Department of the Interior Grant for ASL inclusion Conservation Corps at New Mexico NPS Units

The principal purpose of the project is to support the Government¿s objective to provide opportunities for youth to learn about the environment as well as relevant job skills by spending time working on projects in National Parks. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing community often struggles to break into the job market, so crew participants in this project will particularly benefit from the professional development and job skills gained during this experience. The NPS receives the indirect benefit of completing critical conservation projects. The project engages crew participants, partners, and the Deaf/Hard of Hearing communities in shared resource stewardship. This project will align with DOI priorities such as Creating Jobs in the American Economy (providing employment opportunities to a population that often struggles to find employment), Supporting DOI Infrastructure Needs (projects will address deferred maintenance a majority of the time and whenever possible), and Be a better neighbor with those closest to our resources by improving dialogue and relationships with persons and entities bordering our lands (in this case, the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community and rural New Mexican communities).