Youth Corps Foster Scientific Inquiry


 

Thank you to Kristen Schulte, Crew Leader and Education Coordinator with Yellowstone’s Youth Conservation Corps, for sharing this article. Originally published on the Children & Nature Network website.  

By Kristen Schulte and Jenny Moffett

Staring confusedly at her Youth Corps Crew Leader, Kelley could not understand how to install a preventative trail erosion structure. Finally, the Crew Leader told her to get an orange out of her backpack and roll it down the trail. He said, “Water acts like that orange. Get the orange to roll off the trail and water will too.” After trying this several times, the concepts of gravity, angles, and motion came to the surface of her mind. “So it’s like physics?” Experiences like this demonstrate that Youth Corps can contribute to understanding of scientific ideas by providing opportunities for inquiry in nature.

Similar to Kelley’s experience, during Ashley’s sophomore year in high school, she was told she would need to repeat biology over the summer. Ashley had two learning disabilities and was use to not feeling intelligent. The following summer, as a first-time Youth Corps member, she began to see the environment, ask questions, and seek ways to answer them. She learned scientific ideas on her own terms. Inspired, she sought a career in science and earned a college degree, something she had not previously imagined.


 

Youth Corps are organizations invested in a “common mission of engaging participants, in a combination of community service, workforce development, and education” (Gan et al., 2011). Annually Youth Corps enroll more than 33,000 participants, hailing from diverse backgrounds (United States 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, 2012). These organizations are a platform for both formal and informal learning in nature.

Such a platform exists in Yellowstone’s Youth Conservation Corps (YELL-YCC). It is one example of a Youth Corps that offers countless opportunities for scientific observation, inquiry, and discovery by connecting youth with nature. This occurs partly through work projects that foster the understanding of natural sciences. For example, fence building requires Youth Corps members to indirectly access geometric concepts to build quality fences.


 

Ecological relationships are taught in a formal Resource Education Curriculum and observed during weekend recreation. For instance, youth observe predator versus prey relationships while wolf watching and may then understand factors of trophic cascades. They later can use these ideas to support their own opinions on the ecological effects of wolves. Youth may never realize they are developing a new understanding of science, but on average, increase their understanding of key natural science concepts in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Figure 1). Figure 1. YELL-YCC natural sciences student self-assessment ratings. Youth complete a pre and post-session skills assessment. Featured are the results of a self-assessment question measuring student understanding of natural sciences in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Compared between pre and post-session assessment rating averages for three sessions of YCC (28 students) from 2011-2013. An overall average increase of 64% between pre and post-session ratings was observed.

Like YELL-YCC, a myriad of Youth Corps provide a medium for informal exploration of scientific inquiry as a function of time spent in nature. The Youth Corps experience develops competence in understanding scientific ideas, which supports an increasing body of knowledge that suggests science is effectively taught in nature (Falk & Dierking, 2010).

 

This piece is inspired by and dedicated to our many crew members, co-crew leaders, environmental educators, Children and Nature Network and the Natural Leaders. Thank you for support

 

Authors Bio’s

Kristen Schulte, Education Coordinator

A Missouri native, Kristen’s passion for the outdoors was ignited on a backcountry trail crew while in high school. Ever since this experience, she has dedicated her career to a myriad of organizations that emphasis environmental education while working with youth. Currently she serves as the Education Coordinator for the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps piloting her Master’s project, which was the development of the Resource Education Curriculum. In addition Kristen is a Natural Leader in the Children & Nature Network.

 Jenny Moffett, Recreation Ranger

Jenny’s interest in the environment began when she was a student in the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps. Now a sophomore Conservation Biology major at Middlebury College in Vermont, she is interested in creating similar positive outdoor experiences for others and conducting biological research in the future. She has since returned to the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps as a Recreation Ranger summer staff and often leads her peers on outdoor recreation trips for Middlebury’s outdoor program.

References:

Falk, J. H., & Dierking, L. D. (2010). The 95 percent solution. American Scientist, 98(6), 486-493.

Gan, K.N., Jastrzab, J., Jefferson, A., Schneider, G., And Shlager, C. (2011). Youth Corps Emerging Practices For Education And Employment. Prepared For The Corporation For National And Community Service. Cambridge, Ma: Abt Associates Inc.

United States 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. (2012, September). 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (Full Report). Retrieved from https://Www.Doi.Gov/21csc/Progress/Upload/21csc-Full-Report-9-5-12.Pdf

Famous and Crazy TV Car Salesman Cal Worthington was also in the CCC

Car dealer and TV personality Cal Worthington passed away September 8 at his California ranch.  He was 92. 

Worthington made a fortune selling cars in California and beyond with crazy commercials featuring his “dog,” Spot (see one here).  But Worthington also had a CCC connection, a fact noted in his New York Times obituary.

At age 15 in 1936, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado where he was stationed at a camp in Estes Park. He worked on trails in what would become Rocky Mountain National Park.

He recalled those days, saying “I got the first toothbrush I ever had in my life in the CCC. And it was the first time in my life I had a balanced diet.”

He went on to become a decorated bomber pilot during World War II, then a multi-millionaire, owning auto dealerships from Southern California up to Alaska.

More recently, Worthington was among the contributors to the “CCC boy” statue in the foyer of the California Conservation Corps headquarters in Sacramento.

Partnership for 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Hold 2nd In-Person Meeting in Washington

On Tuesday this week, participants in the Partnership for a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) met in Washington, D.C. to discuss the progression of the initiative. While fundamental questions about the logistics and funding of the initiative remain, substantial progress has been made by the Partnership and the National Council (i.e. official representatives from federal agencies) that will soon pave the way for on-the-ground activities.

For instance, it is expected that soon the National Council will release the first list of programs who have been deemed to meet the necessary criteria and principles for participation as a 21CSC program participants. This list and subsequent additions to the list are a necessary precursor to the federal land management agencies issuing guidance to regions and units on how to partner with local and regional 21CSC programs to accomplish select projects.

Among the ideas for raising substantial private funds for the initiative is to market a package of what were described as “projects that endure,” or perhaps something along the lines of “100 Projects to Restore America.” Key representatives from the Aspen Institute’s Franklin Project attended this partnership meeting and the prior meeting, and wanted to express their enthusiasm that the 21CSC could be a substantial cornerstone of their primary goal to elevate voluntary civilian national service as a counterpart to military service in the United States. The nitty-gritty details of identifying projects that “are set apart from projects that Corps are already doing” is something of a dual-edged dynamic, as many people attending the meeting also believed that the initiative needs to be something more deeply “embedded into how the federal agencies work.”

This dynamic more broadly was discussed in the desire to create a launch event for the program with some pow, substantial press, and funded projects. It should be noted, however, that some attendees recognized that while a huge launch would have value, there have actually been a steady progression of events that have moved the initiative forward. Starting from a championed idea, to the creation and input of a Federal Advisory Committee to make that idea into a more functional set of principles and recommendations, to the establishment of a National Council as recommended by the Federal Advisory Committee to implement the initiative, and now the nearly-completed initial request for letters of interest in being listed as an official 21CSC program participants, there is a lot of merit to this perspective. So in other words, a request was voiced to appreciate the long-term progress made to create an enduring initiative, that has taken time to evolve given the complexities of collaboration between numerous federal agencies and partners.

One analogy that seemed to resonate with people in the room was that the 21CSC is a growing tree, where the roots and trunk of the tree are a “broad array of partnerships.”

Beyond generalizations about the big picture of where the initiative stands, several new memorandums of understanding / partnership agreements were detailed, with groups including The Wilderness Society, Backcountry Horsemen, and the Conservation Lands Foundation. A representative of the Federal Interagency Task Force of Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) also detailed some new recommendations that will be made to the agencies on how to better facilitate some of the legal framework issues for implementing the 21CSC collaboratively. Work on new partnership agreements and putting the FICOR recommendations into effect will continue.

Some potential logos for the 21CSC were also briefly presented as well as work by The Corps Network to build a website that will serve as temporary home for information about the 21CSC and approved programs. Finally, numerous accreditation efforts and a national service registry were discussed, as well as how to limit redundancies between these systems and processes.

In summary, the partnership meeting showed that while there are still a lot of finer details to be worked out in terms of how the 21CSC will operate, significant progress continues to be made and enthusiasm for the large potential of this initiative remains strong.

[Video] Orange County Conservation Corps Teams with Disney for “Adopt a Channel” Initiative

Orange County Conservation Corps has been working with Disney and other partners to clean stormwater drains that leave from Disneyland as part of the “Adopt a Channel Program.” Learn more about this cool initiative by watching the video below.

Tribute to Former AmeriCorps NCCC Member

From the AmeriCorps NCCC Southern Region Facebook page – where you can view a photo album of Sage’s AmeriCorps NCCC experience

AmeriCorps NCCC Class XVI Corps Member Sage Pro, 24, passed away a few days ago at her home with her family in Seattle, WA.  

Her Mother says she lived an amazing life. Sage had been battling a rare ovarian cancer since December. But, she had a good attitude and never stopped living, says her Mother. Sage wrote about her journey at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sagepro. Her Mother shared that Sage loved AmeriCorps NCCC and the South. Her Mother reflects that she came back so organized and put together. NCCC was amazing for her; So much so that, Sage wanted to work with a nonprofit in the South. Before she passed, Sage received cards that brought her joy from NCCC River 7 members she served with in Class 16 (2009-10) at the Southern Region in Vicksburg, MS. Sage remains a part of the NCCC and national service family. She will be missed by many. 

Her Mother says we may share this with others.
Our hearts go out to Sage’s family and friends.

Condolences may be sent to:
Luli W. and Gary P.
9318 Forest Court SW
Seattle, WA 98136

North to Alaska! Corps Helping with Flood Relief Efforts in Remote Village

Editor’s Note: Over the summer, numerous Corps and partners have been assisting with flood relief efforts in the remote village of Galena, Alaska as part of a FEMA – AmeriCorps mission assignment. To date, among The Corps Network’s membership, Washington Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, and American YouthWorks have sent crews. In addition to the excellent story below that we are republishing courtesy of AmeriCorps and the National Service Blog, FEMA has an excellent resource page that includes items like a pair of striking before and after satellite images that show the rapid extent of flooding. There is also a Yukon AmeriCorps response Facebook page that includes photos and regular updates. As usual, we are proud of our members and partners for their excellent work to help out in a time of need, no matter how challenging the logistics or how far the distance!

By Paula Katrina Drago

On June 25, President Obama made a federal disaster declaration for parts of Alaska along the Yukon River due to ice jam-related flooding from May 17 to June 11. On cue, a team of AmeriCorps members soon arrived in the remote village of Galena to help people there begin to recover.

Flooding affected villages along a 1,200-mile stretch of the Yukon in the United States – a distance roughly the length of the Mississippi River from Minneapolis, MN, to Vicksburg, MS. The ice blockage sent water flowing into Galena and other villages along the river, flooding homes, schools, and other critical infrastructure.

Response efforts to Galena were unlike any other flood response as the town is only accessible by plane and barge (and only plane once the river freezes up in early fall). The logistics of moving people and resources in and out of the village poses some unique challenges, and any work that isn’t complete by the time winter arrives in late September won’t be resumed until May.

AmeriCorps members arrived in Galena on July 13, two weeks after FEMA made the official federal disaster declaration. Within an hour of landing, they were in the field beginning the critical work of repairing the community. Since their arrival, AmeriCorps members have:

  • Gathered more than 100 homeowner work-order requests for volunteer assistance and established a collaborative work order and dispatch process for the Galena area.
  • Completed more than 70 work orders.
  • Collected and distributed 500+ pounds of food, 40+ pounds of clothes, and 5,600+ pounds of other supplies.
  • Provided direct volunteer management support to over 30 volunteers.

AmeriCorps members are supporting shelter operations and helping residents muck and gut, remove debris, and repair their homes, but that’s only a snapshot of the national service response. For a more detailed picture of what AmeriCorps is doing in Galena, watch the video below and read a member’s account of her team’s experience. 

Going to the Dogs

AmeriCorps has also played a critical role in addressing the impact of the flood on animals there because Galena’s dogs are more than pets—they’re integral to survival.

Dogs help residents find their way home in poor weather conditions, and they alert owners to predators and other dangers. Many are part of dog sled teams that are an important form of transportation – especially when temperatures fall below the point where fuel freezes and render motorized vehicles useless – in a town that is also a stop for the famous Iditarod race. 

Compared to many of the disasters AmeriCorps members have responded to in the last two years, Galena, Alaska, is small in size. Yet whether a disaster impacts millions, thousands, or hundreds, each family receives the same response whenever their world gets turned upside down.

When the work orders arrive, our teams don’t refer to them by a number or even a last name. They see instead that “Allison’s sister” needs some trees removed or that “John’s father” needs his home mucked and gutted. By connecting on this intimate level, AmeriCorps is able to do an even-better job with what we do best: getting things done.

To view the original version of this story and see additional photos and the short video, please click here to journey to the National Service blog.

EarthCorps Featured in Seattle Times by “Fit for Life” Columnist

Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times

Excerpted from the Seattle Times

Corps work: Get good exercise for the good Earth

Fit for Life columnist Nicole Tsong is all in for working hard and doing good for the planet by volunteering with EarthCorps, the nonprofit Seattle-based organization dedicated to environmental restoration and developing community leaders.

By Nicole Tsong

Special to The Seattle Times

BURIED DEEP in a thicket of sword ferns in Lincoln Park in West Seattle, wrestling with vine after vine of English ivy, I wished I had worn a heart monitor. Crouching in a forest and pulling out English ivy by the roots isn’t easy; I wanted to know exactly how hard I was working.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think ahead. So I relied on the fact that I was doing something good for the environment, and also the feelings in my legs, lower back and shoulders that told me weeding a forest for three hours or so is plain hard work.

Plenty of studies tell us that working out keeps us strong and elevates our mood, which can only be good for people around us. Most of us work out for the endorphins, to build strength, to get fit. Still, I don’t count going to the gym as public service.

Then there is EarthCorps. The nonprofit Seattle-based organization is dedicated to environmental restoration and developing community leaders, and its volunteer work requires physical effort for improving not only Lincoln Park but Magnuson Park in the North End and others scattered around Puget Sound. Working hard and doing good for the planet? Count me in.

Continue Reading

Senator Max Baucus Volunteers with Montana Conservation Corps

Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake

On Thursday last week, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) joined Montana Conservation Corps for some trailbuilding fun in the Flathead National Forest. After being damaged by a fire in 2001, the Corps has been working with the U.S. Forest Service for the past two years to restore and maintain the 15 mile Glacier View Mountain Trail. NBC Montana and ABC Fox Montana both covered the story with videos.

According to ABC Fox, Senator Baucus said “What drives all of us, I think, is beauty, the naturalness of our state, connecting with the land, the water, the air. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids, our grandkids, and that’s a powerful force.”  

NBC Montana also quoted Montana Conservation Corps Executive Director, Jono McKinney: “Though we do a lot of conservation work our mission is about developing young people. Helping them learn job skills, learn to work together in teams, a lot of leadership and communication development…[On the trail project:] When you’ve finished the work, what you have created is something that will last. So people really have a sense that the work they’re doing really has a purpose, a meaning, and made a difference. And that’s very rewarding.”

Utah Conservation Corps’ Bike Program Receives Federal Funding, Featured on Public Radio

 


Credit Matt Jensen – Aggie Blue Bikes ‘wrench lady’ Katie Harker works on a bicycle at the campus shop.
 

Editor’s Note: Aggie Blue Bikes is a program of the Utah Conservation Corps 

From utahpublicradio.org – by Matt Jensen

Aggie Blue Bikes – the campus shop famous for its Aggie-Blue colored bicycles –will receive nearly $90,000 for a major remodel scheduled for later this year. Program coordinator Stephanie Tomlin says the project will open the shop up for additional space, meaning more work benches, additional student tool boards and more bike storage.

Aggie Blue Bikes offers those in the USU community free bike rentals, access to tools and advice and cycling education. Team members here say each bike goes through a rigorous inspection to make sure they’re fit for the road. A typical safety check starts with a look at the paint, then the seat, then…

“Headset, handlebars, shifters, brake levers, grips, cables, bottom bracket, pedals, chain cassette, hubs, wheel trueness, brakes, tire pressure, stem and reflectors,” says Ryan Keepers with a deep breath. “It’s a very comprehensive checkup.”

Keepers and Katie Harker are two staff members at Aggie Blue Bikes who help keep the bikes in top shape.

At its core, the Blue Bikes program advocates cycling as a viable form of transportation on campus and around town. Program coordinator Stephanie Tomlin:

“We’re always looking to get more people on more bikes more often,” she said. “That’s kind of our catchphrase. And we do so through lending, education and advocacy.”

Students and faculty can rent bikes for 24 hours, or for up to three months. Last year, Aggie Blue Bikes checked out more than 600 three-month rental bikes, 900 24-hour rentals and helped 3,000 USU community members with personal bicycle repair and advice.

“Any opportunity we have to further that movement toward opening streets to be more cycling and pedestrian friendly, we’re in support of that,” she added. “And we can’t forget that our roots are entrenched in improving the air quality here.”

The money for the remodel comes from the federal government’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. Tomlin says the money will be used to improve on-site bike storage as well as updating the facility with a credit card reader and better software to streamline the check-out process. Long-term bike rentals are so popular at Aggie Blue Bikes, Tomlin says it’s difficult to keep up in the crowded facility.

“The three-month rentals are really the bread and butter of Blue Bikes,” said Tomlin. “We have over 260 bikes in that fleet. They’re extremely popular. The idea behind them is to get people on a bike as a sustainable form of transportation. It’s a little more involved than just taking a quick trip somewhere – we want people to commit to it.”

By removing the barriers to cycling, Tomlin and her staff say the program can help reduce vehicle miles traveled by USU community members. 

I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” – An Inspirational Corpsmember Speech from the Green City Force Graduation


Shella Hair, GCF Graduate and Corps Member speaker (Photo credit Anthony Clark)
 

A speech delivered by Corpsmember Shella Hair at the Green City Force Winter 2013 graduation ceremony

I would like to start by saying thank you to the Team Leaders, administration and staff of Green City Force. I would like to give special thanks to Lisbeth Shepherd for all she has done with GCF to make each cohort better.

Because of your support and encouragement, we are all here today celebrating this special day together. Also, I cannot forget this awesome group of Corps Members sitting in front of me. It has been a great pleasure to represent this Cohort; I couldn’t ask for a better group of people with whom to start a promising future!

Before this program I was living in a world guided by fear and failure; a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside of each of us; a world that sets us up for failure by giving us an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, work that does not need to be done, and enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. After High School they kick us out and say the future is ours with no manual instructions, not even a What’s Next After High School for Dummies book. Not every student is prepared for college and not every student is walking into a job. Most of us are just happy to graduate from High School.  They say the choice is ours, yet the truth is we have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, which is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.

However failure became my best friend and fear was right around every corner I turned. I say failure became my best friend because it gave me an inner security that I had never attained from passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could not have learned any other way. I discovered that I had a strong will and more discipline than I had suspected. The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger after setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself or the strength of your relationships until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for if it is painfully won, it is worth more than any qualification I ever earned. So during those times failure came to my door, I embraced it with both arms opened wide.

We are all very special; every human on this planet. YES, each and every one of you.  So aren’t we all deserving of something better? Using our minds for innovation rather than memorization, for creativity rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? On February 4, 2013 I became a Corps Member of Green City Force and my entire life and outlook on life changed. I was given hope. I am no longer ashamed to say I am from NYCHA. In addition, after being a member of the Urban Farm Corps I found myself and discovered what I want to do with my life, my calling, and my passion:  Urban Agriculture. There’s something about taking vacant lots and fields and turning them into gardens and farms that provide fresh produce to the residents of that community. I love educating people of all ages on the importance of healthy eating, working with people to make a difference in their lives, and beautifying NYC with flowers, herbs, and vegetables! I was so inspired, I actually started a garden in my own development in the South Bronx.

The saddest part is that the majority of young adults do not have the opportunity to reflect as I did, experience the things I’ve done, or meet the people I’ve met. They weren’t given a second chance as I was. I will never be able to turn back these 23 years. I cannot run away to another country and start over. That part of my life is over, and going forward I want to make sure that no other young adult from public housing will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. Every young adult that lives in NYCHA from age 18 to 24 should be given the opportunity to be a part of Green City Force. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we support one another rather than hold one another down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.

So, here I stand. I am not standing here because I am the best Corps Member, or because I am better than any of you. Truth is I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn’t have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, but at the base my backbone. In that way, we are all winners and we will all be successful.
 


Shella Hair, GCF Graduate Speaker (Photo credit Anthony Clark)
 

Looking around, we do not see the same people we saw on the first day of Green City Force. Some have left and others have given up, but we did not! We used GCF to move forward.  Before GCF, many of us were against all odds. Growing up in NYCHA made me feel worthless and useless; I became a product of my drug-infested, crime-ridden broken-down environment. I felt trapped. We all had challenges to face, but look at us now. We became AmeriCorps Service Members of Green City Force.  When the world labeled us and tried to break us down, we challenged it with our longevity to finish the program, beat them with our perseverance, and became a Force that is unstoppable.

I am now supposed to say farewell to Green City Force, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me. I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later,” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. In the long run I think it would be safe to say, leave behind what is not helpful and instead bring forward with you the lessons that will be the working parts of your greatest invention ever: Your life! Your future! Congratulations to us, Winter Cohort of 2013!