LINC Summer High School Program
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Do you enjoy being outside? Are you looking for a meaningful way to spend the summer and willing to try new things?
Linking Individuals to their Natural Community (LINC) is a summer program for high school students focused on community building, service learning, and exploring local communities and parklands.
This six-week program brings youth from across the Bay Area together for a variety of outdoor experiences themed around service, youth agency, recreation, team building, and professional development. Projects and activities will vary each week and may include:
- Service Projects can include trail work, habitat restoration, community cleanups, and more.
- Professional development: resume building, mock interviews, and a career panel.
- Opportunities to gain soft job skills like public speaking, working in a team, and practicing healthy communication.
- Opportunities to experience and learn technical job skills like wildlife monitoring or habitat restoration.
- Overnight trips such as camping in a National or State Park.
- Practicing wildlife observation using tools like iNaturalist, field guides, and more.
- Participating in team-building exercises like cooking, kayaking, or field games.
- Collaborating and networking with other youth from all across the Bay Area.
- Learning about your local, state, and national parks.
This program meets Tuesday- Friday for six weeks. At the conclusion of the program, all participants receive up to a $2,400 education award.
Program Dates: June 18th – August 2nd, 2024 **One week break: July 2nd- 5th**
Applications are due by Sunday, March 10th, 2024 at 11:59 pm.
Note: When applying please only apply based on where you live.
LINC North: Marin County, Solano County, and Contra Costa County
LINC South: San Francisco County, Alameda County, and San Mateo County
Questions and Information
- You want to make connections with other like-minded youth across the Bay Area who are interested in science and the outdoors
- You are open to new and sometimes challenging experiences
- You want to gain a better understanding of environmental impacts on your local and adjacent communities
- You are dependable and accountable when working individually and in a team
- You are interested in challenging yourself to grow as a leader and a supporter
- You can commit and attend all program dates
The program typically consists of two cohorts, one in Marin County (LINC North) and another in San Francisco (LINC South). This year the LINC team will be made up of 24 participants (12 youth in each cohort) who will meet together often during the summer. Occasionally, LINC North and South will have separate but similar experiences based on activity location.
What are the dates of the program?
This program meets Tuesday –Friday. This year the program will start on June 18th and end on August 2nd.
We meet from 10:00 am-3:00 pm, except for overnight trips which have specific start times for departure and return. If you require transportation support, your pickup time will be 9:20 am and your drop-off time will be 3:30 pm. Depending on the location of the activities, this time is subject to change with advance notice.
Key dates:
- Application due date: Sunday, March 10th at 11:59 pm
- Family & Student Orientation: Saturday, May 20th at 9:00 am
- Program Starts: Tuesday, June 18th
- Program Week Break: Tuesday, July 2nd - Friday, July 5th
- Program Ends: Friday, August 2nd
The LINC program does not cost anything. Upon successful completion you will receive an educational award of up to $2,400.
We offer shuttles from public transit hubs to the program start location and back to that same hub. We do not pick up youth from their homes or other locations. It is the youth’s responsibility to get to the pickup site on time.
LINC North pick-up location: 666 3rd St, San Rafael, CA 94901. Please wait in the parking lot of Citibank.
LINC South pick-up location: 52 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102. Please wait at the Assembly Café.
If youth are transporting themselves to the program’s starting location, they need to provide advanced notice and confirm travel details with their lead mentor. Some locations have very specific routes including gated entry or off-trail starting points.
Please CLICK HERE TO APPLY. The application also includes short answer questions. Please give thoughtful answers when applying to increase your chances of acceptance.
If you are able, please provide one reference; a reference cannot be a family member or friend. Examples of a reference: coach, teacher, counselor, mentor, etc.
Q: How quickly can I expect a decision about acceptance into the program?
A: We will up accepted interns one to two weeks before interviews. We will also contact students who did not get accepted as well. Please check your email for any and all updates. Applicants who do not respond to communications regarding the hiring process may be removed from consideration.
Q: How will interviews be conducted?
A: All interviews will be conducted in person at the Crissy Field Center. Interviews will be hosted by two people and snacks are generally provided. Please arrive on time. Professional attire is not required.
Q: What should I do if I’m going to be late for my interview?
A: Please call your interviewer as soon as possible if you know that you will be late. Your interview confirmation email will provide a phone number you can contact in case you need to make any changes. Emails will not be responded to on the date of the interviews.
Q. What will the interview questions be like?
A: We want to make the interview as comfortable as possible for you. We ask questions so that we can get to know you better and understand how you will fit into the LINC team. Here are a few questions that we may ask during your interview:
1. What part of this program are you the most excited about?
2. What role do you play in a group or team?
3. What is your relationship with nature and the outdoors?
4. What is a change that you’d like to see in your community?
5. What is a project that you’ve been a part of that you are proud of?
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