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 proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or apply for an exemption, per Gov. Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate.
- 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 service year runs from October through early September. All our 11-month AmeriCorps member positions open annually in July. Nine- and three-month positions are limited in quantity, based on vacancies as they occur.
Once the application period opens, field-crew supervisors conduct interviews on a continuous basis, until all positions are filled. We recommend submitting your application early to ensure full consideration.
- Eleven-month positions: Applications accepted in July for a start date in October.
- Nine-month positions: Applications accepted in October for a start date in January.
- Three-month positions: Applications accepted in March for a start date in June.
Join our email list to be notified when each application period opens.
WCC supports a variety of field crew and Individual Placement positions.
- Restoration crews focus on habitat restoration and enhancement projects such as planting trees and shrubs, removing invasive species, and monitoring and maintaining restoration sites.
- Trail crews focus on recreation enhancements such as building and maintaining trails, public camping infrastructure, bridges, boardwalks, and more.
- Spike crews travel around Washington state to complete both 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.
As a WCC member, you will earn:
- A living allowance of $1,253 issued twice a month ($2,506 per month, before taxes).
- Educational benefits, including:
- AmeriCorps Education Award (scholarship) upon successful completion of your service term. For the 2022-2023 program year, our scholarship amounts are:
- 11-month service term (1,700 hours): $6,495
- Nine-month service term (1,200 hours): $4,546.50
- Three-month service term (450 hours): $1,718.25
- Forbearance on qualifying student loans. Upon successful completion of your term, AmeriCorps will pay interest that accrues on eligible loans while serving in the WCC. Forbearance is typically limited to government-backed student loans. Contact your lender to learn if your loan qualifies for National Service forbearance.
- College credits. Six months or up to two years of WCC service qualifies as Cooperative Work Experience credits within Walla Walla Community College's program requirements (non-transferable). College credits require application and acceptance to Walla Walla Community College.
WCC members recieve the following benefits during their service term:
- Time off: WCC’s attendance policy supports up to three weeks of personal time off for full-term (11-month) members. In addition, our program calendar observes scheduled state holidays.
- Health insurance: Members are eligible for WCC-offered insurance on the first day of service. WCC pays the monthly insurance premium.
- Mental health services: All members are offered 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 those who successfully pass the exam during their WCC service.
WCC designates four disaster-response crews, but any member can volunteer for disaster-response deployment. Disaster-response crews are included in the crew descriptions on our application 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.
Eleven- and nine-month WCC members receive one week of orientation training and two weeks of formal training courses that provide an opportunity to earn valuable, career-transferable certifications. Members select from a list of 13 professionally taught courses, including forestry, wilderness first responder (WFR), wilderness advanced first aid (WAFA), hazardous waste operator (Hazwoper), wildland firefighting, swiftwater rescue, and more.
Members also receive informal training on a variety of environmental topics daily such as native plant identification, tool use, safety techniques, and more.