There are a lot of reasons I wish I were 25 again, and now I can add President Biden’s newly launched American Climate Corps (ACC) to the list. For anyone interested in climate action, climate science, or even outdoor recreation, it’s the ultimate post-grad gap year experience.

　　“You’ll get paid to fight climate change, learning how to install those solar panels, fight wildfires, rebuild wetlands, weatherize homes, and so much more,” the president said at an Earth Day press conference. “It’s going to protect the environment to build a clean energy economy.”

　　What Is the American Climate Corps? The ACC is the modern day version of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), which is widely considered one of the most successful aspects of the New Deal.

　　Roosevelt launched the CCC launched  in 1933 to help pull the country out of the Great Depression by putting three million young men to work improving and protecting our public lands. CCC efforts shaped our state and national park system, planting more than 3 billion trees and building the infrastructure of the modern outdoor recreation system.

　　Biden has called climate change the “existential threat of our time.” He created the ACC to face that challenge head on, by putting tens of thousands of young Americans to work fighting its impacts while training a new generation of workers in the clean energy and climate resilience sectors. One key difference between the ACC and its predecessor is the fact that the ACC prioritizes equity and environmental justice. One of the big criticisms of FDRs program was that it lacked diversity. Almost no women served in the CCC and Black people were largely segregated into separate work groups. By contrast, Bidens ACC will prioritize communities traditionally left behind and projects that help meet the administration’s Justice40 goal, which mandates that 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal investments must flow to disadvantaged communities.

　　Six American Climate Corps Jobs We Covet The White House expects to employ 20,000 people in year one, and 200,000 within five years. As of today, there are 270 jobs currently listed on the program’s website and they vary widely. You could get paid $15 per hour to learn how to install solar panels in Philadelphia, $16.92 per hour to build and maintain trails and restore wildlife habitat in Yosemite, or $26.74 an hour as a innovator fellow in the U.S. Department of Energy working to electrify transportation and decarbonize the power system. You could find a gig deep in the backcountry or one that allows you to from home. Some last for a few months, others for a year or more.

　　My fellow editors and I channeled our 25-year-old selves, combed through the listings, and picked our favorites.

　　For the Diehard Backpacker If you hike a lot in the mountains of New England, especially along the Appalachian Trail, youve almost certainly interacted with Ridgerunners. You see them charging up or down the trails ferrying pack boards loaded with 80 pounds of supplies. They work on trails and monitor campsites. And theyre the hosts at the mountain huts, where they give spirited safety talks (often laced with goofy skits and songs) and serve up massive vats of carb0-heavy meals to hungry hikers.

　　Every time I meet a Ridgerunner—all tanned, smiling, and mountain fit—I find myself fantasizing about the gig. Thats why the American Climate Corps job  Id apply for is the Ridgerunner, where Id spend a summer living on the trail and get paid to hike every day. Ridgerunners are kind of like park rangers: they talk to people about  about Leave No Trace principles, safety and regulations, flora, fauna, weather, and so much more. Essentially, theyre professional backpackers. Count me in. —K.H.

　　: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, its the only thing that ever has.” Working with passionate, motivated people who want to change the world for the better will restore your faith in humanity more than any feel-good TikTok clip, and you get paid to boot (can’t say that about watching TikTok, can you?).

　　Now add in time playing in the dirt—one of my favorite things in life—and you’ve got it made. What I love about the American Climate Corps Planting Specialist job in San Jose, California, is that it’s not just about being a hole-digging grunt; there’s a community education aspect to it, too. Id be working on projects that increase tree canopy and promote soil and water conservation and also recruiting and training community volunteers. That was one of the best, most rewarding parts of my AmeriCorps experience. Equipping others with the knowledge and skills to fight climate change is an important part of this program. After all, many hands make light work, especially if that work is planting millions of trees. —Susan Lacke, Triathlete senior editor

　　For the Fisherwoman Who Dreams of Salmon, Old Growth, and Big Mountains The world is full of mind-blowing ecosystems and marvelous creatures. But the temperate rainforest may be one of the most incredible places of all. The city of Sitka, on Baranof Island in southeast Alaska, faces the Pacific Ocean to the west and is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest to the east. There, Sitka spruce and Western hemlock shelter dense, damp green forests, which give way to the dramatic peaks of the Coast Range. But as dreamy as Alaska may be, this isn’t just about location: the job, a fisheries internship focused on waterway restoration and natural resource preservation and conservation, is very cool. The salmon population, like all ocean fish populations, is under immense pressure thanks to climate change, commercial fishing, and more.

　　As a fisheries intern, you get to be up close and personal with these remarkable animals, studying their habitat and monitoring their populations. But you also get to connect with the local community—you’d be specializing in subsistence fishing, which in Alaska refers to the “noncommercial customary and traditional uses” of salmon. Any Alaska resident can qualify for subsistence fishing permits, which allow the harvest of fish to eat and share within their community, among other personal uses. The Tlingit people, who are indigenous to the Sitka area, have long harvested salmon for subsistence and ceremonial purposes, and this job will involve connecting with the organization’s tribal partners and Indigenous youth. Its a win-win: working someplace beautiful for the sake of wild fish, healthy coastal waterways, and the locals. —Abigail Barronian, Outside senior editor

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