Deadline: March 6, 2025
The Chesapeake Bay Trust (Trust) is a nonprofit, grant-making organization dedicated to improving the bays, streams, rivers, forests, parks, and other natural resources of all our local systems, from the Chesapeake to the Coastal Bays to the Youghiogheny River. During the 2025-2026 Corps year, the Trust will administer two Corps programs, designed to engage young professionals in green career pathways in Maryland:
1) The Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps (CCCC) Program: In 2022 the Maryland General Assembly enacted the Climate Solutions Now Act, one aspect of which is the expansion of the climate focus of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps and provision of resources to increase the number of Corps placements. These changes allow the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps (Corps) to increase its impact in addressing the complex environmental issues of today in the face of climate change, serving communities disproportionately affected by climate change, and preparing young adults for the demands and needs of the green workforce. As part of this effort, the Chesapeake Bay Trust is proud to partner with the State of Maryland and BGE an Exelon Company to administer the Corps program. For the 2025-26 Corps Program, the Trust anticipates placing approximately 50 individuals with Host Organizations for a service term of one year, from August 19, 2025 – August 18, 2026.
2) The Maryland Climate Corps (MCC-SYO) Program: The Maryland Climate Corps is a program of the Service Year Option and offers stipend supported service opportunities for Climate Corps Fellows to get involved in protecting their community from the impacts of climate change while receiving green workforce training to access a well-paying green job after their service. An initiative of the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation (DSCI) that is administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Maryland Climate Corps (MCC-SYO) will engage Fellows in activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build green infrastructure, and improve community resilience to climate disasters. The Maryland Climate Corps is partially funded through a philanthropic partnership with the California Volunteers Fund. For the 2025-26 MCC-SYO program, the Trust anticipates placing a minimum of 40 individuals with Host Organizations for a service term of 9.5 months, from September 10, 2025 – June 2026.
The Member/Fellow Opportunity:
Each Corps Member and MCC-SYO Fellow will be placed with a Host Organization and will work with the Host Organization and the Chesapeake Bay Trust to develop a 40 hour a week work plan that outlines their tasks, projects, and responsibilities for their term of service. The work plan will be created based on the fields and activities described in the “Eligible Corps Member Activities” section below (for Corps Members the workplan will also include a Capstone Project led by the Corps Member). Additionally, Corps Members and MCC-SYO Fellows will participate in leadership and professional development trainings, full-cohort project days, and site visits to other Host Organization sites.
Host Organizations are nonprofits, municipal, county, regional, state, or Federal public agencies, faith-based organizations, community associations, service, youth, and civic groups, and public and independent higher educational institutions located throughout the state of Maryland. (MCC-SYO Host Organizations may also be for-profit entities.) For an overview of key program components for both programs, refer to the Corps Program Elements Table.