Your Chance to Win Fantastic Original Artwork & Support The Corps Network

A Very Special Opportunity

We are excited to announce that everyone who donates (or has donated) to The Corps Network’s CrowdRise Holiday Campaign will be entered to win an 11 x 17 inch print depicting original artwork from The Corps Network’s new book, Join the Crew: Inspirational Stories of Young Adults in America’s Service and Conservation Corps!

Through this artwork, we wish to highlight the work that The Corps Network does to tell the stories of the Next Greatest Generation and raise the visibility of our Corpsmembers’ accomplishments. The opportunity to be entered to win the Join the Crew artwork will end on December 31st, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. 

Thank you for supporting The Corps Network and now back to our originally scheduled email…

As participants in the Crowdrise Holiday Challenge, The Corps Network greatly appreciates your donation, which will support our work cultivating the “Next Greatest Generation” of Americans. Each week, we will highlight some of our 2013 accomplishments. In the final week of our campaign, we’re focusing on the work we do to tell the stories of our Corpsmembers – the many inspiring veterans and youth who serve in Corps every year. These Corpsmembers are the next greatest generation of American leaders. 

The Corps Network (TCN) expands the conversation around America’s youth and their stories of struggle, perseverance, and personal success. Every year, America’s Service and Conservation Corps engage over 27,000 young adults in meaningful service projects that provides them with the job skills necessary to pursue a number of careers in the 21st century workforce.

The Corps Network’s new book, Join the Crew: Inspirational Stories of Young Adults in America’s Service and Conservation Corps, tells how over 60 current and former Corpsmembers experienced personal growth and adventure through Corps programs. The chapters in Join the Crew showcase stories of young people from all walks of life who joined Corps to build their resumes; make a fresh start; try something new (like wielding a chainsaw!); help support their families; or re-adjust to society after serving time. A special chapter written by Corpsmembers adds additional insight into how transformational and influential Corps experiences can be. Join the Crew shows how service in Corps programs can help recent graduates find a meaningful career path; help troubled teens find stability; help veterans readjust to civilian life; and help so many others build self-confidence and leadership skills.

Another highlight of The Corps Network’s work in 2013 includes a resolution we introduced in the United States House of Representatives to honor the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and its accomplishments in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the CCC’s creation.

This year, The Corps Network also helped sponsor the National Council of Young Leaders. Created in July 2012 in response to a recommendation from the White House Council on Community Solutions, the Council is tasked with informing policymakers, business leaders and funders about the issues faced by America’s young people. Council members 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 offer enormous potential for our economy and our future if they are provided the opportunity to get on track. The Corps Network’s representation on the National Council of Young Leaders brings Corpsmembers to the table to discuss some of America’s most pressing youth-related issues, including access to higher education and fair sentencing in the justice system.

Each year, The Corps Network honors 6 Service and Conservation Corpsmembers whose accomplishments and personal stories exemplify the positive services Corps provide for individuals and communities across the nation. You can click here to read about our Corpsmember of the Year Award winners from 2005 to the present – without question, all of the young men and women who serve in Corps programs have fascinating stories to tell.

Corpsmembers of the Year are selected by members of our Corps Council and honored at The Corps Network’s annual National Conference in Washington, D.C. The Corps Network encourages the award winners to continue the legacy of Service and Conservation Corps through our Corps Ambassador Program. This program provides participants the opportunity to access a variety of communications channels, including the chance to have meetings with members of Congress and write op-ed’s for local and national media sources.

We would love your help to continue working on behalf of The Corps Movement! We hope you choose to Channel Your Inner Santa and give to The Corps Network.

Sincerely,

The Corps Network

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Boosts Local Economy and Walkability of Vermont’s Capital City

Each year, working with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS), Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) utilizes federal transportation funds to employ more than 50 diverse youth who complete 24 weeks of work on community-based projects all over the state. These projects include work along rail trails, community transportation linkages, and other highly visible transportation enhancement projects. VTRANS has enthusiastically welcomed the partnership with VYCC as a way to introduce young people to the value of community service, diversity, education, job training, and the many rewarding careers in the transportation industry.

For the past 3 years, the Corps has been working on an important transportation project in Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont. The challenge was to help provide an improved route for employees working in the large National Life office complex to reach downtown Montpelier. The National Life complex houses Vermont’s third largest private employer, as well as over 1,400 Vermont State employees. Before construction of the National Life Trail, employees walking downtown from the National Life complex, as well as residents of an adjacent neighborhood, had to choose between following a mile long route along the side of a highly trafficked street, or taking a makeshift path straight down a steep hill, known as the “Goat Path.” Neither choice provided safe or accessible passage. The new trail transformed this tiny, eroded, and treacherous path into a beautiful trail and connected the city’s largest office building to the downtown area.

Given the high level of human activity within the area, as well as the very steep nature of the trail, the Corps and its crews were presented with new challenges in regard to safety, as well as the logistics of transporting large boulders and materials to build stone staircases. But ultimately, the 3 years of complex project work boosted the technical skills of VYCC staff and crewmembers in building trails.

More specifically, The National Life Trail project required the use of rigging, including a highline system for the duration of the project. All the stone for the site was imported from a quarry outside Montpelier and was brought to the project site by truck. It was then unloaded and transported downhill via mechanized equipment to a point where the slope became too steep. At that point the stone was transitioned to the highline system, lifted into the air, and dropped at its specific location on the trail, often in the exact location it was needed to create a step. The crew was “flying stone” in close proximity to a heavily traveled road and thus safety and control concerns were heightened throughout the project.

Across three summers, 130 large stone stairs were installed by 28 youth using specialized rigging equipment. These young people were trained through VTRANS’ support which enabled the VYCC to host two specialized rigging trainings for Crewleaders and staff members. Based on the success of this project and with the skills gained, the VYCC has more freely incorporated grip hoists and highline systems into other projects. Corpsmembers and Crewleaders on these crews were able to quickly learn the fundamentals and their use of a highline system furthered their technical skills experience.

Jessica Satterfield of Greenville, SC was one of the Corpsmembers who worked on the project. She has said that her greatest accomplishment was “independently leading the construction of a dry‐stack retaining wall at the lower terminus of the National Life Trail.” The technical and interpersonal skills Jessica gained from the project were a great addition to her resume and helped her to secure continued employment in the professional trail building industry. After completing her term of service with the Corps, Jessica was hired by Timber and Stone, a Vermont based professional trail building company.

Sherry Smecker Winnie, Recreational Trails Program Administrator for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, & Recreation works in the National Life Office Complex. She says that “People here at National Life appreciate the trails.  I see folks every day getting outdoors onto the trails at lunch, to run, walk, or go downtown. At lunch I do a run or a walk on the trails. I can walk downtown in 5-10 minutes on this trail. I’ve used it to go to the State House, the Credit Union, to get a flu shot & to my favorite boutique. People use the trail to go to meetings downtown. Travel time is the same if you take a car. I get to save money for not having to pay for a parking space. I get fresh air, I don’t emit gas, I think more clearly & I get my daily physical exercise. It will be snowing soon enough & soon I’ll be using the trails to snowshoe & cross-country ski at lunch. And guess what? There’s even employees from different departments who sign up to volunteer to maintain the trails with National Life.”

The National Life Trail project is an example of how Corps can utilize funding streams from both public and private sources to better the environment and the community. By helping Montpelier residents access the downtown in a safer, more environmentally friendly manner, VYCC’s construction of the National Life Trail is certainly work that matters.

Orange County Conservation Corps Partners with Disneyland on Innovative “Adopt-A-Channel” Program

In California’s Orange County, over 350 miles of storm channels and urban waterways help transport rain and stormwater to the coast, where some of California’s most pristine coastal beaches and ecological preserves reside. Over time, however, the county’s storm channels and waterways were neglected, and considerably high levels of debris and trash accumulated within them. Graffiti also spread throughout the system of channels, creating a sense of urban decay that stimulated undesirable activities, including the growth of gangs.

Given global climate change and the uncertainty of future weather patterns, a powerful and sudden storm could flood the County if the channels remained clogged, negatively impacting and endangering over 3 million people, buildings, and valuable property—not to mention the currently intact and valuable coastal preserves and beaches. Something also had to be done to blunt the blight of graffiti and the threat of gang violence that the system of neglected channels helped propagate.

It was because of this dilemma, that a powerful member of Orange County’s business community got involved. Frank Dela Vera, Disneyland Resort’s Director of Environmental Affairs, has been credited with the conception of the “Adopt a Channel” idea. Working with Orange County Conservation Corps and other partners, Disneyland decided it wanted to pilot a program modeled after the successful “Adopt a Highway” programs that have become ubiquitous throughout the United States. The goal would be to remove debris and graffiti from the county’s channels.

They started with a two-mile stretch of the Anaheim-Barber City Channel flowing from the Disneyland Resort to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, a coastal wetland that provides a home to numerous threatened and endangered species. With an investment of $50,000 from Disneyland, Orange County Conservation Corps (OCCC) would mobilize Corpsmembers to help make the project a success. But they also recognized the value of what additional partners could offer.

Personnel from the Orange County Department of Public Works, the agency that monitors the channels, helped mentor OCCC staff and Corpsmembers on crucial graffiti removal tactics, as well as safety procedures and best practices. In conjunction with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Corpsmembers were also trained to enter data into the “Tracking Automated Graffiti Reporting System” (TAGRS) computer program. The TAGRS system is an informational database containing photos of graffiti, listings of monikers, and identities of subjects identified through law enforcement contacts as possibly being involved with graffiti and other similar types of vandalism. Crews were trained and outfitted with a Galaxy Tablet II, connected into the TAGRS database. Corpsmembers would input data and photo journal the graffiti into the database program that will potentially link the criminals to the vandalism.

To date the results of the Adopt a Channel program have been impressive. Over 1,000 pounds of debris that otherwise would have been deposited into the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve have been removed. Crews have also abated over 15,000 square feet of graffiti from the 2 mile length of the channel. Vandalism in this channel has decreased by 90%.

Corpsmembers have also gained valuable job skills and personal satisfication for their contributions to the service project. One Corpsmember said “I feel a sense of pride knowing I’m keeping the ocean clean.” They’ve also helped make Orange County safer and more beautiful, and potentially deterred youth like themselves from joining gangs.

The pilot program has been so successful that Orange County has implemented the program county-wide. The primary benefit to adopters is demonstration of community engagement; setting an example for other organizations, businesses, and residents within the community to take ownership of their water resources and local coastal ecology. On an individual basis, each Adopter has the opportunity to positively impact their waterways by improving water quality and providing a healthier habitat for wildlife like great blue herons, osprey, pelicans, and (the most wonderfully named) shovelnose guitarfish.

Thanks to the publicity the innovative Adopt a Channel program has received from local TV stations and Disneyland, Orange County Conservation Corps has been strengthened by its own boosted visibility in the community. Since the official launch of the program, several large organizations have contacted the Corps to provide the restoration efforts in their adopted portions of the county’s channels. In addition to the $90,000 the program has generated for the organization’s benefit to date, the Corps estimates that the growth of additional partners will increase revenue by 10% annually, helping to further support the Corps’ efforts to hire, train, and educate more youth in the county. The Adopt a Channel program is a great example of how collaboration, a willingness to experiment, and clear goals can result in simultaneous benefits for communities, people, and the environment.

Fresno Local Conservation Corps Helps Prepare New Home for Veterans

After a decade of efforts to create a veterans home in Fresno, California, a $250 million home was completed in 2012 thanks to the collaboration of numerous California government agencies. The home includes an on-site bank, post office, chapel, store, barber shop, and even a miniature golf course. But because of California’s budget constraints, the home’s 300 rooms and 30 acre landscape sat virtually untouched for an entire year. With the opening planned for October of 2013, a custodian and groundskeeper were finally hired in June to maintain and restore the landscape and home. This mountain of work proved challenging for 2 people, and for that reason the Fresno Local Conservation Corps saw an opportunity to help both the veterans and their own Corpsmembers.

Using funds from a federal Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration grant, the Corps deployed 31 participants of their CORPS Program (Career Opportunities Reached Through Participation in Service), to help the California Department of Affairs ready the veterans home and its landscape. This task was aligned with the grant’s goals to help Corpsmembers earn their high school diplomas, earn industry recognized credentials, and give back to their communities. Many of the Corpsmembers had a background with the juvenile justice system, so a project where they could interact with and honor veterans – those who have sacrificed so much for our country –  was appealing.

Beginning in June, Corpsmembers worked at the home 25 hours a week. They started by helping to clean the home, which had a considerable amount of dust, dead insects, and other cleaning needs because of its time without maintenance. They also helped build and assemble furniture for the rooms.

The $5 million landscape, however, was where Corpsmembers perhaps made their largest impact. They helped trim back 30 acres full of overgrown grass and unruly trees and shrubs that were hard on the eyes and a potential fire hazard. After that was accomplished, they planted approximately 1500 flowers and also helped install 54 flag brackets to hold flags from families that wish to honor their fallen relatives who served.

As a culminating event, Corpsmembers helped setup and break-down over 2000 chairs for the grand opening of the home in October. The event was attended by many high-ranking military officials, community leaders, future residents, and government dignitaries, including California Governor Jerry Brown and U.S. Representative Jim Costa.

In total, Corpsmembers contributed 1,314 hours of service at the veterans home. The Corps estimates that the overall value of this time spent was worth $28,077. Beyond dollars and time invested in their own community, Corpsmembers also gained valuable experience by learning janitorial skills, furniture assembly, irrigation maintenance, tree trimming, and landscaping. Many of them also accrued significant hours that will contribute toward earning their AmeriCorps Education Awards, which will help them pay for future education like college. Two Corpsmembers have also been approached by the Fresno Veterans Home staff about applying for full-time positions. The Lead Groundskeeper for the home has said “Without the help of the Local Conservation Corps, I simply do not know what we would have done. There is no possible way that we could be where we are today without you.”

The great news is that Corpsmembers will continue to serve at the veterans’ home and have opportunities to build relationships with residents. The Corps will be providing all recycling services to the facility going forward, and will continue to help maintain the landscape. They are also planning for their Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service project to take place at the home, with assistance from the veterans living there. This is truly work that matters.

2014 Corps Legacy Achievement Award Winner, Scott Weaver

Scott Weaver
SCA – the Student Conservation Association
 

Click here to read an Interview with
Scott Weaver

Scott Weaver, Senior Vice President for Government and Agency Affairs for the Student Conservation Association (SCA), has been a longtime advocate for Corps. He helped develop and pass the Public Lands Corps Act in the early 1990s and has been an ardent supporter of Corps in recent years in his work for the Public Lands Service Coalition.

Scott has spent the last 30 years serving SCA. Prior to his current position, he worked as Vice President of Programs, Director of SCA’s High School and Resource Assistant Programs, and he worked in the field as an SCA Conservation Work Crew Leader. Before joining SCA, Scott worked for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park for nine years.

Scott serves on the Advisory Board of American Trails and is a member of the Association of National Park Rangers, the National Parks and Conservation Association, the Yosemite Fund, and the Public Lands Service Coalition.

2014 Corps Legacy Achievement Award Winner, Leslie Wilkoff


Leslie Wilkoff
The Corps Network
 

Click here to Read an Interview with
Leslie Wilkoff 

Leslie began with the Human Environment Center in 1984 and transitioned to The Corps Network when it was created in 1985. Since the organization began, Leslie has taken on almost every responsibility possible at one time or another, and has become one of the most knowledgeable leaders in the Corps Movement, sought out for her wisdom, command of Corps history, and expertise in AmeriCorps programs and initiatives.

As Director of AmeriCorps Programs, Leslie Wilkoff leads The Corps Network’s AmeriCorps Education Award Program (EAP). Leslie created TCN’s AmeriCorps Program Manual as well as a document on nontraditional uses for AmeriCorps Education Awards. She also ensures compliance and provides technical assistance to TCN subgrantees in Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) AmeriCorps grants.

Throughout her tenure Leslie has developed a cache of tools for national service and youth development programs and has emerged as one of the leaders of the EAP serving on numerous working groups for CNCS. She also provides training to subgrantees for the eGrants Portal on-line member management system. In addition, she helped develop and manages The Corps Network’s Health Insurance Plan for Corpsmembers and AmeriCorps members.

 

2014 Corps Legacy Achievement Award Winner, David Muraki


David Muraki 
California Conservation Corps
 

Click here to Read an Interview with
David Muarki 

David is the first Director of the California Conservation Corps to have “risen from the ranks.”  He initially joined the CCC in January 1978, spending over 60 weeks living out of a tent and supervising three trail crews in the
backcountry of Yosemite National Park. In 1979, he started the CCC’s iconic Backcountry Trails Project that has gone on to field 176 crews, build and maintain 10,840 miles of trails in national and state parks, forests, and wilderness areas throughout the state.  At the CCC’s Del Norte Center, David founded the salmon and steelhead restoration program that received the Robert Rodale/Renew America Award for the top fisheries conservation program in the nation and the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award. 

David served on the staff of the CCC in numerous capacities until 1996. From ‘96 until his return to the CCC in 2007, David served as deputy director for California Volunteers, where he led public policy efforts and supported AmeriCorps national service and disaster volunteer programs. Upon David’s return to the CCC as Director, he soon became the Chair of The Corps Network’s Corps Council and was appointed to the federal advisory committee on the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC).  In addition, he serves on the California Biodiversity Council and the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council.

David’s extraordinary dedication to the Corps is due, in part, to his deep program knowledge and love of young people; David’s experience as a crew supervisor, project coordinator and center director at a CCC center provide him the “street cred” to engender loyalty and respect from field staff and Corpsmembers.  

Meet The Corps Network’s 2014 Award Winners!

We are very excited to announce our 2014 Award Winners! They will each be honored at our National Conference in February. Please click on the links to read their stories. 

Projects of the Year



Each year The Corps Network awards several noteworthy endeavors from Corps with Project of the Year Awards. Here are links to stories about this year’s winners.

Orange County Conservation Corps Partners with Disneyland on Innovative “Adopt-A-Channel” Program

Fresno Local Conservation Corps Helps Prepare New Home for Veterans

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Boost Local Economy and Walkability of Vermont’s Capital City

Legacy Achievement Award

The Corps Network Legacy Achievement Award recognizes leaders with approximately 20 or more years of contribution to the Corps movement, who have served in a senior leadership position of a Service or Conservation Corps or multiple Corps, and who have made a significant contribution to the movement (e.g. founded a corps, brought a corps to scale, served for approximately 15+ years as ED/CEO of a corps, or who have made a significant national contribution through developing a national project). This year’s winner’s include

David Muraki
Executive Director, California Conservation Corps

Scott Weaver
Senior Vice President, Government & Agency Affairs, Student Conservation Association

Leslie Wilkoff
Director of AmeriCorps Programs, The Corps Network

Corpsmembers of the Year / Corps Ambassadors

Each year The Corps Network honors Service and Conservation Corpsmembers whose accomplishments and personal stories exemplify the positive role that Corps serve for individuals and communities nationwide. They help serve as Corps Ambassadors, or spokespeople for the Corps Movement. 2014 winners include

Jon Brito
Kupu / Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps

Edgar Galvez
Fresno Local Conservation Corps

Eliseo Nunez  
Urban Corps of San Diego County

Linda Santana
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps

Ruby Simonian 
California Conservation Corps

Candace Washington
Civicorps

2014 Corpsmember of the Year, Candace Washington


Candace Washington
AmeriCorps member – Civicorps
Oakland, CA

Candace Washington is the youngest of 10 children. She and her three sisters and six brothers were raised by a single-mother; they had no father figure in their lives. Candace’s eldest sister was responsible for making sure she went to school after their mother left for work every morning, but her sister never said much when Candace skipped class. For her sophomore year of high school, Candace chose the “home study” path, meaning she only had to be in school for about four hours a day, the rest of the time she could enjoy book of ra spielen ohne anmeldung. She stayed enrolled until her junior year and then dropped out.

“I felt there was no reason to be there,” said Candace. “My sister and other siblings did not really push me to get back into school because they did not finish school themselves, so it was very easy to give up on my education.”

After dropping out, Candace says she did not take life seriously. She was dependent on others, spending her time partying with friends or out at clubs.

“I was just a mess,” she said. “I had no education goals or career plan for my future. I thought just because I had some sort of income I would be set, but I was not.”

Eventually, Candace decided she wanted to make a better future for herself. Her brother and a cousin had both attended Civicorps in Oakland, CA and received their high school diplomas. Despite her lack of experience with tools or the outdoors, Candace knew she owed it to herself to give the program a try.

Upon joining Civicorps as an AmeriCorps member in March 2011, Candace demonstrated that she was there to utilize every opportunity the program offered. She quickly mastered new skills and proved her professionalism. As a crewmember in the Job Training program, she worked alongside her supervisor to train new Corpsmembers on the chainsaw and the weed-eater. In the classroom, she set the tone for her peers by maintaining her focus and helping others with their assignments. At Civicorps Community Meetings, Candace was recognized as the crew “hard-hitter,” and she was acknowledged for her outstanding class participation and perfect attendance record.  

Outside the classroom, Candace often participated in on-site yoga classes. Additionally, she joined the Corps’ cross-country ski trip, Yosemite service trip, and white-water rafting trip. She also attended weekend volunteer activities, such as the Walk to End Poverty and Coastal Clean Up.

“Being a part of Civicorps has made me a better community member,” said Candace. “Most of the work I did with my crew – like littler picking and trimming and cutting trees to reduce fire fuel – was me playing a part in keeping a clean community and a safe environment.”

A little over a year after joining the Corps, Candace completed her graduation requirements and received her high school diploma. She then applied for and was hired as the Civicorps Academy Intern. In this position she worked with the Head of School and the executive staff to ensure student success, and she led training sessions for new Corpsmembers. As her supervisors say, “Candace raised the bar on what was expected from the position and even began supporting other departments within Civicorps.”

As the internship came to a close, Candace was recruited to be the Recycling Hotline Intern for the City of Oakland’s Environmental Services Division. She continues to be actively engaged in environmental events and educational fairs.

In addition to her internship responsibilities, Candace is enrolled at College of Alameda. She has accessed her AmeriCorps Education Awards to help pay for classes and books. Candace wants to eventually transfer to a four-year school and earn a master’s degree in psychology.

“I am going to jump over any obstacle that may come my way. I know that if I continue to keep myself motivated and driven I can do it,” said Candace. “I believe that just being able to be a part of Civicorps has made me stronger, helped me better serve my community, and has opened my eyes to all the possibilities…Every family member is proud of me and my accomplishments and they tell me every day to not give up, and I’m not going to. I was able to start over, and in life that does not happen very often.” 

2014 Corpsmember of the Year, Ruby Simonian


Ruby Simonian
AmeriCorps member – California Conservation Corps
Ukiah, CA

Ruby Simonian is the first of several of her family members to have participated as an AmeriCorps member in the California Conservation Corps. Soon after she joined the Corps in June 2011, Ruby’s twin brother Dylan also became a Corpsmember. Most recently, their brother Chris joined the CCC. When asked about his determination, Chris says he has his sister Ruby to look up to.

Before Ruby came to the CCC, she was making sandwiches at a Subway shop and not doing much else with her life. When her mother suggested she research the Corps, Ruby knew she had to give it a try. AmeriCorps and the CCC offered everything she was looking for: job experience, life experience, and independence.

Since enrolling in the Corps, Ruby has earned three promotions. First, she was respected enough by her supervisor that she was recommended for a Firefighter Specialist position, meaning that she was at the top of her class in the U.S. Forest Service Type II Fire Training course. In order to pass this course, Ruby had to complete a timed hike during which she carried 40 lbs. and walked three miles in under 45 minutes. Ruby took her position as one of the only women on the fire crew seriously; she has mentored other young women on how to succeed in the CCC program and how to maintain confidence in a male-dominated field.

After fighting numerous fires throughout the summer of 2011, Ruby moved ahead in her Corps career and earned her Commercial Driver’s License. She was then promoted a second time to a Crewleader I position, in which role she acted as her supervisor’s go-to person. Ruby learned how to communicate professionally, how to organize a crew of up to 15 people, and how to keep a crew motivated. Ruby was so successful in this position that she was promoted again to Crewleader II. At this point, she is trusted enough that she has taken crews of 3 to 5 Corpsmembers out on projects without direct staff supervision. Ruby’s opinions and insight are highly valued, and CCC staff and sponsors frequently seek her advice.

Another testament to Ruby’s success as an AmeriCorps member was her selection as a participant in the CCC Australian Exchange. Though many Corpsmembers apply for this opportunity, Ruby was one of only ten people selected for the Exchange program. As a result, Ruby spent a summer doing conversation work in Australia.

“I loved seeing how different people lived halfway around the world, which was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Ruby. “Most people don’t get that much of an eye opener in their entire life! From this experience I now want to be an ecopsychologist, teaching people about themselves while they learn about the environment.”

Ruby is a strong leader in the CCC. She is president of the Corpsmember Advisory Board, frequently represents the CCC at job fairs, and has been instrumental in generating new volunteer opportunities for her peers. Most notably, she was an integral part of the Ukiah CCC’s participation in a dog rescue program through which the Corps helped retrain rescued animals and prepare them for adoption.

Ruby has been a diligent volunteer at community fundraisers, accruing over 170 service hours at cancer awareness events. She also spends time working in her hometown as a peer advisor, teaching an anti-bullying class.

For now, Ruby’s main goal is to go to college and gain the credentials she needs to become an ecopsychologist. Ruby credits the CCC with helping her realize a passion for protecting the environment and helping other people.

“I believe the Corps has changed who I am and made me a better person,” said Ruby. “It has done nothing but help me grow and learn, and it has given me the opportunity to learn who I am and what I am.”