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Ceremony Held to Name Naval Ship in Honor of Former Corpsmember Killed in Iraq

At the naval base in San Diego September 20, a naming ceremony was held for three new guided-missile destroyers, including the USS Rafael Peralta.

Rafael was a San Diego corpsmember and crewleader in the California Conservation Corps from 1998-99. He later went on to serve in the Marines.

Rafael was killed in Iraq in 2004 while covering his body with a live hand grenade to save his fellow Marines. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, but a San Diego congressman continues to fight to have him awarded the Medal of Honor.

Click here to read our original post about Peralta from when the Secretary of the Navy announced the naming in 2012.

Diagram of Burke Class Destroyer – Ship model named after Rafael Peralta

VIDEO: Mile High Youth Corps Helps Reopen Public Land Destroyed by Fire

Click here to watch a video about how Corpsmembers from Mile High Youth Corps helped restore the Blodgett Peak Open Space in Colorado Springs following a devestating wildfire.

Colorado Youth Corps Respond to Flooding

Taken from the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) Newsletter – Septemember 27, 2013

“How can we help?” is a frequent question in reaction to the devastating flooding in the state. Our thoughts are with all of those affected – and we are working hard to send crews to help. Weld County Youth Conservation Corps is currently providing assistance with debris and trash removal in response to the massive flooding in the county, and has worked closely with Weld Food Bank, donation centers and shelters to ensure that flood victims have adequate water and food resources. Many other Colorado youth corps are poised to respond to flood relief efforts in the coming months. Youth corps have the skills and experience in conducting erosion control, rehabilitating recreation infrastructure and supporting wildlife habitat recovery. Corps are also available to help staff call centers and food and clothing distribution centers, and help victims with other basic needs. To inquire about accessing the services of a youth corps for flood relief and rehabilitation, contact Jennifer Freeman.

Christina Harney – VISTA member reassigned to flood relief

As part of flood relief efforts, the Colorado State Emergency Operation Center (EOC) called on AmeriCorps and VISTA members for help. After surveying the damage near Sand Creek, Christina Harney, a CYCA Good Works for Youth VISTA member with Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership, jumped at the chance to offer support. Last week, Christina started a four-week reassignment working with the EOC. She is serving behind the scenes helping nonprofit and government agencies, collaborating with the relief effort, and helping others get connected to the proper resources – such as volunteers, financial assistance and in-kind donations. Christina is also working closely with the Red Cross and Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to make certain that displaced residents have a way to access resources such as clothing vouchers and soon-to-be active donation centers.

LA Conservation Corps After School Program Partners with NASA

Story and photo from the LA Conservation Corps Newsletter, Volume 3 | Issue 9 – September 27, 2013

School is back in session for our 4,500 participants in the After School Program (ASP). For the first time this year, ASP is partnering with NASA’s Best STEM program at all 16 elementary and middle schools. The program is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s tradition of supporting educators who play a key role in preparing, inspiring, exciting, encouraging, and nurturing the young minds of today who will be the workforce of tomorrow by attracting and retaining students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM disciplines.

ASP students pictured above at John Adams Middle School are working on the “Build a Satellite to Orbit the Moon” design challenge project. Students must design and build a satellite that meets specific size and mass constraints. It is required to carry a combination of camera, gravity probes and heat sensors to investigate the moon’s surface. The satellite must also pass a 1-meter Drop Test without any parts falling off. The objective is for students to demonstrate an understanding of the Engineering Design Process while utilizing each stage to successfully complete a team challenge.

For more information about the After School Program, please contact Da’Lana Walker at dwalker@lacorps.org.

[Video] Civicorps Corpsmember Stars in PBS Documentary, Leaves it Behind as Legacy

An Important Note from Civicorps Executive Director Alan Lessik: Sharon was due to graduate Civicorps in December with plans to attend college, when Civicorps found out that she died from a heart attack on October 16, 2013. The video is a testament to the perseverance that corpsmembers all over the country feel as they work hard to turn their lives around and to overcome the barriers that they face. Sharon’s final words in the movie talked about her future and how “I really want to make it.”

In the video, Sharon reflected on her past, her gang involvement as well as her family and discovering Civicorps as the path to a new and different future. It describes her academic and work life at Civicorps and in some footage from in one of the East Bay Regional Parks, she talks about learning new skills and appreciation for the outdoors as part of a crew.

In our community meeting today, we honored Sharon and viewed the film together. All of Civicorps mourns her death and the greatest honor we can give to Sharon is to bring her words into our hearts and our actions. As one corpsmember said, “She was my age, trying to get to a higher place. So, I’m going to graduate for her. I’m going to go to college for her.”

Twenty-one year old Sharon Montano grew up in east Oakland, California in a neighborhood known as the “Dirty Thirties.” She did fine in grammar school but when she hit middle school she began drinking, smoking, and popping pills with friends whom she’d later lose. In her East Oakland neighborhood, violence was part of her daily life.

Going back to school turned out to be more difficult than she thought. Over the years, she started and dropped out of several remedial programs; then later became ineligible for others because of her age.

When she discovers Oakland’s Civicorps, where she meets other young people who have gone through similar rough situations, she finally gets another shot at a high school diploma — and a future. Sharon has gone from being a bad influence to a role model, and really wants to make it.

Directed by Raymond Telles

More Information on the ITVS website

Join the Crew – A Book by The Corps Network

Join the Crew: Inspirational Stories of Young Adults in America’s Service and Conservation Corps, is a new book written by The Corps Network’s Hannah Traverse, Levi Novey, and Mary Ellen Ardouny. Join the Crew features the Corpsmember success stories of over 60 young men and women who served in Corps programs throughout the country. Follow the links below to learn more about the book.

Buy your Copy of Join the Crew on Amazon.com

Click here

Video Book Trailer

Article on Huffington Post Books Section

After dropping out of high school his junior year, Luis Gaeta of Fresno, California quickly realized that the working world can be a harsh place for a young person without marketable skills or a diploma. At the age of 19, he was already burnt out from the stress of juggling three part-time jobs. To make matters worse, Luis also had to deal with an unreliable car and insecure housing. With a child on the way, Luis knew he could not maintain such a hectic lifestyle, but he didn’t know where to turn. Read More…

Book Press Release

WASHINGTON – Everyone who has ever participated in one of America’s Service and Conservation Corps has a story to tell. Each year, over 27,000 teens and young adults across the country join Corps as a way to gain job skills through participating in service projects that range from collecting recyclables, to tutoring kids, to fighting forest fires. Now, in Join the Crew – a new book by The Corps Network – you can read about over 60 current and former Corpsmembers who experienced adventure and personal growth through their service in Corps programs. Join the Crew is the perfect tool for people who are interested in enrolling in a Corps and want to get a better idea of what service in a Corps program is all about. Read more…

Join the Crew Press Packet, Sample Story

Download the PDF

California Governor Jerry Brown Visits California Conservation Corps Headquarters

Some of the CCC’s Backcountry Trails staff with Gov. Brown

Governor Jerry Brown, who created the California Conservation Corps during his first term as governor in 1976, dropped by the CCC’s Sacramento headquarters last week. He chatted with the Backcountry Trails supervisors, who had just completed their 2013 season, as well as CCC staff members.

Earlier in the day, Gov. Brown had signed legislation increasing the state’s minimum wage (to $10 by 2016). Corpsmembers are now receiving $8/hour, the state’s current minimum wage.

20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps

From the AmeriCorps Facebook page

On September 21, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the National Service Bill on the South Lawn of the White House, creating AmeriCorps. Twenty years later, AmeriCorps is still going strong and continues to draw record numbers of applications year after year. Last week, people across the country celebrated AmeriCorps’ 20th Anniversary and discussed the impact and future of the program. Here are a few highlights.

Video from MSNBC

Video from the 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC

Huffington Post op-ed by Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Is it possible to effectively harness youthful enthusiasm and idealism and turn it into it a renewable resource for good? We think so. Twenty years ago, President Clinton signed a bill that created AmeriCorps and gave our country a new outlet for national service that did just that.

From its modest beginnings, AmeriCorps has grown to annually engage nearly 80,000 Americans who dedicate a year of their lives to serving in communities large, small and everything in between. And this is meaningful service that helps solve some of the most difficult challenges our nation faces…keep reading.

Chigcago Tribune op-ed by Bill and Chelsea Clinton

The idea of community service is as old as America itself. Older really. Benjamin Franklin helped form the first volunteer fire department in Philadelphia in 1736, spawning a movement that continues to this day in communities throughout the country. Alexis de Tocqueville, in the 1830s, contrasted America with his native Europe by saying that the central difference was that in America, people didn’t wait for the state to solve problems. They just got organized and tried to figure out what to do about them. Service is at the core of our national character…keep reading.

The Corps Network attends the AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC

From The Corps Network’s Facebook page

This morning at the big AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., Wendy Spencer, the Corporation for National & Community Service’s CEO, presented Washington Conservation Corps with a Service Impact Award for their disaster services work. The event program notes the Corps’ participation in response to disasters nationwide, including Hurricane Katrina, the Joplin and Missouri tornadoes, wildfires in Eastern Washington, and Hurricane Sandy. In total they have logged over 38,000 hours in response efforts. Wait to go Washington Conservation Corps! Several other Corps got airtime during the celebration, including Civic Worksby Representative John Sarbanes, and Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa was shown for their own disaster relief efforts in a photo.

[Video] AmeriCorps, Youthbuild, and Youth Conservation Corps Featured on PBS Broadcast for American Graduate Day

On Saturday, we were proud to watch several of our young spokespeople represent AmeriCorps and us on PBS’s nationwide broadcast of American Graduate Day.

Germain Castellanos, a Corps Network 2005 Corpsmember of the Year and a former member of Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) in Waukegan IL spoke about his AmeriCorps experience, as well as Jamiel Alexander, one of our good friends from Youthbuild and the National Council of Young Leaders. They were interviewed by Wes Moore, a former U.S. Army Captain who is a youth advocate, best-selling author, and now hosts “Beyond Belief,” a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The segment also includes a short video about AmeriCorps’ Education Service Corps.

Watch by clicking here or on the image above.

Numerous Members of The Corps Network Participating in National Public Lands Day

Saturday, September 28th is National Public Lands Day, and several members of The Corps Network are helping to lead events! Below you will find links and brief descriptions of the events that Corps will be helping to organize and make successful. You can also find a list of projects near to where you are by using the search tool on the National Public Lands Day website.

American Youthworks / Texas Conservation Corps (Austin, Texas)

Please join Texas Conservation Corps and Austin Parks Foundation for National Public Lands Day this Saturday, September 28th, 2013.
There are over 25 work projects across Austin that will be followed with an awesome lunch and after party at Zilker Park. There will be food, drink, t-shirts and a give away of 20 3-day passes to ACL fest!
Flex Austin’s volunteer muscle by celebrating this 20 year anniversary of National Public Lands Day!

Civic Works and The Student Conservation Association (Baltimore, Maryland)

Be a part of Maryland’s Day to Serve initiative by giving back to Baltimore’s public green spaces! In partnership with Civic Works, The Student Conservation Association will lead a group of volunteers in trail restoration work at Baltimore’s own Gwynns Falls Leakin Park! Volunteers should be sure to wear long pants and closed toed shoes that they don’t mind getting dirty! Snacks and lunch provided. Sign up today!

When: Saturday, October 5th, 2013 (9am – 1pm)

Where: Gwynns Falls Leakin Park, 4600 North Franklintown Rd, Baltimore, MD 21289

What: Trail cleanup and maintenance

To register contact SCA’s Service Event’s Manager Lori Robertson at lrobertson@thesca.org or 703-524-2441

Greening Youth Foundation (Atlanta, Georgia)

The Greening Youth Foundation will be helping to take part in activities at Martin Luther King National Historic Site, and will be joined by special guests Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and music star Cee Lo Green! They will also host their “Urban Campout.” Campers will engage in an overnight urban camping experience & camp site fun that includes instruction, entertainment, and food! Send contact information to Rkitchen@gyfoundation.org or Lbrown@gyfoundation.org if you’re interested in participating with this event. *Open to High School students and approved chaperones only.

Montana Conservation Corps (Throughout Montana)

Helena: https://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/centennial-park

Kalispell: https://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/pompeys-pillar-national-monument-0

Billings: https://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/pompeys-pillar-national-monument-0

Missoula: Fort Missoula Regional Park

Bozeman: Gallatin County Regional Park

Southwest Conservation Corps (Colorado and Arizona)

In Durango, Colorado:

Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) and community volunteers will participate in a day of community service to celebrate 15 years of serving the Four Corners and the 20th annual National Public Lands Day. Twenty-eight SCC AmeriCorps Volunteers in addition to SCC staff and other volunteers will work on Chris Park trails (Hwy 550 N) in San Juan National Forest on Saturday morning to improve our public lands while celebrating this event with local community partners and participants. Volunteer crews will be working on Haviland View Trail and Chris Park Trail to improve conditions and make trails more sustainable for all users including hikers, horses, and bicycles. The event will take place from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., followed by a lunch celebration near the Chris Park campground.

As part of the national movement to support and maintain public lands while enjoying nature, SCC volunteers will be among the more than 175,000 volunteers contributing to public lands on this day throughout the United States. Southwest Conservation Corps strives to empower individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities, and the environment and has been accomplishing conservation work throughout the region for 15 years, improving local lands while impacting the lives of more than 4,500 AmeriCorps Volunteers.

Volunteers from the Durango and surrounding communities are welcome to join SCC this Saturday morning to get their hands dirty. Volunteers should RSVP with Kevin Heiner, 970-403-0145, kevin@sccorps.org and arrive at the Chris Park Group Campground on Saturday at 8am with boots, water, and rain gear. Tools and food will be provided.

In Arizona (Molino Canyon):

The Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District along with REI and the Southwest Conservation Corps will be hosting a volunteer event Saturday, September, 28 in celebration of National Public Lands Day. Come join us as we work on cleaning up the Catalina Highway’s vistas, trail heads, and parking pullouts. Snacks, water, and lunch will be provided! See you there!

Additional Information

The Student Conservation Association (Nationwide)

The Student Conservation Association is hosting events in Chicago, Anchorage, Houston, Moab, Seattle, and Richmond.

All of the details here!