Join the movement to protect Cleveland’s parks and green spaces!
With the SCA’s Urban Green program, you’ll gain hands-on conservation experience working with Cleveland Metroparks and other local organizations in Northeast Ohio. Build trails, plant trees, restore habitats, and explore exciting career opportunities in the environmental field – all while getting paid.
What We Offer:
Paid Opportunities: Green jobs for teens, high schoolers, and young adults.
Real-World Experience: Build skills in trail maintenance, habitat restoration, urban forestry, and more.
Career Development: Get training, mentorship, and connections to launch your green career.
Community Impact: Make a difference in Cleveland’s environment and communities.
Since 2015, we’ve helped dozens of young people in Northeast Ohio make a difference and build skills for a brighter future.
Ready to join us? Explore our current opportunities and apply today!
Whether you're a student looking for a paid summer job, a teen seeking volunteer experience on weekends, or recent graduate who's curious about nature, SCA's Urban Green Cleveland has a program for you. Explore our diverse opportunities and start your journey toward a greener future.
Summer High School Conservation Crews
These paid six-week positions take place June to August and offer high-school-age participants a transformative experience outdoors, completing conservation projects and learning about the career field.
School Year Conservation Crew
These school year programs, typically on weekends, introduce high school-age participants to urban forestry, environmental education, stormwater management and related outdoor conservation projects.
Young adult conservation crews (age 18+) complete various field-based conservation projects throughout the year. Each crew has its own goals and focuses on removing invasive species, restoring habitat, constructing trails, maintaining trails, urban forestry and more.
Crew Leaders supervise and train SCA conservation crews working in the field. These paid outdoor positions guide, inspire and motivate our high school and young adult participants while making critical decisions daily regarding the safety and well-being of our crew members. During training and throughout the season, crew leaders gain experience and expertise in various conservation skills like trail building, habitat restoration, environmental education, urban forestry, and community outreach. These positions are great for young professionals building their conservation and environmental work experience.
Full-time paid opportunity for (4) crew members to join a team-based program designed to introduce members to a variety of trail maintenance and trail building projects and practice the interpersonal skills required in a team environment. Teams engage in physically challenging project work focused on extending and maintaining an extensive network of trails in parks near Cleveland, working with trail builders and land managers from Cleveland Metroparks, one of the nation’s most visited parks.
Expected dates: May 13 – Nov. 8, 2024.
Pay: $600/wk living allowance.
Full-time paid opportunity for three crew members to complete hands-on field work under the direction of Ecological Restoration Site Managers. Daily tasks include physically strenuous herbicide application in wetlands, native seed installation, native plug planting, tree / shrub installation, invasive vegetation control (IVC), and other tasks related to habitat restoration. Interviews for this role will be in-person on March 20 and March 26. Apply now for priority consideration.
Expected dates: May 13 – Sept. 27, 2024.
Pay: $18/hr for up to 40 hrs/wk, $27/hr for occasional optional overtime.
Coming soon.
Full-time paid opportunity for one crew leader and three crew members serving in Cleveland, Ohio. This crew will help protect and grow Cleveland’s urban tree canopy by providing tree care and maintenance in low-canopy areas of the city, learning and practicing new skills, and engaging the community.
Expected dates: June 10 – Dec. 31, 2024
Come lead a Trail Corps completing high-impact trail projects in the varied terrain of Northeast Ohio! As Crew Leader, you will work to guide and inspire a team of young adults serving in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Your team will engage in project work focused on trail building and maintenance, working with trail builders and land managers from Cleveland Metroparks, one of the nation’s most visited park systems.
Expected dates: April 10 – May 3, 2024 (paid training on the west coast), May 6 – Nov. 21, 2024 (program).
Pay: $800/wk.
Lead a team of 3 young adults advancing environmental justice by maintaining Cleveland’s urban forest in low-canopy neighborhoods. The crew will be working on completing priority tree care projects, including watering, maintenance, mulching, pruning, and planting, in partnership with SCA’s Cleveland-area partner organizations. In addition, the crew will engage with the local community by organizing and leading volunteer community tree care projects, sharing information about the benefits trees provide, and related community engagement projects.
Expected dates: May 13 – 26, 2024 (paid training out of states), May 27 – Dec. 31, 2024 (program).
Pay: $800/wk.
Urban Green members learn how to work with a diverse team of peers; gain knowledge of public land resources, environmental issues, and career readiness skills; increase their understanding of environmental and trail restoration techniques; acquire experience in public service and outdoor recreation; and develop valuable professional skills through teambuilding and leadership activities.
Environmental Education
Habitat Restoration
Job Readiness
Leave No Trace
Outdoor Ethics
Team Building
Trail Skills
March 2, 10am-noon – Come out and hike! Join the Cuyahoga Valley Queer Hike along with SCA team members. For location and any questions, please refer to www.cuyahogavalleyqueerhike.org.
March 16, 11am-3pm – SCA team members will have a recruiting table set up at Cabela’s in Avon, OH. Drop in, say hello, learn about the local roles we’re hiring for in 2024, and start your application!
March 24, 9am-11am – Join Old Brooklyn CDC and SCA team members for a corridor cleanup. Registration required: sign up here.
April 7, 9am-3pm – Repair equestrian trails alongside Muskingum SWCD staff and SCA at Pleasant Hill Lake (note: if getting muddy and breaking a sweat while protecting trails and conserving habitat sounds like fun, you’ll have a great time on this project!) Email signup required in advance, email scacleve@gmail.com by April 4 to receive project details.
April 9, 9:30am-noon – Join Cleveland Metroparks and SCA team members at Acacia Reservation for a park cleanup project. Registration required: sign up here.
April 13 – Save the date: Join SCA team members for a volunteer project. Location, time, and project registration details TBD.
April 26- Sunday April 28 – Join the Buckeye Trail Association for the annual Blue Blaze Academy, where new volunteers and current community members congregate, camp, and learn and practice trail maintenance and construction skills together. Registration required: reserve your spot here.
May 1, 9am-3pm – Dig into trail work with Muskingum SWCD and SCA team members at Clendening Dam Park. Help complete a new trail, learn basic and advanced trail work techniques, and celebrate the start of a new month outside! Email signup required in advance, email scacleve@gmail.com by April 28 to receive project details.
May 4, 10am-noon – Come out and hike! Join the Cuyahoga Valley Queer Hike along with SCA team members. For location and any questions, please refer to cuyahogavalleyqueerhike.org/
May 10, 5:30pm-8pm – Join Cleveland Metroparks and SCA team members for a stream cleanup at Wilson Mills Trailhead. Registration required: sign up here.
Thanks to generous support from local and national parks, environmental organizations, schools, youth development organizations, corporations and community groups, the SCA continues to provide conservation opportunities for Cleveland's youth.
SCA Cleveland
Elyria Little, Community Program Manager, Northeast Ohio
Phone: (571) 895-1861
Email: elittle@thesca.org