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Borderlands Earth Care Youth
This paid internship opportunity is curated for youth ages 16-24 living in Santa Cruz and Cochise County in Arizona and is offered during the spring and summer pauses in district school schedules. BECY empowers youth by developing their awareness of the growing environmental and sustainability challenges associated with climate change, habitat fragmentation, aridification, and other ongoing challenges.
Throughout the program, youth connect with diverse professionals, engage in hands-on restoration projects, and gain personal development and leadership skills. The majority of our interns come from historically marginalized populations, who share Latino, Hispanic, working-class backgrounds, and grew up in border towns or rural communities.
Since our inception, almost 200 youth have graduated from BECY and re-entered their communities with valuable environmental literacy and skills to promote sustainability.
Questions? Contact Jordan Sene, Education Program Manager, at jsene@borderlandsrestoration.org.
ABOUT
BECY provides paid internships for youth ages 15-18 to learn practical, marketable skills in watershed restoration, ecosystem restoration, and community restoration. Currently, programs are based out of the Douglas and Patagonia communities. Crews are comprised of 10 youth, with two designated as youth leaders.
Each crew develops experiences and vocabulary in teamwork, leadership, and empathy while following a curriculum of habitat restoration in the following structure: Watershed Restoration, Ecosystem Restoration, and Community Restoration. Those interested in applying should be prepared for physically strenuous but fulfilling activities in some of the most beautiful locations the Arizona/Sonora border has to offer.
BECY INTERNSHIP 2025
The upcoming paid internship will take place in Cochise County during these 2025 dates:
March 10 - March 14
April 18, 19, 21
May 27 - May 31 in Patagonia, AZ
June 2 - June 5
June 9 - 12
June 16 - 19
There may be a 7th week scheduled for June 23-26 to be announced
10 youths will be hired to participate in this paid internship program that takes place in worksites near Douglas, Arizona. During one week in the summer, the crew will stay in Bowie, Arizona. Another week of the program will take place in Patagonia, Arizona and the crew will be accommodated in town.
We will host an informational webinar session on Zoom on November 26, 2024, at noon MST (click here to register).
Please apply using this link; applications are due no later than February 7, 2025.
Essays from the Borderlands
By: Arizona Public media
Story from Arizona Public Media about The University of Arizona Southwest Field Studies in Writing residency program. Each year three creative writing graduate students come to Patagonia for two weeks to write, research and connect with borderlands communities and teach creative writing to BECY interns.
BECY 2021
by: Valeria Cabello
Take a ride through the 2021 BECY program from the perspective of the participants themselves. One participant, Valeria Cabello documented and interviewed fellow BECY interns through out the course, creating a touching and authentic video that we can't stop watching.
Youth & Environmental Stewardship
by: NFWF
Thank you National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund for the support of Borderlands Earth Care Youth!
Check out this beautiful video created to highlight the collaboration with Borderlands Earth Care Youth, who restored dry watersheds in the Chiricahua Mountains and the upper Gila River Watershed.
BECY 2023: Sock Puppet Edition
By: Drey Kipnis & Birdie Baer
Check out this creative video by 2023 BECY Patagonia interns Drey Kipnis and Birdie Baer presented as their reflection project at the conclusion of the course. Meet cute Rhandey and Steivh as they walk us through their favorite memories from their summer experience working to restore the borderlands with BRN!
BLOG: FULL CIRCLE, ALUMNI RETURN
By: Jordan Sene
“I still remember how awesome an experience BECY was for me as a first-time student, so now returning as a facilitator is a way to help instill passion and caring for the environment in the next generation. The folks at BRN are all so inspiring and always remind me that it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, we all share this planet and are responsible for its future..."
BECY IS GENEROUSLY FUNDED THROUGH PRIVATE SUPPORT FROM DONORS, GRANT FUNDING, AND KEY PARTNERSHIPS
Thank you to our current and past funders and partners who make this important program possible!
47 Ranch, Arevalos Farm, Barboot Ranch, City of Douglas, Coronado National Forest, Cuenca Los Ojos, Douglas High School Land Lab, Douglas Public Library, El Coronado Ranch, Harris Heritage Farm, Home Grown Instruments, Huachuca City Community Garden, Madrean Archipelago Plant Propagation Center, Malpai Borderlands Group, Milagros del Desierto, Patagonia, The Patagonia Museum, Patagonia Public Library, Patagonia Regional Community Fund, Patagonia Union High School, Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center, Santa Fe Ranch Foundation, Southwestern Research Station, Sycamore Ranch, T4 Ranch, Town of Patagonia, University of Arizona Southwest Field Studies in Writing, Winkler Ranch, US Geological Survey, Wildlife Corridor LLC, Youth Conservation Corps