The Department of the Interior Youth Initiative is a focused effort to expand and support programs that engage, educate, and employ youth from all backgrounds in exploring, connecting with, and preserving the important natural and cultural resources found on public lands.

As part of this effort,

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OR/WA BLM is seeking to partner with organizations which bridge the career and education gap experienced by underserved, at-risk youth to help them develop a better understanding of natural and cultural resources found on public lands and the human impact of these resources through multi-faceted instruction, activities and mentoring.

To provide Oregon youth with meaningful opportunities to learn hands-on skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to support the conservation and stewardship of public land resources.

Students will develop an understanding of the roles they can play in improving and sustaining these natural and cultural resources within their local communities, and be introduced to careers that help sustain public lands.

Provide a means for the public to obtain hands-on education and experience about the importance of protection and enhancement of public lands and their resources.

Expose students to the employment opportunities in the natural resource sector with BLM and other natural resource agencies.

Encourage underserved, at-risk students to attend local colleges and universities with the intent of taking classes and eventually majoring in a natural resource field such as environmental science, forestry, cadastral survey, engineering or biology.