High School Leadership Corps

Build Skills, Stewardship, and Confidence in Rocky

High School Leadership Corps introduces Colorado high school students to stewardship, outdoor skills, leadership, and public land careers through an immersive experience in Rocky Mountain National Park. Participants camp together, complete service projects, and learn from Conservancy staff and public land professionals in a setting that makes the work feel immediate and real.

The program is built for students who are curious about the outdoors, willing to try new things, and ready to contribute to a crew. Service projects may include trail work, habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation, historic preservation, or other hands-on projects that support Rocky and nearby public lands.

Students leave with more than a finished project. They gain confidence, field experience, and a stronger sense of what it means to care for public lands as part of a team.

Participants spend the program living and learning outdoors with a small crew. Days may include service projects, field lessons, hikes, leadership activities, and time with staff who help students connect the work in front of them to the larger story of public land stewardship.

Outdoor Skills and Stewardship

Students practice skills for camping, traveling, and working responsibly outside. They learn how public land agencies and nonprofit partners approach conservation work, and they experience the satisfaction of completing projects that benefit Rocky Mountain National Park.

Leadership and Community

The crew setting helps students build communication, teamwork, resilience, and confidence. Returning participants may also be invited to serve as mentors, supporting incoming students while deepening their own leadership practice.