June 1, 2009
Student Conservation Association / Corps Public Risk Management Intern Program

1. USACE and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) are exploring the possibility of starting a Public Risk Management Training Program for SCA interns. This would involve SCA interns being trained in safety and risk management in advance of them coming to work for USACE. Before we embark on developing this training, we need to know if there is any interest in hiring SCA interns at your project for safety-related work. Also, we need to know what specific types of risk management or safety-related work (e.g. search and rescue, boat patrol assistance, interpretive services and outreach, water safety, event coordination etc.) that you would foresee SCA Public Risk Management interns taking on at your project.

2. For those of you who are not familiar with the benefits of working with SCA, you can learn more on the NRM Gateway at http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/partners/sca/sca.html. Those who have taken advantage of SCA employees have discovered the costs can be considerably less than hiring STEP, SCEP, or government employees. Also, SCA is now allowing USACE to do our own local recruiting which eliminates SCA recruiting charges and our need to provide local housing for interns.

3. SCA has recently started something similar to what we are considering with the National Park Service (NPS) and attached is an explanation of their Public Risk Management Internship Program Pilot Project. Also, this is a link to an article about their program if you're interested. http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/04/national-park-service-hoping-better-informed-visitors-are-safer-visitors

4. Our HQUSACE point of contact for this initiative is Rachel Garren, Assistant Manager for the National Operation Center for Water Safety, 314-331-8624. Please respond to Rachel by 30 June 09 with a point of contact for your project office, along with a number of SCA interns you would want, and a list of safety-related work you would need them to accomplish in 2010.

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