Montana Conservation Corps

The Montana Conservation Corps mission is to equip young people with the skills and values to become engaged citizens who improve their communities and environment.

Description:
The Montana Conservation Corps teaches the rewards of service and instills values that carry throughout life. The MCC seeks to achieve its mission by fulfilling two complimentary goals of member development - equipping young people with skills and values - and project completion - performing service projects which have a lasting and beneficial impact on our natural environment and communities.

An inherent strength of the Corps is that these two goals enhance each other. Meaningful and challenging projects ensure a setting in which young men and women learn practical skills, develop positive attitudes for service and work, and become knowledgeable about the environment and their community.

Desired outcomes for our members include:

Skills to be versatile leaders and contributing team members;
Values for volunteer service, land stewardship, and civic engagement;
Improved employability through productive work habits and practical work skills;
Self-confidence to succeed at challenging tasks.

History:
The Birth of MCC and the Crews Begin

Efforts to resurrect the CCC began in Montana in the mid 1980's. This foundation of public support encouraged the creation of the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) in 1991 as a private non-profit corporation. The original partnership between the State Department of Fish, Wildife and Parks and the Human Resource Development Councils in Billings, Bozeman and Kalispell provided the resources to launch the MCC. The first MCC crews were fielded in the summer of 1991 through the cooperation of sponsoring agencies such as the City of Billings, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the U.S. Forest Service.

In 1993, MCC competed successfully for AmeriCorps funding from the newly created Corporation for National Service. Governor Racicot tagged MCC as the cornerstone of Montana's National Service effort. The first AmeriCorps grant doubled the size of the MCC budget and allowed MCC to field our first ten month crews and staff regional offices.

Where We Are Now

In 1999 MCC implemented the Leader Development Program. These crew leaders are immersed in an intensive leader and technical training that prepares them to co-lead seasonal field crews. Each crew operates as a team performing natural resource and community service projects across the region.

In 2001 we began enrolling local youth ages 14 to 16 in a summer program focused on developing work skills and generating a commitment to volunteering through a crew based learning experience. MCC utilizes AmeriCorps leaders to supervise five to six youth volunteers on each youth crew. The Montana YES (Youth Engaged in Service) program is currently offered in a few communities and receives financial support from various businesses and individuals. Montana Expedition is a similar program but geared toward youth ages 16-18 and a longer time is spent on projects at one time. Crews spend 4 continuous weeks together on natural resource projects, completing education components and teambuilding activities.

With a growing modern legacy of serving the needs of the people and lands of this region, the Montana Conservation Corps continues to receive funding from the AmeriCorps program operated by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This commitment of funding provides a solid base of support for the program and has allowed staff to focus on quality and program development. Carved from the rocky spine of the continent, and nourished by a hard-working populace, the MCC is fostering a new culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility.

Contact people:

Tauzha Grantham, Regional Supervisor, (phone), (email)
Ryan Sylva, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number:

Address:

2501 1/2 Arnold Lane
Billings, MT 59102
(See a map)

Web Site: http://www.mtcorps.org

Directions:

Near 24th and Grand

Last updated on April 1, 2009

Agency Details: