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A Closer Look with Ross Seidman

Check back here to see the latest blog posts from Ross Seidman, The Corps Network’s Government Relations and Development Intern. For each edition of our weekly newsletter, The Crewleader, Ross will contribute to the “A Closer Look with Ross Seidman” section with an anaylsis of a new article that is relevant to our membership and the Corps world.

Date: June 27, 2013
Title: Immigration Reform Clears Senate; $1.5 Billion for Youth Jobs
Today, just after 4:00pm, the Senate voted to approve the bipartisan immigration reform bill. The over 1,000 page bill is not only good news for 11 million immigrants currently living in the U.S. illegally by providing a path to citizenship, but for youth ages 16-24. Included in the sweeping legislation is a $1.5 billion youth jobs amendment proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT)…Read More

Date: June 24, 2013
Title: New CNCS study shows correlation between volunteering and employment
A few days ago the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released findings of a study titled, “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment.” This is the first ever study that has taken data to determine the impact that volunteering has on the likelihood of someone finding employment when they were previously out of work. The study, with much aid from the U.S. Census Bureau, sampled over 71,000 people from 2002-2012 to compile these relatively profound results…Read More

A Closer Look with Ross Seidman: New CNCS study shows correlation between volunteering and employment

A few days ago the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released findings of a study titled, “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment.” This is the first ever study that has taken data to determine the impact that volunteering has on the likelihood of someone finding employment when they were previously out of work. The study, with much aid from the U.S. Census Bureau, sampled over 71,000 people from 2002-2012 to compile these relatively profound results.

Included in the findings was the fact that volunteering actually increases the chances of someone out of work finding employment by 27%. In addition, when isolated for individuals without a high school diploma or living in rural areas the results jumped to a 51% and 55% increase in prospects for employment. Volunteering provides those engaged with social and human capital that they would otherwise be missing. The increase in volunteers’ networks, soft, and hard skills that make a substantial economic difference by their ability to find employment.

As youth unemployment persists at a rate if 16.2%, more than double that of the national average, these findings couldn’t be anymore timely. At a time when the federal budget is under intense scrutiny and the sequester is continuing to hit underserved American families, this study exemplifies the economic necessity to continue funding national service. As the Save Service Campaign continues to advocate against cuts to vital programs like AmeriCorps, it has never been more evident that this should be a bipartisan issue. National service has proven to be both fiscally and socially responsible.

The “Volunteering as a Pathway to Service Report” also supports the extensive benefits that each of our Corps members experience in all across the United States on a daily basis. Not only does service provide a great advantage to the community, but to the volunteers themselves. It is no wonder that studies have found that Millennials are the group most likely to volunteer in community projects. It could not be more crucial to not only maintain support for service programs like Corps all over the country, but increase the funding that would allow for an even broader community impact while providing volunteers with the social and human capital to succeed in the workforce.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Passes Public Lands Service Corps Act, Clearing Way for Vote by Full Senate

On Tuesday the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee amended and passed S.360, the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2013. An expanded Public Lands Service Corps program will provide more opportunities for thousands of young Americans to gain valuable workforce and career development while assisting our nation’s land and water management agencies to address critical maintenance, restoration, repair and rehabilitation needs in a cost effective manner.

The committee agreed to amend S. 360 to allow military veterans up to the age of 35 to participate in the Public Lands Corps program and inserted the authority of the Secretary to establish a preference for Corps that recruit members local to the state or region. The amendment also stripped unnecessary language allowing residential centers and temporary housing for Corps in an effort to lower the potential cost of the legislation. You can find the amendment here.

The legislation will next be “scored” by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and then be scheduled for Senate Floor consideration. The CBO “scorekeeping” process includes calculating the budgetary effects of the legislation and impact on the budget resolution. The Public Lands Service Coalition estimates that implementing this legislation will not bring the need for additional appropriations and will in fact help stretch the land and water management agencies operating budgets and looks forward to CBO’s scorekeeping. Research conducted by the National Park Service’s Park Facility Management Division found that using Conservation Corps to complete maintenance and trail projects provided a cost savings of over 50%.

The Public Lands Service Coalition commends Chairman Wyden (OR) and Ranking Member Murkowski (AK) for agreeing to a bipartisan amendment and passing this critical legislation. We look forward to the legislation being scheduled for floor action and signed into law by the President. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House by Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ-3) and has 32 cosponsors and awaits action by House Committee on Natural Resources.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to their Senators on the committee in support of the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2013.

Additional information about the PLSC Act can be found here.

The National Council of Young Leaders: On the Need to Expand Private Internships

National Council of Young Leaders banner, painted by council member Francisco Garcia

Created in July 2012 in response to a recommendation from the White House Council on Community Solutions, the National Council of Young Leaders is tasked with informing policymakers, business leaders and funders about the issues faced by America’s young people. The 14 founding council members, ranging in age from 18 to 34, come from diverse upbringings in urban and rural low-income communities across the nation. They represent our country’s Opportunity Youth: the 6.7 million young Americans who are neither in school nor working, but who pose enormous potential for our economy and our future if they are provided the opportunity to get on track and get ahead. Though each council member has overcome different kinds of obstacles, they all share in common their participation in transformative youth programs that helped them become the successful young adults they are today.

In the fall of 2012, the Council released its first publication – Recommendations to Increase Opportunity and Decrease Poverty in America. The report outlines specific actions that could help Opportunity Youth and their communities. One of highlights of the publication is the Council’s Six Recommendations for Immediate Public Action: 1) Expand effective comprehensive programs; 2) Expand National Service; 3)Expand Private Internships; 4) Increase All Forms of Mentoring; 5) Protect and Expand Pathways to Higher Education; and 6) Reform the Criminal Justice System.

We wanted to hear the Council Members describe in their own words why these specific Recommendations are important to them and important to the success of America’s young people. Below, find out why council member Philan Tree is passionate about Recommendation #3…

Expand Private Internships:
Support internships that offer paid employment experience with private corporations that provide appropriate supports to the interns and potential for long-term hiring. Establish a corporate tax credit of up to $4,000 for each six-month paid internship offered to low-income young adults that results in employment. Some of us have experienced amazing internships in the private sector through Year Up, coupled with college prep and a supportive community. [Recommendations to Increase Opportunity and Decrease Poverty in America, p. 8]

(Parts of Philan‘s bio and her photo are from the YouthBuild website)

Philandrian Tree is a member of the Towering House Clan of the Navajo Nation. Her knowledge of the Navajo language and traditions allows her to help build relationships between tribal leadership and local governments. As an AmeriCorps mentor with Coconino Rural Environment Corps (CREC) – a member of The Corps Network based out of Flagstaff, AZ – Philan was able to secure two memoranda of understanding between Coconino County and the Navajo’s Leupp and Tonalea Chapters. This accomplishment made it possible for homeowners from all local Navajo chapters to receive much-needed Coconino County weatherization retrofits. The collaboration also allowed CREC to employ Navajo AmeriCorps members to work directly with their chapters to install energy efficiency measures in homes throughout underserved Native American communities.

In addition to her work with Coconino County, Philan serves as the chair of the Native American Parent Advisory Committee for Flagstaff Unified School District, where she works with families and the District to support and enhance the quality of education for 2,500 Native American K-12 students.

Why is this Recommendation important to youth in general, or to you specifically?

Internships are really good for a lot of youth. It’s not only the job experience; they’re working in a field that they either want to study in or they have studied in. They can realize long-term what their next step in the field might be. Without private internships, a lot of youth would miss an opportunity that they wouldn’t see otherwise.

Why do you think it’s especially important to make sure internship opportunities are available to opportunity youth in particular?

Well generally, if you look at the communities that low-income youth come from, a lot of them don’t have these types of opportunities and a lot of them lack basic resources – even just infrastructure and technology. So for young people to be able to have internships it would be a huge step up in being able to see a different side of the workforce that they wouldn’t normally experience. If you look at the overall population of youth right now, you’re going to really see a trend that we want to offset in the future, as far as youth from low-income communities not being job ready. Internships are a way to give them the working skills that they’ll need to be successful in their future careers.

Can you talk a little bit about your own experience with internships and how you might have benefitted from them?

(Philan interns with a local elected official)
A lot of it has been about the exposure. With the person I’m interning with, it’s not so much a single focus; it’s a really broad focus on everything. Also, there’s a lot of one-on-one guidance that allows for insight and input. With private internships you get a lot of experience as far as how to go about resolving issues, or even just looking at issues more critically. You get different viewpoints. It teaches you to really be open because you have to listen to a lot of suggestions and a lot of recommendations. It’s been very useful.

Internships can really help youth get involved in their communities on a larger level. They can understand how they’re part of the bigger picture. They can see what it would take for them to work at a higher level – maybe not immediately, but definitely in the near future. And then also, they can get their peers involved. They can spread the word about how this is what we need to be doing, this is what needs to get done. That’s especially important for the future generation.

My internship has definitely helped me feel like I’m entering a field that I am interested in, but I’ve also learned that there are other areas that I would like to be more knowledgeable about. There’ve been a lot of personal development opportunities. I want to be involved with the community, so this has given me a really strong foundation to build off of.

What do you think needs to happen to put this Recommendation into practice and make the suggestions a reality?

To get it done, I think there needs to be a strong legislative support that listens to the youth voice that says ‘private internships have positive affects for us and we need to expand current programs that support this such as Public Allies.’ We need partnerships between local governments, NGOs and nonprofits and the business sector as well. There’s a need for better partnering within communities to support youth.

Something that we’ve done locally [Philan works with a local youth workforce investment board] – you can see what types of businesses are willing to offer opportunities for youth. We went around and talked with local businesses to see if they’d be willing to hire local youth, maybe just for a summer internship. And then we made an inventory of those businesses; who would be willing to and who wouldn’t be willing to. And we didn’t shut out the businesses that said they weren’t willing to. We went back and approached them about it and asked why they wouldn’t be interested. A lot of them said it was because sometimes youth interns are not that experienced; sometimes it’s a training issue, sometimes it was just that employer’s perception of youth. So we sat down and thought, ‘if we’re going to work with those businesses, what if we could create some kind of orientation or training for youth throughout a semester, or something along those lines, so they’re prepared when they get to the internship?’ We can address some of these issues that are creating this cautiousness about hiring youth. A lot of businesses have been open to this idea. So it’s about creating that dialogue at various levels to see what would benefit the youth and the businesses. Internships can benefit the corporations because they will have a viable workforce to choose from in the future. They’ll know where the youth were trained and know they have this background of experience. In our Recommendations we support the establishment of a corporate tax credit of up to $4,000 for each six-month paid internship offered to low-income young adults that results in employment. As youth this is something we take seriously and would like all sectors of our communities benefit from.

Do you think it matters what kind of business or organization a young person interns with? The Recommendations talks about ‘private internships’…

So if you open up to private internships then you’re really opening up to a wide variety of employment opportunities. It’s not just going to be just one corporation that we’re working with, or just one nonprofit. Not all companies offer the same program, so you have to take into consideration that aspect. Also, knowing that a lot of youth are not all going to have the same interest and they’re not all going to have the same background and they’re not all going to want to pursue the same kinds of things. If you open up to more businesses then youth will have a choice about what they’re interested in. And if they find something they’re interested in there will be a higher success rate because they’re going to be a lot more motivated. They’re going to be able to learn a lot a more and they’re going to be more interested in advancing in the field. As long as there’s a strong support established, youth interns will be positively impacted.

Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Launches

Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Budget and Management at the Department of Interior (DOI) talks about the vision for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps.

Yesterday in Washington, D.C. the Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps launched with a meeting attended by over 50 people from numerous federal agencies, nonprofits, and youth policy groups. The Partnership is an effort to support the development and implementation of the 21CSC to reach its goal of engaging 100,000 young people and veterans per year in conservation service.

More specifically, the Partnership provides an interface for private partners to regularly interface with members of the National Council established earlier this year by 8 federal agencies to guide the implementation of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, following the completion of work by a Federal Advisory Committee that provided recommendations on how to structure, organize, and implement a program of this kind.

At the meeting Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Budget and Management at the Department of Interior (DOI), spoke about the work that had occured so far to establish a 21CSC. Suh said that despite sequestration cuts and a general lack of new funding, that DOI plans to continue the momentum toward the large vision that the Federal Advisory Committee for the 21CSC mapped out. Another key theme throughout the discussion focused upon how Corps can help federal agencies, cities, and other partners to accomplish essential work during this era of limited budgets with a high degree of professionalism and low cost. Getting this message communicated to potential partners would be essential.

The Partnership next plans to focus the efforts of working groups upon key tasks such as finding funding with the government and from private sources for building the program, developing essential branding and marketing messages, sharing how-to-guides for facilitating partnerships, and planning simultaneous 21CSC launch events for the Fall.

Greater Miami Service Corps and The Corps Network Meet with U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson

Greater Miami Service Corps along with Mary Ellen Ardouny and Tyler Wilson from the Corps Network were happy to be able to meet with U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson at her Miami District Office recently.

During the meeting Representative Wilson learned about the great work Corps are doing in Miami and nationwide to engage youth and how that can be replicated through The Youth Corps Act. We also learned of Rep. Wilson’s passion for youth development and the non-profit she started called the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project.

New Research About the Perceived Benefits of Service in a Corps: a Corpsmember Perspective

Photo taken from the Urban Corps of San Diego Facebook page.

Jayne Smith, the former director of Urban Corps of San Diego’s Counseling Clinic, recently completed her doctoral dissertation on the kinds of outcomes Corpsmembers report experiencing after their service in a Corps program (specifically, Urban Corps of San Diego – UCO). Overall, Jayne found that the Corpsmembers in her study had very positive experiences; among other things, they largely reported having learned important skills, learned about themselves, and gained newfound confidence during their service in UCO.

For her study, Jayne used a qualitative research approach and interviewed 15 former Urban Corps members who graduated between the fall of 2009 and the fall of 2010. This time range was selected to overlap with the time period during which Jayne was employed by UCO, and to allow Corpsmembers a period of time after their graduation to pursue jobs or educational opportunities and reflect on the Corps experience.

As Jayne states, the goal of her study “…was to better understand the Corpsmember process of change and long-term outcomes from the perspective of UCO graduates.” Through collecting over 13 hours of interviews with the 15 graduates, Jayne developed a picture of what Corpsmembers thought about their service in UCO and what they perceived as the personal benefits of such service. Her research also looks at the factors that could potentially affect whether a Corpsmember reported having a positive Corps experience and positive outcomes. The study includes suggestion for ways to develop Corps programs that better serve Corpsmembers and help them attain these favorable results.

Click here to read the full Executive Summary of her dissertation, “A Consensual Qualitative Research Study of the Transformation from High School Dropout to Graduate: Corpsmember Outcomes and Influencing Factors.”

Here are a few of the study’s key findings:

100% reported learning academic and professional skills, with 14 out of the 15 participants reporting having used such skills post program
93.33% reported “positive attitudinal and behavioral changes across time”
80% reported being employed in at least temporary/part-time jobs
14 out of 15 former Corpsmembers stated that they learned how to be more serious
86.67% reported that they learned not to be afraid to try new things
Over 93.33% stated that the Corps staff, teachers and environment were “positive, supportive and caring”
“Issues with family, gangs, education, money, personal, education and specific academic organizationswere reported at a decreased frequency while Corpsmembers were in the program.”
Participants who compared their experience with UCO with their experience in traditional high schools all reported having more favorable experiences with UCO

In their own words: Members of the National Council of Young Leaders Discuss their Recommendations for Public Action

Members of the National Council of Young Leaders meet with Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education

1) Expand effective comprehensive programs
2) Expand National Service
3) Expand Private Internships
4) Increase All Forms of Mentoring
5) Protect and Expand Pathways to Higher Education
6) Reform the Criminal Justice System

We wanted to hear the Council Members describe in their own words why these specific Recommendations are important to them and important to the success of America’s young people.

	Read why Recommendation #4 – Increase All Forms of Mentoring – is important to Council Member Francisco Garcia
	Read why Recommendation #5 – Protect and Expand Pathways to Higher Education – is important to Council Member Adam Strong
	Read why Recommendation #3 – Expand Private Internships – is important to Council Member Philan Tree
	Read why Recommendation #6 – Reform the Criminal Justice System – is important to Council Member Christopher Prado
	Read why Recommendation #4 – Increase All Forms of Mentoring – is important to Council Member Ramean Clowney
	Read why Recommendation #4 – Increase All Forms of Mentoring – is important to Council Member Shawnice Jackson

200 Jobs to be Created Through the “National Parks of New York Harbor Conservation and Resiliency Corps”

Secretary Jewell Announces Youth Corps to Help Restore New York, New Jersey Parks After Hurricane Sandy

Taken from a Department of the Interior press release – May 30, 2013 (click here, or scroll down for full press release)

On Thursday, May 30, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the launch of the “National Parks of New York Harbor Conservation and Resiliency Corps.” This program, created through a partnership between the City of New York and the Student Conservation Association (SCA), will create about 200 jobs for young people to participate in Hurricane Sandy clean-up and restoration efforts. The Corps will initially focus on Gateway National Recreation Area and neighboring city parklands in Jamaica Bay, Queens. Their goal is to assist in recovery and damage mitigation throughout national park sites in New York City and New Jersey. These Corpsmembers will serve as role models for President Obama’s ongoing efforts to build a 21^st Century Service Conservation Corps (21 CSC), based off President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s successful Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s.

2013 will serve as a pilot year of what is expected to be a multi-year program. The Corps was created through a public-private partnership, with funding from Hurricane Sandy Restoration and Recovery funds and matching SCA funds. American Eagle Outfitters is sponsoring 25 of the 200 corps members.

“President Obama has made Hurricane Sandy response efforts a top priority for his Administration,” said Jewell. “This youth corps will not only strengthen recovery and mitigation efforts in our National Parks throughout the region, but it will also serve as a model for the power of public-private partnerships to boost youth employment and connect young people to the great outdoors.”

The “National Parks of New York Harbor Conservation & Resiliency Corps” expected to create 200 jobs for youth in the region

QUEENS, NY — As part of President Obama’s commitment to expand employment opportunities for youth, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today launched the “National Parks of New York Harbor Conservation and Resiliency Corps,” a partnership with the City of New York and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) that will provide approximately 200 jobs for young people in 2013 to participate in Hurricane Sandy recovery and clean-up efforts.

2013 will serve as a pilot year for what is expected to be a multi-year program for youth and young adults from around the region to assist in the response, recovery and mitigation of Hurricane Sandy damage within the national park units and their partner sites in New York City and New Jersey. The Corps will initially focus on Gateway National Recreation Area and adjoining city parklands at Jamaica Bay. Secretary Jewell’s announcement followed a Tuesday visit by President Obama to the New Jersey Shore, where he viewed rebuilding and recovery efforts underway.

“America’s national parks are unrivaled inspirational assets and the passion of America’s youth is our most powerful resource,” stated Dale Penny, President & CEO of SCA, which is managing the resiliency corps. “Local students are telling us they are ready to do whatever it takes to help heal their community, and that pride and resiliency will prove stronger than any hurricane.” Youth interested in applying to the program can do so here.

The program is a public-private partnership, with funding from Hurricane Sandy Restoration and Recovery funds and matching SCA funds. American Eagle Outfitters is sponsoring 25 of the 200 corps members.

These 200 members of the new parks resiliency corps are in addition to the approximately 200 workers that New York City Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White announced on May 13 as part of the “Jamaica Bay/Rockaway Parks Restoration Corps,” which was funded by an emergency grant from the U.S. and New York departments of labor.

“We are proud to partner with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to ensure our region’s recovery from the damages inflicted by Hurricane Sandy,” said White. “The creation of this new National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy and Resiliency Corps, combined with our Jamaica Bay/Rockaway Parks Restoration Corps, is putting hundreds of New Yorkers to work while preserving some of our city’s richest ecological open spaces.”

“In addition to cleaning up damage from the hurricane, the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservation and Resiliency Corps will be restoring habitat, rebuilding trails and other projects,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. “These efforts not only help the parks recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, but also begin to mitigate the effects of future storms and sea level rise.”

In July 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and then-Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed an agreement between the city and the National Park Service for cooperative management of parklands. The partnership enables New York City parks and the National Park Service to work on each other’s lands, co-mingle resources and undertake joint planning efforts.

When Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast on October 29, 2012, the storm affected nearly 70 national park sites. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the country’s various conservation corps have played a vital role in efforts on-the-ground in the disaster-affected communities.

The newest corps members will serve as role models for the Obama Administration’s ongoing efforts to build a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, called 21 CSC. Building on the legacy of President Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the 21 CSC aims to help young people – including diverse low-income, underserved and at-risk youth, as well as returning veterans – gain valuable training and work experience while accomplishing needed conservation and restoration service on public lands and waters.

Since 2009, when Interior established its Office of Youth in the Great Outdoors, the department and its agencies have built one of the largest and most visible youth programs at the national level, employing more than 84,000 youth through direct hires and partnerships.

Last week, Secretary Jewell announced that the Interior Department expects to hire approximately 17,000 young people to work on public lands this year.

Secretary Jewell Kicks Off National Fishing and Boating Week with Earth Conservation Corps

On Monday, June 3, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joined U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Rowan Gould at Earth Conservation Corps’s Pump House location on the Anacostia River to kick off a day of recreational and educational activities in recognition of National Fishing and Boating Week. Over 200 students from D.C. metro area elementary and middle schools had the chance to enjoy fishing and boating activities with Secretary Jewell, and learn about fish and wildlife conservation through hands-on activities.

Also participating in the event were Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, and Bob Nixon, founder of Earth Conservation Corps. The staff of Earth Conservation Corps was on hand to demonstrate the organization’s live “osprey-cam,” and introduce visitors to birds of prey from their Raptor Education Program.

The event was sponsored by 13 local and federal government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits.

Secretary Jewell, holding a bird from Earth Conservation Corps’s Raptor Education Program, pictured with Daryl Wallace, ECC Media Arts Director