The Corps Network 2020 Project of the Year:
Rainbow Conservation Crew
In November 2019, I traveled to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state to document the Rainbow Conservation Crew. The crew had been there for 6 weeks working hard on trail restoration throughout the park. I spent 3 days camping in a tent in the park with the group. That was my first time camping outdoors in a tent. It was quite the experience. The video footage I captured was used create this video:
The Project of the Year Award celebrates the important services Corps provide to communities and young people across the country. Projects of the Year are innovative and demonstrate a Corps’ ability to give Corpsmembers a positive experience and provide the community with meaningful improvements.
The Northwest Youth Corps Rainbow Conservation Crew provides a space for LGBTQ youth to find community. With support from the National Park Foundation and project partners, the Corps fielded two crews in the summer of 2019, serving a total of 20 young people. In addition to completing important projects at several national park sites, Corpsmembers participated in 450 hours of education. Single-identity programs like the Rainbow Crew help participants feel freer to share stories, discuss common challenges, and enjoy the company of others with whom they identify and can be inspired by.
