The Bureau of Land Management in Arizona received more than half a million dollars in federal grant money to support employment and mentoring programs for inner-city youth.
The money will expand a BLM program that offers young adults in Arizona on-the-job experience through a 16-week field school.
In the Phoenix district, the agency will hire an additional eight students and purchase tents and shovels for the program.
BLM spokeswoman Pamela Mathis said the project provides students an introduction to land management careers.
"And so when they are done with the 16 week program they have a job, they have occupational certificates to put on their resume, they have college credits and then the best of the best are actually chosen for longer-term internships with the federal government," Mathis said.
In all, more than 40 public lands projects received funding across the country.