To join the WCC, you must be:
- 18-25 years old on the first day of the service term¹.
- Eligible for AmeriCorps:
- AmeriCorps limits members to a maximum of four terms in any AmeriCorps program.
- AmeriCorps legislation requires applicants to be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or Lawful Permanent U.S. Resident Alien. Applicants must submit citizenship or immigration status documentation before service.
- Candidates must undergo a National Service criminal history check, including state repositories, National Sex Offender Registry, and FBI.
- Able to commit to a 40-hour service week and a designated term of service of 11 months, nine months, or three months.
- Able to provide for your own living arrangements and transportation to your designated meet-up location.
- Crew members report to a designated meet-up location and travel to project sites together in a WCC truck.
- Individual Placement members generally report to their designated host site location.
Per legislative mandate, priority is given to Washington residents. Out-of-state candidates are considered after in-state candidate pools have been exhausted.
Serving in the WCC is limited to a maximum of two years.
¹Age restrictions are based on legislative mandate. Limited exceptions may be made for those who have served or are serving in the U.S. military or those with a sensory or mental disability.
Our AmeriCorps service year runs from October to early September. During each service year, WCC offers three different term lengths for members:
- Full term: Members start in October and finish in early September. Applications open in July.
- Three-quarter term: Members start in late January and finish in early September. Applications open in November.
- Quarter term: Members start in mid-June and finish in early September. Applications open in April.
Once an application period opens, supervisors conduct interviews on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. We recommend submitting your application early to ensure consideration. Three-quarter term and quarter term positions are limited.
Join our email list to be notified when our application periods open.
WCC supports a variety of field crew and Individual Placement positions.
- Restoration crews support habitat restoration and enhancement projects such as planting trees and shrubs, removing invasive species, and monitoring and maintaining restoration sites.
- Trail crews support recreation enhancements such as building and maintaining trails, public camping infrastructure, bridges, boardwalks, and more.
- Spike crews travel around Washington state to complete restoration- and recreation-focused projects. Food and lodging are provided for members while in travel status.
- Individual Placements serve individually with a partner organization, assisting biologists, foresters, environmental educators, and others.
During the 2024-2025 service term, WCC members receive:
- A living allowance of $1,441* issued twice a month ($2,882 per month, before taxes). *Positions based in King, Snohomish, and Clark counties are eligible for a location-based elevated living allowance of $1,568 issued twice a month ($3,136 per month, before taxes).
- Educational benefits, including:
- AmeriCorps Education Award (scholarship) upon successful completion of the term. Our scholarship amounts are:
- Full term (1,700 hours): $7,395
- Three-quarter term (1,200 hours): $5,176.50
- Quarter term (450 hours): $1,956.35
- Forbearance on qualified student loans. Upon successful completion of the term, AmeriCorps will pay interest that accrues on qualified student loans that were put into forbearance while serving in WCC.
- College credits. Six months or up to two years of WCC service qualifies as Cooperative Work Experience credits at Walla Walla Community College (requires application and acceptance to Walla Walla Community College, non-transferable).
- Time off: WCC’s attendance policy includes up to three weeks of personal time off for full term members. Our program calendar observes scheduled state holidays.
- Health insurance: Members are eligible for WCC-offered insurance. WCC pays the monthly insurance premium.
- Mental health services: Members receive free, accessible, and high-quality mental health services through the Member Assistance Program (MAP).
- Food assistance: Members may qualify for monthly food assistance through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
- Childcare assistance: Members may qualify for childcare assistance through the AmeriCorps Childcare Program.
- GED reimbursement: GED exam fee reimbursement is available for members who successfully pass the exam during their WCC term.
- Training: All members receive day-to-day training in the field. Full term and three-quarter term members receive two weeks of paid, professionally taught training.
WCC members receive daily training on environmental topics such as native plant identification, trail construction, restoration site planning, tool use, safety techniques, and more.
Full term and three-quarter term members receive one week of orientation training and two weeks of formal training courses that can provide valuable, career-transferable certifications. Members select from over a dozen professionally taught courses, including forestry basics, grant writing, wilderness first responder (WFR), hazardous waste operator (HAZWOPER), wetland delineation, wildland firefighting, swiftwater rescue, and more.
WCC has four designated disaster-response crews, but any member can volunteer for disaster-response deployment. Disaster-response crews are noted in the crew descriptions on our position map.
National or local disaster-response deployment may include flood and landslide control, tornado and hurricane assistance, wildland fire operations, or volunteer and shelter management. Read about WCC's past disaster-response services in Washington and across the country.
