Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers
Engage learners ages 12-25 in exploring green careers in forestry and conservation with these hands-on activities, suitable for schools or community youth programs.
Green jobs represent one of the fastest growing and changing segments of the global economy. At the same time, today's youth are seeking rewarding careers that help us move towards more sustainable lifestyles and greener economies.
The next generation wants to work with purpose. They want to find a job they can be proud of; they want to feel like they are making a difference in the world. Moreover, an estimated 30% of the workforce in the forest and conservation sector will retire in the next ten years.
You have an opportunity to introduce young people to career paths that are not only in demand, but that are also rewarding and help conserve the environment.
This Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers guide contains four learning activities that engage youth in actively exploring forest-related green careers. Anyone can use this resource with youth ages 12-25 in settings ranging from community youth programs and school classrooms, to college and career prep, to field trips and forest tours. It is especially appropriate for educators, career and guidance counselors, Scouts, 4-H, and FFA leaders, foresters, and job training advisors.
Learning Activities
Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers includes four hands-on instructional activities that help youth explore forest-related careers and get excited about green jobs. Youth research forestry jobs, and practice managing and monitoring forest resources with these activities.
Activity 1 -- Who Works in This Forest?
As an introduction to some of the people who work in and on behalf of forests, learners research different forest sector careers to learn what it takes to perform these jobs.
Activity 2 -- If You Were the Boss
Acting as foresters, learners grapple with decisions about how to manage a forest sustainably while serving different needs.
Activity 3 -- Monitoring Forest Health
Through a variety of health indicators, learners assess the health of a forest area and see how soil scientists, wildlife biologists, arborists, and other forest professionals monitor forests.
Activity 4 -- Seeking Sustainability
Learners explore the concept of sustainability by examining the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, while also taking a look at some jobs involved in ensuring forest sustainability.
The activities are designed to be flexible. They may be taught as individual, stand-alone lessons or all together as a cohesive unit of instruction. Depending on your program, you may teach them in the sequence provided, switch the order around, or pick and choose components from different activities.
Each activity has a suggested time allotment, ranging from one to three 50-minute sessions, plus time for youth to conduct research, participate in learning in the field, or prepare presentations, depending on the activity.
Some or all of the learning activities may be used to enhance a range of subjects:
Arts Biology Career Technology Education Earth Science Ecology English Environmental Science Forestry Geography Government Information and Communication Technologies International Studies Mathematics Natural Resources Science Social StudiesWhat's Included
Learning Activity Components for each activity include content objectives; materials needed to conduct the activity; recommended time allotments for leading the activity, including preparation; how to prepare for facilitating the activity; and step-by-step procedures for leading the activity. Worksheets that accompany each activity are copyright-free reproducible handouts for learners, also available as PDF downloads. STEM It Up! suggests ways educators can enhance connections to STEM teaching and learning that encompass technical and leadership skills that are important for green jobs. STEM Skills Self-Assessment provides youth an opportunity to assess their technical and other skills, such as communication and problem solving. Personality Quiz helps youth match their personality with an array of green jobs opportunities. Career Connections suggest tools and resources to broaden and/or deepen learners' exploration of forest careers. Enrichment Exercises contain suggestions for educators to enrich or extend the learning experience for each activity. Appendices include a list of career information websites, job boards, and other teaching tools to supplement the learning activities. Educators can also learn about the support available to them for adapting the activities to their audience and setting. Connections to Academic Standards such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards for Math and English Language Arts, and the C3 Framework for Social Studies. Adaptations for Remote Learning can be found online for several activities to help educators during COVID-19.Envisioning Green Career Opportunities
If you ask a young adult what they'd like to do after graduating high school or college, you might hear answers like be a doctor, t
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