YouthWork
Strengthening young people in their communities through service and life skills.
Building Stronger Futures and Communities!
YouthWork is a unique program designed to strengthen young people in their communities by completing conservation and skilled trades projects for nonprofits and government agencies. We all benefit from YouthWork!
Our participants YouthWork program provides provides young people with hands-on experience in conservation and energy efficiency—all while earning wages and building essential life and job-readiness skills. Teams operate across the state, from urban neighborhoods to remote natural areas, giving youth the opportunity to make a real impact while preparing for brighter futures.
Our project partners receive quality services, save valuable resources, and get critical projects completed by trained YouthWork crews.
Our Communities — and local businesses —thrive when we invest in people and places. A more skilled and prepared workforce supports our economy, while improved trails, cleaner waterways, and hundreds of thousands of newly planted trees and native plants enhance the places we call home.
WHO WE ARE
YouthWork is a unique program dedicated to strengthening young people—and the communities they call home—through hands-on service. We partner with nonprofits and government agencies to complete conservation and skilled trades projects that make a real impact.
The YouthWork program provides young people with hands-on experience in conservation and energy efficiency, while they earn wages and develop essential life and job-readiness skills. YouthWork runs conservation teams across the state—from River Raisin in Detroit to Isle Royale in Northern Michigan—and works closely with the local community in Traverse City.
WHAT WE DO
Conservation Work
YouthWork Conservation Corps completes conservation projects throughout the State of Michigan. Our projects include trail building and maintenance, invasive species removal, traditional skill building, boardwalk and stair construction, and erosion control. These efforts take place across several of Michigan’s National Parks and Forests.
Weatherization
YouthWork’s Weatherization Program partners with the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA) to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing. Serving a five-county region, NMCAA helps enhance the heating performance of homes, making them warmer, safer, and more affordable for families in our local communities.
GoatWork
YouthWork’s GoatWork program offers a natural solution to invasive species control. Through this program, partners hire our herd to graze on invasive plants, reducing the need for chemical or mechanical removal. The system is cyclical and sustainable: the goats consume unwanted vegetation, their waste is composted for use in our gardens, and any remaining woody material is ground into bedding—which can also be composted later. GoatWork is a practical, eco-friendly approach to land stewardship.
HIRE YOUTHWORK
Projects we can help with
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Light Construction
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Landscaping
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Fall/Spring Cleanups
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Trail Development
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Historic Preservation
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Shoreline/River Remediation
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Weatherization
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Tree Plantings
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Deferred Maintenance
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Habitat Restoration
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Invasive Species Removal
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And so much more!
YouthWork has extensive experience completing conservation and skilled trades projects. With over 150 satisfied partners, many of whom say they would hire YouthWork again after evaluating our work, we take pride in delivering quality results every time.
We carefully assign members to crews—and crews to projects—based on the specific skills, locations, and needs of both our partners and participants. We bring the tools, equipment, and labor necessary to restore and protect your natural spaces efficiently and effectively. Depending on the scope of work, some projects are completed in a day or less, while others may take weeks or months to ensure lasting impact.
Contact us at youthwork@CFS3L.org to learn more about hiring YouthWork for your project or partnering on a grant-funded initiative.
Our 2025 Project Partners
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Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore
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Ottawa National Forest
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Hiawatha National Forest
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Pictured Rocks
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Isle Royale
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River Raisin Battlefield
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Friends of Rouge Park
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Leelanau Conservancy
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Long Lake Township
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Huron Manistee National Forest
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Greenwood Foundation
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Lone Tree HOA
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Little Traverse Conservancy
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The Optimists Club
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Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency
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Peninsula Township
JOIN YOUTHWORK
Our Members
At the heart of YouthWork is an inclusive culture where every member is met with respect, kindness, and dignity. As a mission-driven program, YouthWork proudly welcomes—and actively recruits—young people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of talents and capabilities. We are especially committed to serving individuals who face barriers to employment, including young adults from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability communities, as well as women and others often underrepresented in the workforce.
Our caring, skilled, and dedicated staff provide the support each member needs to grow—both personally and professionally. We recognize that our members come to us from different starting points: some may be ready to lead, while others may be just beginning to build the habits and confidence needed to succeed in a team environment. Regardless of where they start, our members are at the center of everything we do—and in turn, they give back by serving their communities with purpose and pride.
Our Investors
YouthWork’s financial partners are vital to the success of our program. While we receive partial funding through federal grants, the remaining program costs are covered by fees for services paid by project partners who hire YouthWork to complete essential projects at a fair rate.
Additional grants and donations help reduce the cost of these services, making projects more accessible and affordable for the nonprofits, municipalities, and organizations we serve. Your investment not only supports YouthWork and the vulnerable young people we serve, but also strengthens the community partners working to build a better Michigan.
OUR IMPACT
Since launching in 2018, more than 300 YouthWork members have provided over 100,000+ hours of community service for 200+ partners at 300+ project sites contributing to:
100,000
100,000 native plants and trees planted
250
250 historic and public structures constructed or rehabbed
300
300 miles of trail constructed or improved
30
30 tons of recycled material diverted from the waste stream
1,000
90 miles of riparian
corridor restored
75
75 boardwalks, staircases, and viewing decks constructed or repaired
2,500
2,500 acres of public land improved for habitats, parks, and historic sites
“We are very appreciative for the enthusiastic boots-on-the-ground crews from YouthWork – these young people are providing critical labor to help meet our goal of planting 100,000 native trees under CRA’s Wild Roots initiative, and at the same me picking up professional skills we might tap in the future!”
Amy Beyer, Director,
Conservation Resource Alliance
“We have worked with YouthWork on trail-building and maintenance projects at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for several years (Kettles Trail and Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail). YouthWork crews have been hard-working, disciplined, and friendly. They have worked well with National Park staff and our volunteers, resulting in seamless and effective teamwork between the three groups. We plan to have them back again.”
Kerry Kelly, President,
Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes
“YouthWork helps students who need soft skills training, hands on experience, trades skills, and just learning things like how to keep a schedule, show up on time, and be reliable and motivated. We have found that this program is a really good fit for many of our students.”
Mimi Kinney, Transition Coordinator, Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District
“The opportunity to hire YouthWork on resource management and recreational improvement projects along the Boardman River and in our area public parklands presents a great opportunity to not only get work done at a fair labor rate but also instill a sense of pride and stewardship in our youth.”
Steve Largent,
Conservation Team Coordinator, Grand Traverse Conservation District
“I wanted to send a huge THANK YOU to the YouthWork crew that was out this fall for all their hard work. The staff here were very impressed by the work ethic demonstrated by both crews while they were here and we have nothing but great things to say about Erin who was a fantastic leader. We truly appreciate all the extra help with the monumental task we undertake each fall cleaning up leaves, sticks, and other debris from the park grounds to prepare for next season.”
Ben Dietrich, Unit Supervisor, Mitchell State Park, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
CONTACT US
