Impact Story: Brandon Roberts – Melding Art and Conservation

By Emma Fantuzzo

Brandon’s Background:

Brandon Roberts – a former optician and bartender who now works as an artist and a member of Louisiana Conservation Corps (LaCC) – describes himself as “Organized Chaos.”

Born and raised in Jacksonville, FL, Brandon worked as an optician for a decade before deciding it was time for a career change. Like many healthcare professionals, Brandon felt burnt out at the end of the pandemic and wanted to reconnect with his roots,

“I always knew I was a nature lover,” he said.

While he received pushback from friends and family over his career change, Brandon felt inspired by nature and wanted to do something that made a difference.

The following two years would be a catalyst for Brandon’s future as he began bartending in Jacksonville, FL and gained a small audience for his passion: creating art.

“[The bar] had 20-foot exposed brick walls and I just saw an opportunity to fill it with something. So, the general manager, who was very supportive of my artwork, was like, you know, you really should start displaying here.”

Brandon says his art has been described as, “post-apocalyptic, nature takes over.” He incorporates manmade items he finds in nature with pieces of nature, hoping to convey the spirit of the place he found the items, as well as the importance of conservation and stewardship.

With nature as his muse, Brandon’s art truly took off when he joined LaCC.

 

 

Corps Experience:

Brandon came across a job posting for LaCC three days before they closed their application for the season. Though he did not have field experience, he says that he had gained a deep respect for nature through his art creations and wanted a way to give back.

LaCC ended up being not only a great fit, but a way for Brandon to expand his artwork and be inspired to create new pieces.

Looking back on his Corps experience, Brandon says that one of his favorite projects was laying gravel for a trail that allowed people with limited mobility to access nature.

“Seeing people come birding, and watching the trail fill up, was really rewarding,” he said.

He remembers one night in Grande Isle when he was the only person out on the beach at night.

“I walked out because it was a meteor shower and I saw 200 shooting stars within an hour and there was no one for miles either direction.”

Brandon says that at times like these, he takes a snapshot in his mind to try and recreate it later.

The wetlands of Louisiana are a huge inspiration for Brandon’s creations. His fellow Corpsmembers like to help out by bringing him objects they find while working that they think Brandon could use in his art or might like. They find his art fascinating.

Brandon has had several pieces on display at the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge that were inspired by his time with the Corps.

“I’m thinking of the Shaw centerpiece that I had made because [the Corpsmembers] just saw it as a clump of netting and trap that then all of a sudden looks like a mermaid’s treasure.”

 

 

 

Looking Forward:

Brandon’s time with LaCC is coming to an end.

Going forward, he plans to continue to grow his art business while also maintaining a job, even if just part-time, to connect with others. He plans to work for a native landscaping company called Let It Be, a company he worked with during his service term.

Brandon’s Shaw Center art pieces tell the story of his experience with LaCC and how it influenced his art. The pieces are going to continue being exhibited at another location in a new city for three to six months. He also has a solo exhibition in September called “Swamp Witch” it will run the whole month at Blue bonnets Swamp Nature Center in Baton Rouge.

“[Corps] really build strength physically as well as mentally. You learn how to how to adjust to obstacles,” said Brandon. “There’s people all over the country and all over the world doing what we’re doing, and all these little bits and efforts are collectively making that difference that we want.”

CPA Team Profile: NPS MAT Coordinator Seth Nelson

By: Emma Fantuzzo

About the CPA Team:

The Corps Project Assistance (CPA) Team was created by The Corps Network for the purpose of aiding the National Park Service (NPS) in scoping and creating cost estimates of facility-related projects at small to medium-sized parks across the country. These projects are meant to be carried out by crews consisting of NPS staff and Service and Conservation Corpsmembers. These parks often lack the staff capacity and funding to undertake the work on their own.

The CPA Team works with regional National Park Service Maintenance Action Teams (MAT) to identify and coordinate project work. Projects are funded through the Great American Outdoors Act. We spoke with Midwest Regional MAT Coordinator Seth Nelson about his Corps experience with Minnesota Conservation Corps and how it led him to a career with the National Park Service.

Q: How did you get involved in Corps?

Seth: I began as a Corpsmember with a Corps called Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC). We worked for a few different agencies regularly, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota DNR and Koochiching County Lands and Forestry.

While working for Voyageurs National Park, I liked the idea of working in a boat every day and being on the water. I grew up spending time and recreating on the lake. So, it was one of those things that made me say “Hey, this could be a really cool deal if I could end up working here.”

I was also drawn in by the AmeriCorps education award stipend. I hadn’t gone to college and so the idea that I could get money toward college after serving for with MCC, led me to join.

Q: What were memorable takeaways from your Corps experience?

Seth: A big highlight for me was that I found what I wanted to do for my career. Before the Corps, I had never been exposed to National Park work. I had been to Voyageurs National Park before, but I didn’t really think of it as a place where I could work. Working with the Corps, doing work at different campsites, building new trail systems, boardwalks and bridges and maintaining the other trails systems I grew to love the work there.  I worked through the youth Corps at Voyageur National Park for close to four years.

Q: What did you do after your Corps experience and how did you end up at NPS?

Seth: After working in Voyageurs for several seasons with the Corps, the Maintenance Supervisor at Voyageurs pulled me aside and said he liked my hard work and work ethic so he asked me to come and work there for him as a seasonal maintenance worker the following year, so that is what started my National Park Service Career.  That fall I used my education voucher that I earned through the Corps to help me go to college for Parks and Recreation Management.  I would go to school every fall and work for the National Park Service in the summers for the next 4 years.

I ended up working six seasons as a seasonal employee at Voyageurs for anywhere from four to six months depending on what I was doing with school. When I graduated, I began looking for a full time job in the Park Service and landed a Park Superintendent position for the city parks department, which was a great gig out of college. I got the position because of my Corps and NPS background. I did that for two years but as a guy who likes to be outside and working in nature, the city environment wasn’t my element, I needed to be back working with the woods and water.

I kept in contact with people I met at Voyageurs and one day I got a call about a permanent position that was open there, I applied for that position and got it and that’s how I ended up back with the NPS but as a permanent employee this time.

The position was called an FMSS Specialist, and I did maintenance inventory, wrote projects, managed park fleet and assisted on projects throughout the park.

After a couple years in that position, I got a Maintenance Supervisor position, which was really cool because I was able to work with Corps again. I was hiring Corps and bringing them on. I would have up to three Corps a year working in the park for me with different projects. It was great to go from starting at the Corps level and then be bringing Corps on to work with NPS. I brought on all different Corps: Student Conservation Association, Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa, Montana Conservation Corps, American Conservation Experience, etc.

Q: What do you do in your current position?

Seth: In my current position I manage a fund source for the Midwest Region of the Park Service and also get to work with the Corps again as 15% of my funding must go towards youth projects and Corps, so I am very involved with the Corps now, even more so than when I was a supervisor.

I am working with nine Corps projects this year alone from my fund source. I work directly with the Corps leadership to get the agreements written, the budgets signed, projects developed and placement of the Corps in the parks.

My focus with Corps is to get them into newer, smaller parks that have never had help from Corps before.

Smaller parks are a bit apprehensive of getting a Corps crew because they don’t have many staff to oversee or assist with the youth projects but through my experience working with the Corps I am able to work with them and help them through the process.  Depending on the project, the Corps typically don’t need much oversight and once shown the project and what outcomes the park would like, they can take it from there and go to work.

It is beginning to take traction and now small parks that have never had Corps before are wanting to work with them every year.

I feel as if I have come full circle from a new member of a Corps to now developing projects and funding several Corps throughout the park service, it is a pretty good feeling and I plan to continue working with Corps and providing as many opportunities I am able too.

Q: What advice do you have for prospective Corpsmembers or Corpsmembers looking for a career with NPS?

Seth: What I would recommend to those folk is just take advantage of everything you can, the experiences, the training, all that and work hard, do your best. It gets noticed.

You will especially be noticed if you’re out front and willing to take stuff on and doing a great job when you’re there.

Whether you are interested in maintenance, cultural resources or natural resources, interpretation or law enforcement, there is something in the NPS for you.

The Park Service isn’t going to chase you, you have to chase it. Go after it, reach out to those people. Keep in contact with your supervisors and let them know your intent.

 

CPA Team Impact Story: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP

By: Emma Fantuzzo

About the CPA Team:

With support from the National Park Foundation, the Corps Project Assistance (CPA) Team was created by The Corps Network to aid the National Park Service (NPS) in scoping and creating cost estimates for facility-related projects at small and medium-size parks across the country. These parks often lack the staff capacity and funding to undertake the work on their own. The projects, which are funded through the Great American Outdoors Act, are meant to be carried out by crews consisting of NPS staff and Service and Conservation Corps members.

Over the past two years, the CPA Team has scoped projects across the country, several of which have been completed. The finished projects include historic preservation projects at Camp Nelson National Monument, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, and Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park

We talked with Scott Powell, Facility Manager and Acting Superintendent of Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, about his experience working with Corps and the impact he saw on the Corpsmembers.

Q: What was the project the Corps worked on and why was this work needed?

Scott: This project was focused on the replacement of 2,000 Linear feet of deteriorated split rail fencing found throughout the landscapes of Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP. These fences were in an advanced state of deterioration and by replacing them provided a restoration of the park’s historical appearance, significantly improving the preservation of cultural and natural resources as well as the visitor experiences in the park. The project was taken on by a crew of five Corpsmembers and a Crew Leader from American Conservation Experience.

Q: Why is the park partnering with a Corps program to complete this project and what are some benefits to the park?

Scott: The park partnered with Corps to not only address the issues with the deteriorated fence that was identified in the park’s Cultural Landscape Report but also to provide Corpsmembers the opportunity to learn. Corpsmembers gained knowledge and skills of things like, operational risk management, the use of hand and power tools, split rail fence construction, carpentry, and understanding of the history of NPS and Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP, and the purpose of land management agencies.
Completion of this project successfully addressed the need for the restoration of a more historically accurate cultural landscape. Replacing the deteriorated fence with new split rail improved the look of the site requiring much less maintenance for many years. This project aligns with Park’s Foundation Document in that it supports the presentation of a cultural landscape as it appeared when first constructed and provides an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in that period of history.

Q: What were some highlights of the partnership that you observed?

Scott: Seeing the impact on Corpsmembers was my biggest highlight. Most of the Corpsmembers had never seen a split rail fence, much less removed and installed a new one in its place. It was a highlight to see these youth engaging with their hands to build something that will affect this park and its visitors for years to come. The park leadership was also able to schedule a meeting with the Corpsmembers to discuss our career paths and ways that a person can start a career with the NPS.
It is my hope that each Corpsmember took away the importance of teamwork and how to rely on other members of their team to accomplish goals. I would also hope that the members understand the importance of our nations National Park’s and their historical resources and have a better understanding of the NPS mission.

Q: Was this your first Corps collaboration and what would you like to see out of future collaborations?

Scott: This was not the park’s first time working with the Corps. The park has utilized Corpsmembers to perform maintenance on trails, help build a rip rap drainage in the park. It is always a pleasure to work with the Corps and engage with its members. The park hopes to utilize the Corps in the future by working on one of the backcountry trails or even being part of replacing the remaining split rail fence in the park.
I think that other parks looking to work with Corps should make it happen. Engaging our youth while working with the Corps to rehabilitate historical assets and landscapes is vital not only to the future of NPS but also to the future of the United States of America.

Impact Story: Curlew Job Corps student starts life over and grasps for the stars

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

Meeting Samantha “Sam” Berko, it’s hard to imagine the rough start she’s had in life. Berko, currently enrolled in Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center’s (CCC) union painting trade, is confident and outgoing. If a visitor arrives at Curlew, without hesitation she makes a beeline to warmly welcome them to on-center.

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center pre-apprentice painting student Sam Berko holds a project displaying her wood burning skills. USDA Forest Service photo by Alicia D. Bennett

 

Berko arrived at Curlew on November 15, 2022. In a few months, she will graduate and travel to Clearfield Job Corps Center (Clearfield, Utah) to enroll in Advanced Collision Repair and Refinish. The United Auto Workers industry credentials and certifications Berko earns in this second, advanced pre-apprentice training program will prepare her for a position at a car dealership or independently owned body shop.

 

(l-r) Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Union Painting Instructor Doug Wilson and student Sam Berko have a bit of fun with the life-sized “Face in the Hole” carnival board Berko painted to celebrate Prospectors Day, an annual, three-day, celebration of Republic, Washington’s gold mining heritage. Festival goers could choose between the faces of two miners, one riding in a mine cart, in which to stick their faces. Courtesy photo by Sam Berko using self-timer.

 

Berko’s resilience has been forged through adversity. Her story is distressingly familiar for many of the young women who enroll in Job Corps. Raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, she spent the first seven years of her like bouncing between her biological mother and father in a custody battle. When Berko’s mother married a second time, to a man who owned his own home and with a stable job, the tables were turned in her favor and she gained full custody of her daughter.

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center union painting student Sam Berko was featured in The Ferry County View after she painted a life-sized “Face in the Hole” carnival board to help festival goers celebrate Prospectors Day, an annual, three-day, celebration of Republic, Washington’s gold mining heritage. Courtesy photo by Sam Berko.

 

A sense of normalcy and structure settled over Berko’s life until her mother died on December 9, 2017. At age fifteen, she found herself trapped in a household governed by an emotionally abusive stepfather who took out his grief and anger on her. “He told me I would never amount to anything,” Berko reflected “He said that the only way I could be successful was laying on my back for men’s pleasure.” Berko related her story with no sense of grievance or victimhood. You even detect a sense of empathy towards this man despite what she endured. “I was a constant reminder of her to him.”

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center union painting student Sam Berko uses metal technical stilts to stand over a bench she wood burned and then applied a custom-colored wood stain and air brushed painted a skeleton. Photo courtesy of Sam Berko.

 

Berko has labored hard to process and overcome her abusive past, but unsurprising, she battles bouts of depression. Still, she lives her life guided by a principle of staying strong through tough times. “The past is in the past. You can either run from it or learn from it,” she said. “When the world turns upside down, make the best of it.”

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center union painting student Sam Berko (laying on ground, front row) worked on Supply Team 12 on the Bedrock Fire on the Willamette National Forest during the summer of 2023. Berko shared that it was an eye-opening team building experience where she had to adapt her independent mindset to one where she relied on others after being a solo player most of her life. Courtesy photo by Sam Berko using a self-timer.

 

Berko eventually left home. In succeeding years struggled to make ends meet working minimum wage jobs. Expenses ate up her meager salary and her life was punctuated with periods of homelessness where she would tent camp or live in her car. “I realized I can’t just keep getting dead end jobs where I can’t climb up,” stated Berko. Last year, with winter approaching, she decided Curlew Job Corps was her last best chance to start life fresh.

After a health condition prevented Berko from enrolling in forestry conservation, she enrolled in union painting. “Doug Wilson, my painting instructor has seen me at some of my low times and he’s definitely pushed me to become better in my trade,” stated Berko. “He gave me the belief I can do anything I put my mind too. He has helped me become better person, helped me keep my head on straight and focus on what I want to do.”

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center pre-apprentice painting student Sam Berko powder coated a U.S. Forest Service sign, constructed on computer numerical control machines  by Curlew union welding students, to prevent it from rusting. The sign was given away as a raffle prize for Curlew’s Open House. USDA Forest Service photo by Sam Berko.

 

CCCs have long incorporated a union-operated pre-apprenticeship training model includes a paid job where student earns industry recognized credentials and participation in classroom learning and work-based learning, all under the instruction of a mentor. Berko completed three internships over the last year. The instructors that operate union trades excel at supporting motivated students like her and they encourage female students to enroll in pre-apprenticeship programs. Union trades are still a reliable pathway to the middle-class and women continue to be under-represented. For Berko, it has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that she said has set her up for life.

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center union painting student Sam Berko sands a piece of wood before wood burning. USDA Forest Service photo by Alicia D. Bennett.

 

Berko will spend 18 months earning her certifications at Clearfield Job Corps and then plans to work at a Toyota Manufacturing plant for five to seven years. “With enough experience under my belt and if I’ve saved enough money, I can open my own car detailing and body paint shop,” she explained. The business name she’s chosen–Sam’s Masterpiece– is eponymous.

 

Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center union painting student Sam Berko wears metal technical stilts painters used by painters during drywall application or to paint in high and/or confined spaces when a ladder is unsuitable. USDA Forest Service photo by Doug Wilson.

 

Having watched her stepfather run his own business, Berko recognizes the challenges of operating a small business. “I’m definitely thinking that I will have to go from being a small-town country girl and move to a somewhat big city to make sure I have enough revenue and business coming my way to keep my shop open,” she reflected. “I’ll detail cars and do body work. I want to create artwork and watch it drive down the road. I feel like I’m grasping for the stars, but in reality I know it’s something that I can do and I can manage.”

 

Union painting student Sam Berko (center on metal technical stilts) prepares to represent Curlew Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center during the Prospectors Day parade, part of an annual, three-day, celebration of Republic, Washington’s gold mining heritage. USDA Forest Service photo by Doug Wilson.

Impact Story: A Job Corps Mobile Kitchen knocks it out of the park supporting the Colt Fire

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

Oops . . .they did it again. Who you ask? Job Corps students manning a mobile kitchen that spent two weeks preparing three meals a day to the 150 personnel responding to the Colt Fire at Seeley Lake. The successful track record of the three Job Corps mobile kitchens has national catering contractors looking over their shoulders. The significance of Job Corps’ culinary support is even more apparent considering that prior attempts by other catering services fell short of fire contracting standards.

 

Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Camp Crew members were deployed on August 29, 2023, to support the Colt Fire at Seeley Lake. L-r second row: Mya Frost, Lee A-BinBin Bartosch, Keshawn Shaw, Feredinand Nizigiyimana, Maximus Ramos, Jade Bourg. L-r first row: Cook Cassie Boyd, Camp Crew Boss Robert Collins, Job Corps National Office FAM Cook Anthony Hansen. USDA Forest Service photo by Kenneth Andren.

 

“After hosting three caterers for the Colt Fire this summer, Job Corps is hands down ‘the best’,” according to the evaluations. “The first caterer’s food was not great, the second was not clean. Job Corp is providing good food and are extremely clean Job Corps deserve a shout out. Maybe we could just go with them in the future and skip the others.”

 

Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center mobile kitchen crew serve Colt Fire responders from a sparkling clean kitchen. USDA Forest Service photo by Anthony Hansen.

 

Upon arrival, the Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center students and staff operating the Job Corps mobile kitchen promptly stepped in. With no break in service, they continued to serve the responders with unwavering diligence for a two-week stretch.

 

Flatwoods Job Cops Camp Crew and Colt Lake Fire Incident Management Team off-load surplus food from the Job Corps mobile kitchen to donate to the Seeley Lake Elementary School. USDA Forest Service photo by Kenneth Andren.

 

Job Corps students are taught that providing support on a wildland fire is an honor. Students chosen for fire assignments are committed to performing at the highest level. Even operating under a newly hired kitchen supervisor and food unit leader trainee, the crew, consisting of one cook, two crew bosses, and seven AD-camp crew students, functioned smoothly as a team. The meals they prepared, paired with exceptional customer service, not only filled the stomachs of responders but also maintained high-quality standards.

 

Flattwoods Camp Crew: (Left to Right) Maximus Ramos, Jade Bourg, April Ramos, Keshawn Shaw, Mya Frost. USDA Forest Service photo by Kenneth Andren.

 

Job Corps mobile kitchen chefs purchase the highest quality of food their budgets allow and they are conscious not to waste food. At the Colt Fire, the culinary team’s efficient resource management resulted in surplus food. This allowed for food donations to local charities, including “Meals on Wheels” and the “After School Brown Bag Program,” a much-needed resource for students suffering from food insecurity.

 

A happy battalion chief get’s ready to enjoy a meal prepared by students operating a Job Corps mobile kitchen at the Colt Fire at Seeley Lake. USDA Forest Service photo by Kenneth Andren.

 

Work-based learning opportunities provided by fire deployments are critical to the success of the Job Corps program and the exceptional performance of the Job Corps mobile kitchen highlights the important of delivering high-quality meals for those on the front lines of emergency response.

The Job Corps mobile kitchens are part of the Job Corps Wildland Fire Program. The kitchens have finished their deployments for the 2023 season but will be back in action in 2024. Contact Mobile Kitchen Partnership Coordinator Kenneth C. Andren, Jr. at kenneth.andren@usda.gov or 605-490-3814 to order one up for your next training event. If you order a mobile kitchen for a Type 3 fire in the IQCS system, please note that a 72-hour time frame is needed from receipt of the resource order. Be a hero to your firefighters and order a Job Corps mobile kitchen to feed your firefighters!

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Public Lands Corps Guides for Forest Service Partners

Many organizations in The Corps Network’s membership are Public Lands Corps (PLC). These are programs that partner with government resource management agencies and Tribal entities to help maintain and improve our lands and waters. Young people who serve in PLC programs and meet a set of requirements are eligible to receive the Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority, which can help them secure a job with a federal resource management agency upon completing their service. 

 

The U.S. Forest Service recently provided the following guides to Public Lands Corps partners. Among these resources  is a PLC Implementation Guide for Forest Service Partners, which discusses PLC eligibility requirements, PLC certification issuance process, and points of contact in the Forest Service. Also included is a Public Land Corps Resource Guide for Participants, which discusses eligibility requirements, how to request a PLC certificate, and more. Last is a resource on How to Request PLC Certifications. 

Questions about these resources can be directed to Kelsey Chun, Program Specialist at USFS: kelsey.chun@usda.gov

Resources:

Public Land Corps Implementation Guide

Public Land Corps Resource Guide

How to Request PLC Certifications

 

 

Corps Oral History: Andrew Moore

By: Emma Fantuzzo

About the Corps Oral History Project:

The Corps movement dates to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of the 1930s – ‘40s. The CCC offered young, mostly white, men the opportunity to work and earn money during the Great Depression. The “CCC boys” planted billions of trees, built hundreds of parks, and established a legacy of conservation across the country.

While the CCC certainly provided a framework for modern Corps, it wasn’t until the 1970s and ‘80s that a new, more equitable, and ever-evolving Corps movement began to emerge. This oral history project gathers insights from the dreamers, innovators, and leaders who made today’s network of Service and Conservation Corps possible.

Andy’s Background:

Andrew Moore was introduced to the Corps movement in 1987 when he joined the Human Environment Center (HEC) as a staff member. At the time, HEC served as the fiscal agent for The Corps Network’s predecessor, the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC).

“At that point, we had about 40 programs that we knew of around the country. Many of them were statewide programs, there was a tiny spattering of local programs. So that was the beginning, back in ’87.”

Andy went on to work with NASCC for the next 15 years in various roles. In 1988 he staffed a partnership with Public/ Private Ventures called the Urban Corps Expansion Project which set out to build on examples in places like Oakland, San Francisco and LA, to plant Corps in at least 15 cities around the country. Several of these start-up Corps are still active, such as the Greater Miami Service and Conservation Corps.

In the 90s, building on the momentum created during the Bush administration, the Clinton administration brought more attention and resources to National Service with the creation of the Corporation for National Service. During that time, Andy, still working with NASCC, worked on federal agency partnerships and funding flows for Corps.

“We set the wheels in motion beginning in ’93 and ‘94 for increased partnerships between Corps and the National Park Service and to some degree the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife, and other federal agencies. NASCC took another major step by applying successfully to the US Department of Labor support welfare-to-work “Corps to Career” projects with several member Corps… That was right around 2000, at the peak time of funding for youth employment from the federal government. It’s never been the same since.”

In 2002, Andy left NASCC and began consulting with Corps on strategic planning and partnership development. This led him to begin consulting with the National League of Cities where he currently works as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Connections. Andy continues to look for ways to utilize and expand Corps work.

Andy’s Insights:

Q: What was the Corps Community like when you started? How has it changed?

Andy: If I go all the way back to ’87, the leaders in the Corps world were largely people who had experience in that Jimmy Carter era of the Young Adult Conservation Corps programs at the state level. In the latter half of the 1980s and first half of the 1990s and I think especially through the Urban Corps Expansion Project, we were able to create leadership roles for more people of color, for women, and just really start to diversify what the leadership in staffing of the Corps world looked like.

I think there have been discussions and debates over time about who can best benefit from participation in a Corps. I’d like to think that emphasis on providing opportunities for young people who had less opportunity starting out is a big emphasis in the Corps world. The Corps Network is a major participant in ongoing policy support for opportunity youth, so I am glad to see that. Even the Corporation for National Service has come around after many years of resisting our role in employment and training to embrace that under the current leadership.

 

Q: Where do you think the Corps movement is headed and what could be improved going forward?

Andy: I’m still interested in, and this goes back to when we started doing training in urban stream restoration 30 years ago – thinking about young people, wondering what Corps can do to strengthen ties with employers or demonstrate that they are really delivering young people credentials and experience that will pay off well in public or private sector jobs after they leave the Corps. I’m imagining that there is still work to do to tighten up the connections. I know that it is difficult work. So that’s one area.

Despite the growth of federal funding and federal partnerships, I think there’s so much need for more Corps. There is a huge population of opportunity youth, five million across the country, and a lot more young people should have a Corps experience. There’s a long way to go to be operating at the scale that we need to be operating.

Sitting where I do at National League of Cities, I’m not sure that we have really maximized the potential for Corps to work with cities. I think the relationship between PowerCorps and the Philadelphia Water Department is a good model of mutually beneficial relationships…as I’ve talked to Corps in recent years, I have the sense that cities are not always welcoming partners and that there are legal barriers in place, and I wish we could do more to break those down and make sure that Corps and cities are working together.

NASCC Staff in 2000, Andy third from left

Q: What do you feel is the effect Corps have on young people’s lives?

Andy: First is the connection to local projects and being able to go back to a site and say, “I contributed to this, I did this.” Second, I think there’s something for crew-based Corps. Strong team identification, and the ability to really connect with a mentor and a crew supervisor. That can pay a lot of dividends. Best case, a chance to complete or advance your education in a way that’s grounded in the actual work experience so that it feels relevant and creates a sense of forward momentum in terms of credentialing and so forth. And creating a consistent source of income, even if small scale. It gives young people on that track the opportunity to earn money.

 

Q: Do you have any stories from your experiences that you’d like to share?

Andy: In Montana and Arizona we had to go through a couple of rounds to get it right, to get to a structure that would work in each of the states. To have the Corps working in huge geographic areas, a lot of rural space and population concentration, a lot to figure out in terms of how to make a Corps work in those states. Unlike California, which always has forest fires and disasters that contribute to the need for the CCC, those states have been somewhat more insulated from those disasters so they had to figure out working relationships and funding flows that would work. It was gratifying to work alongside them. I was there as an advisor, trying to bring in ideas from other places to help tighten up their thinking, so those were great experiences working in those two states, and both of which as I understand still have a lot of Corps activity.

I wish the Corps community the best. I wish I had more time to connect with people I’ve met over time. Always eager to hear stories of success and challenges and standing ready to help add momentum to the successes and work through the challenges.

Impact Story: Oconaluftee Job Corps Advanced Forestry Instructor comes full circle

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry students visit the Wilson Lick Ranger Station, one of the first ranger stations built on the Nantahala National Forest on April 18, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (CCC) Advanced Forestry Instructor Tavaris Evans had a wonderful childhood growing up in Miami, Florida—maybe too much fun. After entering high school, the grades he brought home to show his parents were underwhelming. Naively, he believed that enrolling in an alternative high school would be the magic solution to help him earn his high school diploma. It did—until he stopped showing up for class.  

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student Alexander Maillard reads interpretive signage at the Wilson Lick Ranger Station on the Nantahala National Forest on April 18, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

Dropping out of school did not sit well with his parents. They instructed Evans that if he was not enrolled in school he had to get a job. Surveying his options, Evans discovered that his career prospects included working at warehouse, driving a truck or joining the military, none of which he found attractive. Ultimately, he did find employment at a warehouse and enrolled in a vocational school with the goal of earning his GED. But, between long work shifts and a commute he dreaded, Evans became discouraged and he dropped out of school yet again.  

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student Montel Filmore at the Wayah Bald Fire Tower on April 18, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

In 2005, while working at the warehouse, Evans would pass the Miami Job Corps Center on his route home. He was intrigued enough to see what it had to offer, applied, and was quickly accepted. By November 2006 he had earned his certification in business administration but not earn a GED. Evans went back to working at the warehouse. After a year he realized two things–he had to dedicate himself full-time to his education and it had to be in a new location outside the state of Florida. After experiencing what Job Corps had to offer, he decided that it would provide him the best opportunity for success and enrolled in Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps CCC.  

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student Jacob Coleman participates in physical training on April 14, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

Attending a Forest Service Job Corps center sparked Evan’s interest in wildland firefighting, leading him to enroll in the Advanced Wildland Fire Management Program at Schenck Job Corps. He completed his training September 2008. The extensive work experience Evans received at Schenck provided him with the skills he needed to advance to the next stage of his career. “Job Corps provided me with hands-on experience in wildland fire that was desirable for entry level placement with the Forest Service,” said Evans. “I learned a trade, got my GED and got paid for it. I made good friends and had great instructors. I am thankful for the Job Corps program—it changed the trajectory of a high school dropout.”  

 

(l-r) Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry students Dereck McEachin and Luke Schwartz sharpen hand tools on April 20, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

Evans went on to work as a firefighter on the Hoosier National Forest for six years. He then moved on to the Cibola National Forest to work as an Assistant Engine Captain for eight years. Evans stumbled upon an outreach for an instructor for Oconaluftee Job Corps’ revamped Advanced Forestry Program and now he has come full circle. “I thought this is probably a good opportunity and I applied and here I am,” shared Evans.

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student Hannah Greene uses a prism to tally trees in a plot for cruising timber on April 11, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

As the new Advanced Forestry instructor, Evans studied the standardized Advanced Forestry Training and Achievement Record (TAR) to expand upon and develop his own lesson plans and curriculum. “I looked through the TAR and asked myself, ‘OK, how does this look?, ’” he stated. However, immediately after his arrival, Oconlaluftee lost its forestry instructor. Evans was asked to backfill the position which required mastering its own specific TAR. “I had full class of about 15 students and I had to hit the ground running,” he said. “Before you know it I was taking students here, taking students there—I went out West and took students out to California and Nevada.” By the time Evans was able to return full-time to his permanent role, he had two Advanced Forestry students waiting. “I had to build the plane while it was in the air with students already onboard.”

  

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student uses a vertex hypsometer to measure tree height on April 11, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

The Advanced Forest program has a maximum enrollment of 10 students and takes six to seven months to complete. Students are trained on the basics of timber marking/timber cruising, trails, recreation and maintenance. They spend 16 weeks working on a national forest to gain experience in the field and learn how the U.S. Forest Service conducts business to serve the American public. Students who successfully complete the program earn a Public Land Corps certificate, giving them a special hiring status for future employment with the agency.  

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry instructor Tavaris Evans. Self-timed photo courtesy of Tavaris Evans.

 

Evans continually beats the ground to find instructors to speak and train his students. “As I’m building the program, I’m reaching out to resources to ask them if they are available or if they have a project the students can work–on the national park, forest districts, with the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the state. “I want to get the students quality experience and enhance the program.” 

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry inaugural class on April 13, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

Evan’s end-goal as an instructor is to ensure that every student in his program has the skills needed to pursue entry-level jobs in areas such as timber, firefighting, recreation or forestry. “I take them as they come,” he says. “Some know what they want to do and others are unsure and still trying to figure out it out. I put them on a path to get them to their end goal—which may require them getting more advanced training. The whole idea is to train the students and making a student employable.” 

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student Thomas Paine uses a sling psychrometer to measure the weather temperature and relative humidity on April 13, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

 

As for where he is headed in his career, Evans does not seem to have given it much though. But the one thing he is sure of is that he wants to excel. “Whatever position I land in my career; my goal is to be great at it.” 

 

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Advanced Forestry student Levino Sims uses a wind meter to measure wind speed on April 13, 2023. USDA Forest Service photo by Tavaris Evans.

Impact Story: Job Corps Rx modules support prescribed burns in national forests and grasslands

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

As national forests and grasslands implement their prescribed fire plans, the motto “Ready, willing, and able,” is an apt description that describes the support Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCC) provide year after year. The CCCs continually raise the bar in the support they provide national forests and grasslands. At the tail end of March 2023, this was evident when Angell, Flatwoods, Harpers Ferry, Great Onyx, and Jacob’s Creek Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers sent four prescribed fire modules to the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (GMFL NF).  

 

Flatwoods and Jacobs Creek Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers combined their FFT2s to deploy a prescribed burn module to the Finger Lakes National Forest. (l-r) Left to right Jake Swift, Johnny Holloway, Alex Philips (Jacobs Creek), Otis Murphey (Flatwoods), Lorenzo Mata(Flatwoods), Amari Mouzon (Jacobs Creek), Bobby Davis, Casey Howard. USDA Forest Service photo by Jodi Vanselow.

 

The Job Corps Fire Program has provided consistent support to GMFL NF’s prescribed fire seasons since 2018. This year, the workforce provided by five CCCs allowed the national forests to burn 13 units within 24 hours on the Green Mountains National Forest and execute all planned acres on the Finger Lakes National Forest. All-in-all, the CCC Rx modules burned 36 units for a total of 750 acres. On top of this crucial assistance, the modules, alongside the Green Mountain National Forest, National Park Service, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, implemented the Appalachian Trail (AT) Donaldson Rx unit. This was the first ever cooperative prescribed fire on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Vermont.  

“The Job Corps Fire program is essential to the continued success on the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes. It has provided us with the opportunity to burn on both forests on the same day and the ability to build multiple burn modules to burn multiple units on the same day on one forest,” said GMFL Forest Assistant Fire Management Officer Robert Goulding. “Being able to do this has allowed us to take advantage of short weather windows and maximize the productivity we can have in a short burn season.” 

 

Flatwoods Job Corps FFT2 Alex Philips works on a prescribed burn module on the Finger Lakes National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard.

 

The benefits of a partnership like this does not flow only one way. Working alongside career employees, CCC Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) students laying fire on the ground gain practical knowledge that cannot be taught in a classroom setting. The networking opportunities these training opportunities offer Job Corps students also cannot be understated. “One of my favorite aspects of going on the fire assignments is the people that I’ve got to meet, it has definitely expanded my social connections,” shared Flatwoods Job Corps student Jordan Rasnick. This was echoed by Angell Job Corps student Andrew Pontoja who shared, “I enjoyed getting to learn from highly qualified fire fighters with a lot of experience.” 

When national forests observe what they can accomplish with the support of the CCCs, they always want them back. Because of the amazing work accomplished, the GMLF NF is already laying the building blocks for future collaboration. “Loved having them here and hope that come burning time next year we can have them again,” said Finger Lakes National Forest District Ranger Jodie Vanselow. “Talk is already under way to bring another crew up to do mastication (heavy equipment) work on the forest. It’s cool to see what we can get done with the CCCs.” 

 

Flatwoods Job Corps FFT2 Dustin Tucker works on a prescribed burn module on the Finger Lakes National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard.