Our 2022 Annual Report is now available.
Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance at Clear Lake State Park in Lake County (Photo: Parks California)
Parks California announced the recipients of its Career Pathways grant program, awarding a total of $2,402,795 to support partnerships across the state. These grants fund collaborative efforts between California State Parks and organizations to expand access to careers in public lands for underserved communities.
Since 2021, Career Pathways has awarded more than 30 grants totaling more than $2.2 million to serve almost 300 participants with mentorship, internship and professional development experience in park stewardship careers.
Amah Mutsun Land Trust
Forging a Career Pathway in Lands Stewardship and Management for Tribal Members
Amah Mutsun Land Trust will continue supporting the Native Stewardship Corps, a multi-year program that develops future stewards of cultural and ecological knowledge. The Native Stewardship Corps provides eight tribal members with paid, full-time training in traditional Indigenous and contemporary resource management, cultural revitalization and addressing historical trauma. Participants are able to reconnect with ancestral lands and culture while gaining professional skills.
This two-year project creates career opportunities in parks and public lands by involving tribal members in work and planning with State Parks and AMLT across four counties.
Civicorps
State Parks Career Development Project
Civicorps will continue technical training with California State Parks, Diablo Range District. State Parks staff will tailor each session to teach participants specialized skills such as restoration, carpentry, painting, plumbing and masonry. On-site training exposes corpsmembers to various environments and career paths. Teams will work on projects like erosion control, invasive species removal, improving access, wildfire resilience and historic building protection.
Civicorps will offer two 12-month internships in maintenance, natural resources or a hybrid role at the same sites. The experience helps participants pursue State Parks careers.
Los Angeles Conservation Corps
Los Angeles State Historic Park facilities and maintenance internships
Los Angeles Conservation Corps’ internship program at Los Angeles State Historic Park addresses two needs: replenishing and diversifying California State Parks’ workforce and providing paid work experience for opportunity youth. The program gives 15 corpsmembers paid training to qualify for entry-level natural resource management jobs.
The internship is part of the Corps’ career pathways framework, which connects corpsmembers to jobs or college through work, education and support. Each year, at least 500 young adults ages 18-26 gain paid experience and job skills. Corpsmembers can pursue tracks in resource management, energy, recycling, healthy soils or green construction, working on projects and earning certifications. Graduates get job search support and access to employer-advised opportunities.
San Joaquin County Office of Education
Greater Valley Conservation Corps Diablo Range District Workforce Development Program
GVCC is expanding their partnership with State Parks’ Diablo Range District to improve career exploration and job pathways at state parks for underrepresented GVCC corpsmembers ages 18-26.
Through this partnership, GVCC will provide workforce development — academic support, training, case management, career exploration and placement. Diablo Range District will offer work-based learning, including:
Many GVCC corpsmembers are interested in natural resources but have never visited a state park or had trouble envisioning a park career. Others feel overwhelmed by the hiring process and need mentoring and application help. Hands-on experience, mentorship, skills training and application assistance from GVCC and Diablo Range District will address barriers and expand career pathways to California State Parks and other agencies.
Sierra Institute for Community and Environment
P-CREW Youth Corps: Empowering Youth through Pathways to the Profession
P-CREW — Plumas Conservation, Restoration and Education in Watersheds — engages youth in natural resource stewardship projects on public and private lands in the Northern Sierra. The program serves as a pathway for young adults, equipping them with technical and social skills for career advancement. Projects span Lassen Volcanic National Park, Plumas Eureka State Park, Feather River Canyon and Lassen National Forest. Through this Career Pathways grant, P-CREW will recruit 32 members and support fuel reduction at Plumas Eureka State Park and other stewardship activities at Donner Memorial State Park.
P-CREW prepares participants for natural resource careers through hands-on stewardship activities such as fuels reduction, fireline preparation, meadow restoration, recreation maintenance and invasive plant management.
University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Environmental Stewards
Bridging Corpsmembers to Careers in Parks 2: Through the California Naturalist Course
Underserved young people face barriers to training and education for park careers. This project empowers underserved young adults in the greater Sacramento area, preparing them for careers in parks management. Using the California Naturalist certification, the program provides practical naturalist knowledge, skills and a sense of stewardship for California’s ecosystems. The course covers state ecosystems, natural history, resource management and environmental interpretation. The curriculum emphasizes career-focused knowledge and experiences, mentoring a new generation of environmental leaders ready to address challenges in parks and natural areas. The project highlights skills and work experience in park interpretation, planning and resource management.
The two-year outdoor education program offers 70 Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps and California Conservation Corps members supplemental training in the California Naturalist Course. They participate in a 40-hour multi-week course taught by Tuleyome instructors in parks along the American River from Lake Folsom to the Sacramento River confluence.
Ecological Workforce Initiative
Ecological Workforce Training & Pathways
The Ecological Workforce Initiative will partner with the North Coast Redwoods District to provide workforce training for State Parks staff, contractors and local community members, expanding the North Coast restoration workforce. EWI will develop a “Connectivity Hub” app to connect local workers with restoration careers and will collect data on jobs, wages and economic impact to show State Parks restoration as a driver of local opportunity.
The Ecological Worker Awareness and Compliance training provides foundational ecological, regulatory and cultural knowledge for working in sensitive habitats, and introduces restoration and stewardship careers. Participants receive 8 hours of classroom training in one or two sessions, supplemented by field mentoring with park staff and crews. Field visits show how EWAC skills meet employer needs. State Parks staff also present employment opportunities and hiring processes.
EWI will continue to collect data on jobs, wages and economic impact to highlight State Parks restoration as a driver of local opportunity. These efforts will expand equitable access to State Parks careers, training and restoration jobs for tribal members, communities of color, underemployed workers and other historically marginalized North Coast residents.
Lomakatsi Restoration Project
Ajumawi Band Ecocultural Restoration and Workforce Training Initiative
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park has dense vegetation and high wildfire risk due to fire exclusion and limited tribal stewardship. Tribal engagement in long-term stewardship has been limited.
This planning grant supports collaboration between the Ajumawi Band of the Pit River Tribe, Lomakatsi and California State Parks to develop a tribal workforce training program and restoration strategy for the park. The project aims to improve ecological health, reduce wildfire risk to the park and nearby communities, enhance First Foods and other cultural resources, and advance career pathways for tribal young adults.
Funding would support Lomakatsi in convening the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership to plan the project, and the project will leverage Lomakatsi’s workforce training models and staff expertise.
This project will catalyze a long-term partnership to advance tribal workforce training and integrate tribal interests into restoration and resilience at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park and other ancestral lands.
Foundation for California Community Colleges
Career Pathways: California State Parks and Community Colleges
The Foundation for California Community Colleges leverage CCC campus partnerships to help California State Parks create a direct pipeline from students to jobs in interpretation, education, facilities and maintenance.
Through its Resilient Careers in Forestry program, Foundation CCC scales training and places workers in forestry and fire-safety jobs statewide. Foundation CCC will conduct a landscape analysis to:
The planning grant will help Foundation CCC assess employment and training needs and identify CCC campus partners and support structures for a pilot college-to-State Parks career pipeline.
American Conservation Experience
ACE Sacramento OHMVR Career Pathways Workforce Program
The ACE Sacramento Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Career Pathways Workforce Program prepares young adults for entry-level California State Parks careers in motorized recreation and park stewardship. ACE aims to deepen collaboration with State Parks, building statewide trails and OHMVR winter recreation partnerships. The workforce development model aligns with State Vehicular Recreation Areas’ needs in operations, maintenance, visitor services and stewardship.
Based at ACE’s Sacramento Crew Office, the program uses Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area as a regional hub for workforce development, operations and stewardship in a busy inland recreation setting. Participants take on paid crew assignments, gaining experience, exposure to workplace culture and understanding of State Parks career opportunities.
ACE will provide career-readiness support for State Parks pathways, CalCareers navigation and translating experience into applications. The program is designed to increase readiness and competitiveness for State Parks jobs.
Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps
California State Parks Corps Management Apprenticeship
Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, in partnership with California State Parks, will deploy a crew to assist with recreational improvement projects. ESCC apprentices will work with state parks trail crews on large-scale projects and gain experience and leadership skills over three months.
California State Parks relies on conservation corps to complete trail management projects. Mentoring and managing large corps groups is a key skill for State Parks staff, but newer trail workers have few opportunities to develop it. This apprenticeship will help workers with 1-2 seasons of experience to build trail crew management skills while easing the workload on current trail crews.
ESCC’s mission is to advance diversity and equity in public lands management. The organization has supported dozens of underrepresented corps members’ careers. This project expands ESCC’s professional development and models of workforce diversity for corps members and State Parks trail crews.
Borrego Village Association
Borrego Springs High School Interpretation Course and Internship Program
The program enhances students’ professional development and provides training in essential skills for employment in the California State Parks system. Participants rotate through Anza-Borrego State Park operational units to learn park management and career opportunities, and study the Anza-Borrego Desert’s nature, history and culture. Students complete a National Association for Interpretation certification, which strengthens resumes for jobs or internships with State Parks, recreation departments, museums and nature centers.
The curriculum includes field trips where students learn about nature and science and receive hiking gear and guidebooks. The goal is to equip students with outdoor knowledge, lifelong skills and communication abilities to share this information. Two graduates in 2023 and 2024 were hired full-time at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Many others pursued higher education in natural sciences or gained confidence in public speaking, resume development and interviews. Students leave the program with appreciation for nature, culture, history and conservation, and understand the role of State Parks in preserving resources.
California Conservation Corps
Corps to Career Connection
The Corps to Career Connection program will annually select 6-8 corpsmembers for a 3-months intensive training, certifications and State Parks mentorship program. The CCC will use a competitive application process that assesses interest in Interpreter or Peace Officer careers to select participants for this program. Corpsmembers receive California Naturalist and Climate Stewards certifications, Youth Co-instructor and Interpretive Guide training, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and support to obtain a driver’s license. They get one-on-one job application support and shadow interpreters or Peace Officers to gain firsthand experience.
CCC corpsmembers come from diverse backgrounds, with many experiencing their first time in parks through the program. CCC recruits all backgrounds to reflect California’s diversity; most corpsmembers are young adults of color, many from low-income communities. By empowering corpsmembers with relevant training and experience, CCC aims to diversify career pathways in parks and public lands.
