Youth/young adult crew (size of crew, skills, and age of corpsmembers based on project sponsor need and project type)
  • Basic tools
  • Transportation
  • Camp equipment & food (if necessary)

Project Sponsor Responsibilities

  • Project planning
  • Pre-project walk-through with corps staff
  • Specialty tools
  • Sponsor staff person available to answer questions and check work regularly
  • Complete an end of project evaluation
  • Camp sites (if necessary)
  • Fee-for Service

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Project Costs

Youth corps operate using a fee-for-service funding structure. Youth corps set rates based on the size of the crew, type of project, and location. Contact CYCA or the corps in your region to discuss rates for your project.

The fee-for -service often does not cover the full cost of a crew. The youth corps solicits private funds to make up the difference. Frequently, CYCA and the local youth corps program can help find grants and other funding sources to offset the fee-for-service rate. If you have a project in mind but do not have the funds to pay for it, please contact us or the corps that serves your region, as we may be able to help.

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The Colorado Youth Corps Association’s Role in Projects

Project sponsors can either hire an youth corps directly or ask CYCA to help manage the project(s). CYCA generally manages projects when a project sponsor or agency would like to hire multiple youth corps for multiple projects or when they need assistance with reporting or administrative functions. CYCA can ease the administrative burden for project sponsors and youth corps, thereby freeing agency resources for other functions.

CYCA Project Management Services:

  • Comprehensive project accomplishment reporting, financial accountability, youth engagement outcomes, data management, and sponsor satisfaction
  • Increased efficiency on complex, multi-corps, multi-region projects.
  • Ease administrative burden on agencies and youth corps
  • Assurance that that youth corps adhere to accreditation standards
  • Mitigating and removing invasive species
  • Assurance of quality work

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The Value of Accreditation

The annual CYCA accreditation process is comprehensive and ensures that youth corps programs provide a consistent level of high quality programming and services to youth participants and project sponsors. Major areas for review include service projects and program structure, corpsmembers and corpsmember development, and program management and administration. The Accreditation process involves a self-assessment of the program, a peer site visit, and review by the CYCA Board of Directors. Only CYCA-accredited programs can receive project contracts through CYCA. Contact us for a list of the current accreditation standards.

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Youth Corps

What They Are

  • Youth employment and training programs
  • Programs focused on developing young people through work and learning

What They Are Not

  • Professional work crews
  • Volunteer programs
  • Recreation programs

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