Resource Conservation Workshop

Get Your Hands Dirty & Your Mind Blown at the Resource Conservation Workshop!

Ready to swap screen time for stream time? The Resource Conservation Workshop is a weeklong deep dive into the world of conservation, where you’ll explore natural resources, tackle real-world environmental challenges, and get hands-on with soil, water, forestry, and wildlife. This isn’t just sitting in a classroom—think field studies, outdoor adventures, and behind-the-scenes tours of conservation hotspots. Plus, evening sessions help you navigate college and career choices (because, let’s be real, adulting is coming). Oh, and did we mention scholarships and awards are available? High scores on a final exam offer students the chance to win college scholarships and cash prizes.

You'll be living the college life at NC State, staying in dorms supervised by live-in counselors, meeting awesome people, and learning at places like Williams Hall, Lake Wheeler Soils Field Lab, Falls Lake State Recreation Area, and Clemmons State Educational Forest. It’s the perfect mix of hands-on science, outdoor exploration, and future-planning.

A limited number of scholarships are available from the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District (Orange SWCD) to sponsor students’ attendance at RCW.

ELIGIBILITY

The Orange Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors will annually sponsor one or more Orange County students. The district will cover all registration fees, while students are responsible for transportation to and from NC State University. Housing and meals are included during the workshop.

The RCW welcomes students entering 10th through 12th grade. High school graduates cannot attend. Please note that only students from Orange County can receive a sponsorship from the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District.

Students are allowed to participate in the program only one time.

The RCW is sponsored by the Division of Soil and Water Conservation and the North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

HOW TO APPLY

Orange County students can submit their applications via the link provided below.

Applications and a letter of recommendation are due March 31, 2026. For additional info or assistance, please contact David Latta at dlatta@orangecountync.gov or (919) 245- 2754 or Lisa Pope at lpope@orangecountync.gov (919) 245 -2750.

Applications are open between January 15 and March 31, 2026. Application Deadline: March 31, 2026.