An article on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) crossed my desk last week, so FDR‘s initiative was still fresh in my mind when I read that the Hoosier State is going to spend $21 million in youth stimulus funds on a similar program.

Like FDR’s Depression-era corps, the Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps will receive on-the-job training and career skills while making strides toward environmental beautification. Indiana governor Mitch Daniels stated, “Our template for stimulus funds is jobs, speed and lasting value. This program puts young people to work, does it quickly, and adds the best kind of enduring legacy in the enhanced natural beauty of Indiana.”

CNN reported yesterday that 2009 summer employment rates for youth look as bleak as they did in 1948. Indiana hopes to combat those figures by employing 2,000 young men and women between the ages of 16 and 24 to work 16-hour weeks at a rate of $8.50/hour. You can learn more about eligibility requirements on the conservation corps Web site.

The youth will be overseen by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Workforce Development. According to a press release dated May 31, 2009, the Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps are tasked with “restoring natural wildlife habitats, building trails, beautifying Department of Natural Resources (DNR) properties, and rehabilitating historic buildings at about 100 DNR sites, including state parks, reservoirs, recreation areas, state forests, nature preserves, and state historic sites.”

Indiana isn’t the only state offering youth summertime opportunities. In Spokane, Wash., 400 youth are being offered positions with 70 businesses will receive interviewing and resume-writing workshops to prepare them for future careers.

Here’s a historic account of the CCC boys and their impact on Washington state parks:

More background:
How Recessions Work
New Deal
Indiana Library