It might be hard to envision summer with all the snow still on the ground, but any teens seeking a job in the summer could have an opportunity in multiple Washington regions.
The Washington Department of Ecology plans to hire dozens of teenagers throughout Central and Eastern Washington as part of the Ecology Youth Corps, giving them a chance to help clean up litter on roadways.
Teens hired for the program will work up to 32 hours a week Monday-Thursday with shifts from 7 a.m. 3 p.m and wages at $12 an hour. Eastern Washington Crews will be based in Chewelah, Colville, Moses Lake, Othello, Pasco, and Spokane. Central Washington crews will be based out of Ellensburg, Goldendale, Richland, Sunnyside, Toppenish and Union Gap.
There will be two sessions held for work crews in each area, including June 24-July 19 and July 22- Aug. 15 for Eastern Washington. Central Washington’s work sessions include July 1-23 and July 24-Aug. 15.
Applicants must be ages 14-17 as of July 1. Applications will be due on April 1 and are available on the Department of Ecology website.
Last year, crews picked up over 1 million pounds of litter while cleaning over 4,000 miles of roads statewide, and nearly 100,000 pounds of the litter was recyclable.
Since the mid-1970s, the program has hired over 12,000 Washington teens, offering a summer job with valuable work experience and a chance to preserve and protect the environment and beauty of Washington.
