After a day of pruning apple trees at St. Cloud, an orchard in Washington, the SYEP crew enjoyed a well-earned break exploring nearby hikes and waterfalls.
After a day of pruning apple trees at St. Cloud, an orchard in Washington, the SYEP crew enjoyed a well-earned break exploring nearby hikes and waterfalls.
After a day of pruning apple trees at St. Cloud, an orchard in Washington, the SYEP crew enjoyed a well-earned break exploring nearby hikes and waterfalls.
Youth met with wildland firefighters to learn about careers in wildfire response and gain insight into the important work they do to protect our communities and public lands.
THE GORGE — Each year, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) honors individuals, businesses, and organizations whose collaboration and partnership make a lasting impact on our work and the people we serve. The Community Partner of the Year award highlights those who champion our mission and initiatives, going above and beyond to support and advocate for our programs, clients, and TNDI as a whole.
This year, we are delighted to recognize the U.S. Forest Service - Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area for their unwavering commitment to a partnership that has helped connect local youth to nature, career pathways, and hands-on experiences for more than 30 years.
After a day of pruning apple trees at St. Cloud, an orchard in Washington, the SYEP crew enjoyed a well-earned break exploring nearby hikes and waterfalls.
Contributed photo
From wildland fire response and trail stewardship to natural resource conservation, the Forest Service works alongside many organizations to protect and preserve the incredible landscape we all know, love, and recreate. In an effort to manage the heavy visitation to the Gorge and its recreation sites while also staying connected to the local communities, the agency created a unique opportunity to engage local youth through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), partnering with The Next Door in 2009.
Youth met with wildland firefighters to learn about careers in wildfire response and gain insight into the important work they do to protect our communities and public lands.
Contributed photo
Over the years, the 8-week employment program has allowed countless youth to gain valuable job experience while contributing to projects that support the health and maintenance of the Gorge’s breathtaking landscapes. Each year, a summer schedule is intentionally curated by Forest Service specialists to provide a variety of experiences for youth. SYEP crews gain firsthand experience in conservation through projects such as invasive plant removal, trail recovery, seed collection, and more to preserve the Gorge’s natural resources and native ecosystems.
In 2025, youth helped haul lumber up the Multnomah Falls hiking trail so a log fence could be built at the top in hopes of making the trail safer for hikers. This year, they’ve learned about biodiversity, helped control invasive species in Mosier, cleared brush and blackberry bushes at recreational parks, shadowed park rangers, participated in tree boring, and more. By working alongside recreation specialists, botanists, and other experts, youth also gain exposure to the many career paths available in public lands management.
After a day of pruning apple trees at St. Cloud, an orchard in Washington, the SYEP crew enjoyed a well-earned break exploring nearby hikes and waterfalls.
Contributed photo
“These jobs are often a young person’s first experience with a real workplace,” says the Forest Service’s Public Affairs Officer, Beth Kennedy. “They learn teamwork, communication, responsibility, and how to work with people who may have different personalities or perspectives. Those skills will help them be successful no matter what career path they choose.”
For some SYEP participants, the experience has become a first step toward future career opportunities with the Forest Service. Youth who started with the program have gone on to pursue seasonal positions, internships, and careers with the agency. In her 31 years with the Forest Service, Beth has seen participants grow from crew members into crew leads, and future leaders in permanent roles, strengthening the workforce with their firsthand knowledge of what it takes to care for public lands.
But the impact of this collaboration extends far beyond career exploration. SYEP brings youth together from a variety of backgrounds, upbringings, and family circumstances, and provides them with the opportunity to explore parts of the Gorge that many of them might not have the opportunity to experience otherwise. Over the course of the summer, a natural progression happens as youth become more comfortable with their peers and leaders, build confidence, and discover the value of working together as a team. Through this program, they develop a sense of belonging, take pride in helping maintain the scenic area they call home, and help strengthen the broader Gorge community.
After a day of pruning apple trees at St. Cloud, an orchard in Washington, the SYEP crew enjoyed a well-earned break exploring nearby hikes and waterfalls.
Contributed photo
“Experiences connect us more deeply to each other and to the natural world around us,” Beth shares. “Those connections are important threads that run through all of our lives.”
At The Next Door, we are grateful for partners like the U.S. Forest Service – Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area who invest in young people and work alongside us to create opportunities that strengthen our communities. We look forward to many more years of working together and continuing to help youth discover their potential, build meaningful skills, and become the next generation of leaders and stewards of the Gorge.
The crew learned about invasive skeleton weed, how to age a pine tree, biodiversity, and participated in tree boring.
Contributed photo
To learn more about what our SYEP crew is up to this summer, follow The Next Door Inc. on Facebook, @nextdoorinc on Instagram, and sign up for our newsletter on our website at www.nextdoorinc.org.
The Next Door Inc., (TNDI) the largest social service agency in the Gorge, was founded in 1971 to address the unmet need of support services for youth. Today, TNDI’s employees facilitate over 30 programs that strive to fulfill our mission of opening doors to new possibilities by strengthening children and families and improving communities in Oregon and Washington. For more information, please visit www.nextdoorinc.org.
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