Youth Employment in Parks (YEP) 2008

The Youth Employment in Parks (YEP) program is a program of the Anchorage Parks & Recreation Department and Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, a program of the National Wildlife Federation. The goal of the YEP program is to positively engage a new generation of diverse youth leaders with the environment and the Anchorage community through meaningful training, employment, and outdoor recreation.

This summer, the YEP program hired 1 Expeditor, 6 Crew Leaders, 6 Assistant Crew Leaders, and 42 Crew Members. In these positions, youth got great job experience and developed important leadership skills by working on a variety of park improvement projects and leading recreation activities! Check out a testimonial from 2008 Crew Leader Stephen Calkin.

Each week’s education, work and recreation activities are described below.

On July 29, 2008, YEP participants visited the Anchorage Assembly and talked about their work. To see the video, click here and click on "Video" for 7/29/08.

For a list of YEP's community supporters and partners, please click here.

Check out more photos on the Anchorage Park Foundation Facebook page!

Weekly Themes

• 

  Introduction
  June 2nd – June 6th
  
  Park Work: Parks Crews were introduced to their base location at Centennial Park and toured the areas where they would work throughout the summer. 
  
  Recreation Work:  Recreation Crews toured their different work locations, learned cooperative games and techniques to to share and use throughout the summer.   
  
  Education: Parks & Recreation Department heads Jeff Dillon, Mari Steinbach and Monique Anderson welcomed this year’s crew and introduced the YEP program.  Crews received valuable training from Parks & Recreation and Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) staff and participated in team building and environmental education activities to prepare them for upcoming work projects.  The entire YEP crew received the appropriate CPR and First Aid training for their positions.

• Watersheds
  

  June 9th – June 13th
  
  Park Work: Parks Crews planted hundreds of willows at Taku Lake Park and Campbell Park.  The bank restoration project will improve this local and public water system.  Teens studied stream environments to improve their understanding of the purpose of the work they conducted.  They learned about rain gardens, beaver mitigation, macroinvertibrates and invasive plant species.
  
  Recreation Work:  Recreation Crews split into groups of 8 and began their first week at Park-n-Play, St. Anthony’s play program, Kincaid Adventure Camp and Rowdy Rangers and the schools hosting summer playground programs.  Leaders remained at their original sites while crews rotated every three weeks to work within each recreation program.  Crews also began junior lifeguard training. Upon completion of this training, participants are eligible for lifeguard certification, which would prepare them to work one of the five municipal pools.  
  
  Education: Educators for this week’s ‘watershed’ theme were David Wigglesworth, Tammie Wilson, Wade Collins and Vickie Cable of the Municipality of Anchorage, Tom Moore of Moore’s Landscaping and Bill Rice from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service.
  

• Living with Wildlife

  June 16th – June 20th
  
  Park Work:  Parks Crews finished the streambed restoration project at Campbell Park.  They also planted willow trees along the bank of Campbell Creek at Wickersham Park and worked to protect trees from beaver damage at University Lake Park.  Finally, they did field work surveying the invasive fish population at Cheney Lake Park.
  
  Rec. Work:  Recreation Crews continued to provide recreation programming for the Anchorage community.   Many of the crews implemented environmental education programs as they taught children new games, skills, and activities.
  
  Education:  Elizabeth Manning of Fish & Game and other members of the MOA Watershed Task Force gave a presentation on the Anchorage “Living with Wildlife” plan.
  

• 
  

  Anchorage Food Supply
  June 23rd – June 27th
  
  Park Work:  Parks Crews learned about the city’s community gardens and park flower beds.  They worked at Hilltop Chalet on restoring flowerbeds and planting wildflowers.  They also tended community gardens throughout the city and constructed compost bins at each of the garden sites. 
  
  Rec. Work:  Recreation Crews worked with children throughout the city in various play programs.  Through play, the teens encouraged youth to see how their actions have an affect on the environment and other members of the community.  Additionally, participants worked on park and playground improvements at their various worksites.
  
  Education:  Youth toured Alaska Pacific University’s Spring Creek Farm in Palmer where they had the opportunity to learn about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and see firsthand how such programs work.  

• Waste Management & Recycling
  June 30th – July 4th  
  
  Park Work:  Parks Crews toured the Anchorage Landfill and Eagle River Waste Water facilities.  They also spent a half day working on clean-up projects at each facility.  Additionally, crews completed maintainance projects at public flowerbeds throughout Anchorage.
  
  Rec. Work:  Recreation Crews continued their work with youth at various parks and school sites.  With an emphasis on water fun in both the Kincaid Adventure Camp and Summer Camp programs, crews challenged youth to think about how their water use impacts the environment.  This was the first week of rotation changes for all recreation crew; rotations to new recreation programs offered crew members a new location and program to experience.
  
  Education:  While touring waste management facilities, youth gained insight as to how waste is processed, transported and disposed of. They drew connections to the importance of recycling materials and started their own recycling program at their worksites.

• Urban Forestry
  July 7th – July 11th
  
  Park Work:  Parks Crews learned about Anchorage urban forests.  They spent time at Muldoon Park working on clearing and pruning dead standing trees and thinning brush to help maintain a healthy forest ecosystem.
  
  Rec. Work:  Recreation Crews worked with children throughout the city in various play programs.  Through play, the teens encouraged youth to see how their actions affect the environment and other members of the community.  As part of the festivities, YEP and Summer Playground leaders planned and implemented a carnival.
  
  Education:  Aimee Wedemeier, Outdoor Recreation Coordinator for the Municipality of Anchorage, presented an edible plants lesson; teens identified and picked wild herbs in their area and made tea.  They also picked invasive dandelions and made fritters out of them.  All enjoyed these practical, fun hands-on activities. 

• Urban Forestry Continued
  July 14th –July18th
  
  Park Work: Parks Crews worked in Muldoon Park, continuing the spruce bark beetle mitigation work by clearing trails. Pruning, brush removal and material stacking were the main objectives of this project.  The crew learned about chainsaw safety and maintenance while fine-tuning their hand tool skills. 
  
  Recreation Work:  Recreation Crews remained in their new locations, continuing program enhancement.  The summer playground program offered carnival activities for their youth.  Both youth and teens learned basic economy skills while playing traditional carnival games.
  
  Education: Matt Weaver and Steve Nickels from the state Division of Forestry offered hands-on and engaging information about local tree identification and the beetles and diseases that have affected the trees. 

• Soft Surface Trails
  July 21st-25th
  
  Park Work: Parks Crews partnered with Alaska Trails to help create 8.5 miles of new trails at Prospect Heights.  This week’s focus was on learning "Leave No Trace" practices.  The crew also received a basic mycology lesson while learning how to create a new trail and how to maintain that system.
  
  Recreation Work:  Recreation Crews completed their second rotation throughout the recreation programs this week.  Youth offered healthy snacks and snack preparation to kids while participating in outdoor recreation activities such as canoeing excursions at Little Campbell Lake, hiking on Flat Top and day trips to Valley of the Moon Park.  In addition, YEP crew offered structured activities at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Williwaw Elementary, Spring Hill Elementary, Kincaid Elementary, Chugach Optional, Davis Park, Ira Walker Park, Conifer Park, Rowdy Rangers, Kincaid Adventure Camp and Creekside Park.
  
  Education:  This week’s environmental education focus was on single track, soft trails.  Crew received bike skills training with local experts.  Those that did not have their own helmets received free helmets from Alaska’s Safe Kids program.  

• Trail Work
  July 28th – August 1st
  
  Park Work:   Parks Crews continued to work on the new soft-surface trail at Prospect Heights.  Crews expressed a sense of ownership of the trails they improved.  Their project leader, Jilian Morrissey of Alaska Trails, offered real trail crew opportunities and responsibilities.  They learned how to sharpen and maintain their own tools during this segment of the program.
  
  Recreation Work:  Recreation Crews completed their last week with the recreation programs.  This week closed out programs through cleanup, storage and good-byes to the youth Crews served. 
  
  Education: This week, the Crew Members went to Potter Marsh to evaluate the newly restored salmon run project and then to Rainbow Trailhead for a walk/run on one of Anchorage’s easily accessible single track, soft trails.
  

• Mentorship

  August 4th – August 8th
  
  Park and Recreation Work:  All Crews met together this week at Alaska Pacific University’s Atwood Center to participate in AYEA's Mentorship Week.  This week the crew participated in a job shadow day that encouraged them to explore jobs within the MOA, AYEA, NWF and other organizations of their own choosing.  They learned how to create a resume and attended a job fair.  This week also closed out the YEP program season with a closing dinner ceremony, with parents and other YEP contributors attending.
  
  Education: This week’s recreation and program culminated in a trip to Portage for a glacier boat tour.  Teens learned about their space through interpretation and historical documentation offered by the USFS and exploration of the results of climate change as they witnessed the Portage Glacier in recession.

• This has been an amazing season of growth and service for YEP staff.  Thanks to everyone who has participated.  We can’t wait to see you next year!

Be A Trailblazer !

The Anchorage Park Foundation is currently seeking financial and in-kind support for the 2009 YEP program. Contributions for YEP will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, by the Rasmuson Foundation. To learn more about the YEP program and how you can contribute to its success and sustainability, click here to view our 2008 YEP brochure.

Click here to see what the YEP Parks Crew learned and accomplished during the summer of 2007!

Email April Reed, YEP Program Coordinator or call 343-4518 to discuss Youth Employment in Parks!

View brochure here (5MB)