Youth Program
Opening doors to independence and self-sufficiency for aspiring young adults
Teach, Challenge, Inspire
Firefall’s staff includes a group of high-potential young adults who work as full-time paid seasonal interns. They leave the city and their normal lives behind and come to live and work in the mountains. Not only do they learn a specific trade, they live in a supportive community and enjoy outdoor experiences that challenge, motivate and inspire them as they plan for a successful life ahead.
YOUTH PROGRAM
Our Youth Development Program is foundational to our business. We actually acquired our first property, Evergreen Lodge, after extensive efforts to determine the ideal business into which we could build a high-impact, fully integrated youth program.
Our program team includes numerous full-time staff who teach life skills and work one-on-one with our youth interns to help them both succeed during their time with us and plan next steps on their path to a self-sufficient, fulfilling life.
IMPACT
Since launching the Youth Program, we have served more than 500 interns at our sister properties, Evergreen Lodge and Rush Creek Lodge. Our interns have collectively earned over 3 million dollars and SAVED over half a million dollars during their time with us. These savings have provided important stability as interns transition to their next steps in life.
This video offers heartfelt perspective from Roy Edwards, one of our early graduates who has stayed in touch over the years and continues to inspire us all.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
We started our fully self-funded Youth Program over 20 years ago, and we are proud to be a pioneering social purpose enterprise with both a business and a social mission.
Our work is more rewarding as a result of our Youth Program, and our guests can feel good knowing that, by staying with us, they are helping young people to gain experience and skills that they would not otherwise have access to and build momentum toward successful lives.
B CORPORATION
Firefall's sister property, Evergreen Lodge, was certified as a founding B Corporation in 2007 as a result of our innovative, built-in social mission. In 2015, Evergreen was awarded the Best for the World honor as a company creating the most impact for a better world.
Rush Creek Lodge & Spa, Firefall's other sister property, was certified as a B Corporation soon after it opened in 2016, and we plan to certify Firefall Ranch as well.
We are proud to be among thousands of B Corporations globally who are using business as a force for good.
PROGRAM DESIGN
We know that supportive employment helps young people build momentum in their lives and realize their fullest potential, and that the outdoors, and places like Yosemite in particular, should be accessible to everyone.
Key elements of our program include full-time work, job skills training, life-changing outdoor recreation experiences, social service support in groups and one-on-one, living in a supportive community, and savings grants from investor-supported matching funds.
HOW TO APPLY
For those 18-24 years old interested in applying for an internship, you can start your application here. We accept applications year-round and hire on a rolling basis.
