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Department of Ecology hiring 300 teenagers for Ecology Youth Corps

Photo Credit: Washington State Department of Ecology.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — The state Department of Ecology is looking to hire 300 teenagers across Washington this summer for its Ecology Youth Corps.

Each year the Ecology Youth Corps hires teens and young adults in Washington to pick up litter on state roads and highways.

Teens chosen for the Ecology Youth Corps will earn $12 per hour and work up to 32 hours per week, the Department of Ecology wrote in a news release.

“Litterers annually dump more than 12 million pounds of junk in our beautiful state,” said Peter Christiansen, manager for Ecology’s roadside litter crews.

Crews with the Ecology Youth Corps picked up over 1 million pounds of litter and cleaned about 4,500 miles of roads statewide in 2018.

"Since 1975, the program has hired more than 12,000 Washington teens, offering them work experience, a summer job, and a chance to preserve Washington's natural beauty and protect our state's environment," the Department of Ecology said.

Applicants for the Ecology Youth Corps must be ages 14-17 as of July 1. Applications are available through area school counselors and here.

The Ecology Youth Corps is broken up into four areas: the Central, Eastern, Northwest and Southwest regions.

Applications for the Central and Eastern regions are due April 1.

Applications for the Southwest region are due April 12.

Applications for the Northwest region are due April 16.

Click here for information about Ecology Youth Corps coordinators in each region.

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