It may not be noticeable with all the snow on the ground in Central Washington, but there’s litter on our roadways that needs to be cleaned up. And this summer, teens have an opportunity to help get the job done.

The Washington Department of Ecology plans to hire 72 teenagers throughout Central Washington this summer as part of the Ecology Youth Corps.

Teens chosen for the youth corps will work up to 32 hours per week, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. They will be assigned to one of six crews that are based in Ellensburg, Goldendale, Richland, Sunnyside, Toppenish or  Union Gap, and will work in one of two four-week sessions: July 1 to July 23, or July 24 to Aug. 15. Participants will earn $12 an hour.

In 2018, crews picked up over 1 million pounds of litter and cleaned over 4,000 miles of roads statewide. Nearly 100,000 pounds of the litter collected was recyclable.
 
Since 1975, the program has hired more than 12,000 Washington teens, offering them a summer job, valuable work experience, and the chance to preserve and protect Washington’s environment and natural beauty.

Applicants must be ages 14-17 as of July 1. Applications are due by April 1 and are available through area school counselors and Ecology’s website. 

For more information call 509-575-2490 at our Central Regional office, or email Rod Hankinson at rodney.hankinson@ecy.wa.gov, or Monica Martinez at monica.martinez@ecy.wa.gov.