Authors: Grace Simmons, Dovetail Partners, and Katie Norris, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities on behalf of the US Forest and Wood Products Inclusion Council
Introduction
Far too few people grow up dreaming of a career in forestry. Those who find their way to forestry may choose it because someone introduced them to the outdoors, encouraged them to explore natural resources, or opened a door to an opportunity they didn’t know existed.
Fortunately, there are many programs operating across the forest sector that aim to introduce youth to careers in forestry and natural resources. The challenge is that these opportunities often exist in isolation or touch students at just one point in their development. A student may discover Project Learning Tree in elementary school, join FFA in high school, and find the Society of American Foresters in college. However, rarely do we see students who progress through multiple forestry-related programs throughout their school years. Sometimes students simply do not know what the next opportunity might be to deepen their journey toward forestry. That realization inspired the U.S. Forest and Wood Products Sector Inclusion Council’s project to identify National Scale Organizations Connecting Youth & Forestry.
The outcome of the effort is an online StoryMap showing organizations that engage youth from kindergarten through post-graduate opportunities. The scrollable format shows organizations along a timeline from kindergarten through post-graduate studies that each provide possible entry points into forestry, illustrating how programs and organizations collectively support youth as they grow, develop new skills, and explore career opportunities. We designed the StoryMap to help educators, parents, students, and forestry professionals better understand how these experiences build upon one another, identify opportunities for collaboration, and strengthen the pipeline into forestry and natural resources.
Why We Need This Resource
As we began our research into youth engagement in forestry, one thing quickly became clear: there is no shortage of organizations dedicated to introducing young people to forests and natural resources. Across the country, nonprofits, professional associations, educational institutions, government agencies, and industry partners are investing time and resources to inspire the next generation through classroom programs, leadership opportunities, competitions, camps, internships, scholarships, and hands-on learning experiences.
The challenge isn’t a lack of opportunities, it’s getting them in front of the right audiences. Many of these programs operate independently, making it difficult for students, parents, educators, and even forestry professionals to see the bigger picture of how they fit together. Without a broader view of the landscape, it’s easy to miss opportunities to continue building on a student’s interest as they grow.
Our goal wasn’t to create another program or suggest there is only one path into forestry. Instead, we wanted to connect the dots. By bringing these organizations together into a single visual resource, we hope to make it easier for anyone interested in forestry to identify opportunities, discover new partnerships, and better understand how individual programs collectively contribute to building the future forestry workforce.
Increasing the visibility of these pathways is also important to building a forestry workforce that reflects the communities it serves. Research continues to highlight the underrepresentation of women and historically excluded groups in forestry, and connecting young people to opportunities earlier can help broaden awareness of forestry careers and create more entry points into the profession.
What We Learned Along the Way
While there are numerous program opportunities available, they don’t all serve the same purpose. Many of the programs introduce children to the outdoors through environmental education, conservation, and recreation, helping them develop an appreciation for nature from an early age. Project Learning Tree stood out as one of the few national programs that intentionally introduces elementary-aged students to forestry concepts alongside broader environmental education, providing an early connection to the profession itself.
As we mapped organizations by age group, another pattern emerged. While there were many programs focused on middle and high school students and a growing number of opportunities at the collegiate and professional levels, we found relatively few national organizations serving as bridges between high school and college. Three organizations consistently stood out: the National Forestry Competition (NFC), Envirothon, and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS). Each provides meaningful opportunities for students to deepen their forestry knowledge, develop leadership skills, build professional networks, and continue their journey into higher education and forestry careers. These programs play a critical role in maintaining momentum during a stage when many students are making important decisions about their future work aspirations and potential careers.
The forestry community already has many of the pieces needed to build the next generation workforce. The critical opportunity now is to form partnerships to make our sector’s existing programs easier to discover and better connected. By understanding where organizations fit within the broader landscape, we can strengthen partnerships, identify gaps, and ensure that all young people have a clear pathway from their first introduction to the outdoors.
Why Every Stage Matters
One of our biggest takeaways from this project is that there are many possible pathways into forestry. Every individual’s journey is different, shaped by the experiences, mentors, and opportunities they encounter along the way. For some, that journey begins with a classroom lesson or a family hike. For others, it starts through FFA, Envirothon, a summer camp, or an internship. No matter where the journey begins, each experience has the potential to build curiosity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the many careers available in forestry and natural resources.
That is why exposure at every stage is so important. Early experiences help young people develop an appreciation for forests and the environment. Middle and high school programs provide opportunities to apply that interest through leadership, competition, and hands-on learning. College organizations, internships, and professional societies then help students build the technical knowledge, networks, and career connections needed to enter the workforce. Each stage serves a different purpose, and together they create a continuum of learning that supports students from their first introduction to forestry through the beginning and growth of their careers.
As students head back to school this fall, we invite you to explore the National Scale Organizations Connecting Youth & Forestry StoryMap and consider where you can help make the next connection. Educators can use the StoryMap to point students toward their next opportunity. Forestry professionals and industry partners can identify places to mentor, sponsor, volunteer, or otherwise support youth engagement. Parents, family members, and community leaders can use it to find programs that might spark a young person’s interest in forests, natural resources, and the careers connected to them.
Take a few minutes to explore the StoryMap and find the right entry point for a young person in your life. Every connection has the potential to open a door to forestry!
About the Authors
Hi, I’m Grace Simmons, a program assistant at Dovetail Partners. I’ve been with the team for two years, supporting projects focused on forestry, sustainability, and workforce development. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in environ
mental conservation and I enjoy supporting projects that advance sustainable forestry and connect people with opportunities in the forest sector.
Hi, I’m Katie Norris, a program coordinator at the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. I’ve been with the Endowment for a year, where I support a variety of projects focused on strengthening forest markets, developing new
opportunities for the forest sector, and connecting people and organizations across the industry. I graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and enjoy working on projects that bring new ideas and partnerships together to create meaningful opportunities for forests and forest-reliant communities.