The Outdoor Corps Program

Nothing says Minnesota like the summer cabin on the lake. Watching your grandchildren learn to swim from your dock or taking the pontoon out to your favorite fishing spot are all part of the experience. Your University of Minnesota Extension Service offers a unique program, the Outdoor Corps, that can help you protect these important emotional and financial investments.

The Outdoor Corps empowers high school students to meet environmental stewardship needs that exist within their communities. Through this program, students from your community monitor the clarity of your water, the potential for excess vegetation growth, and the overall health of your lake. Results of their work are available throughout the summer on the Outdoor Corps Web site. Written reports and student presentations also provide sampling results, as well as what they mean and suggested actions that lakeshore residents may want to take.

The students participating in the Outdoor Corps also benefit from their experience in the program. The Outdoor Corps allows students to apply math, science and leadership education in real-world situations, explore careers in natural resources, develop skills for owning and operating a sustainable small business, and work with a variety of community members to meet environmental stewardship needs.

To learn more about how you can benefit from this program, explore the program resources to the left. You may also access water sampling information collected by the Outdoor Corps by selecting a county where we work from the list.