The Summer Youth Forestry Institute (SYFI) was developed to inspire youth through experiential learning opportunities and early work experience in the field of natural resources. Declining enrollments in forestry and other natural resource careers has made it necessary to actively engage youth and provide them with exposure to careers in these fields. The 2011 SYFI combined Extension Forestry and 4-H objectives by providing both youth development and forest management skills through a paid internship, targeting rural high school students in Snohomish County, WA.