The photo at left shows National Park Service Youth Conservation Corps summer employees working with nets in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s Grand Sable Lake. In the photo at right, YCC employees kayak down the Little Beaver Lake River channel in the PRNL. Applications to participate in the YCC program are available at the National Park Service website. (Photos courtesy of the National Park Service)

By Journal Staff

MUNISING — High school students have the opportunity to get outside, learn and grow this summer — and get paid for it.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is seeks students ages 15 through 18 to participate in the Youth Conservation Corps summer employment program.

According to a PRNL press release, participants will get paid to work, learn and gain leadership skills.

No prior experience is needed, just an eagerness to make a difference, according to the release.

YCC is offered at national parks all over the country. The program engages young people in meaningful work experiences at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries, while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility, the release states.

Park Superintendent David Horne said the experience will take students to some of the most unique outdoor destinations in the country as they consider post-high school education and jobs.

“The YCC program is an outstanding opportunity for young people to work on a team and build skills in an incredible setting, and it is a great introduction to the National Park Service as a potential career,” Horne said in the release.

In addition, anyone who likes to hike, backpack, climb, kayak, bike or horseback ride could be well suited to YCC jobs, the National Park Service website said.

According to the release, YCC candidates selected to work for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will be expected to work between June 19 and Aug. 11.

Participants will assist park employees to complete trails and grounds projects across the park.

The pay is $15 per hour for a 40-hour work week. Housing is not available on-site, so students would be responsible for transportation to and from the site each day.

Interested candidates can download an application from the YCC website at nps.gov/subjects/youthprograms/ycc.htm

Applications can be sent to the park’s mailing address, P.O. Box 40, Munising, MI 49862, or dropped off at the park headquarters building at N8391 Sand Point Road, Munising.

For more information about Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, visit www.nps.gov/piro or on Facebook @PicturedRocksNL and Instagram @picturedrocksnps.

Applications for the summer season will be accepted until May 1.