The Corps Network and Planters Unveil New Park in Historic Washington, DC Neighborhood

The Corps Network and Planters Unveil New Park in Historic Washington, D.C. Neighborhood

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today The Corps Network, the voice of the nation’s Service and Conservation Corps, and Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, unveil the second of three planned urban parks known as Planters Groves in Lincoln Heights, a historic Northeast Washington D.C. neighborhood. The Corps Network’s local members, Washington Parks & People, Earth Conservation Corps, and the Student Conservation Association worked withPlanters and many other community partners to transform land into the peanut-shaped park. ECoRe, a provider of engineering services that emphasize sustainability and renewable energy, managed the build and helped coordinate the Volunteer Corps work on site.

The Washington, D.C. Planters Grove is located at 50th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (Washington, D.C.) and Mayor Vincent Gray will join other local dignitaries, community members, and Mr. Peanut to celebrate the new park with a day of volunteer planting. Planters envisioned its Groves as a means to transform underdeveloped and underutilized urban land into vibrant, green spaces. They are an important part of Planters 2011 “Naturally Remarkable” Tour, an effort to advance the brand’s values of healthy lifestyles and sustainability.

Sally Prouty, President and CEO of The Corps Network remarked, “The Planters Grove now takes its place as a nexus of neighborhood revitalization, community service and outdoor activity. Our work with Planters is proof that public-private partnerships can seed community transformation and growth.”

Designed by renowned landscape architect Ken Smith, Planters Groves are part urban revitalization, part urban art. Each Planters Grove features unique elements that promote sustainability and reflect the neighborhood’s unique culture and heritage. The Washington, D.C. Planters Grove includes:

• 39 newly-planted fruit and nut trees, in addition to 67 serviceberry trees,which expand Washington, D.C.’s tree canopy, as well as provide health and environmental benefits to local residents such as improved air quality and lower summer air temperature   

• A border of reclaimed porch columns frames the park’s unique peanut-shape and highlights the neighborhood’s “front porch” culture

• A rainwater garden collects storm water excess and helps decrease the amount of pollution reaching the adjacent stream

• Azaleas incorporated into the park’s design note the beginning of America’s urban environmental movement, which began when Lady Bird Johnson responded to the plea of local eight-year-old John Hatcher for azalea bushes for his housing development

The Washington, D.C. Planters Grove builds upon recent efforts by the D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation to redevelop the broader Marvin Gaye Park corridor into a hub of outdoor recreation, civic participation, and public-private partnership. Additionally, the Planters Grove complements the D.C. Department of Transportation’s sustainable streetscape improvement project currently underway. 

“The Planters Grove is a welcome addition to a location that has deep historical and cultural significance and fits in perfectly with the District’s goals of providing healthy lifestyle choices for residents of all ages for generations to come,” said Jesùs Aguirre, Director of the D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation.

Scott Marcus, a Senior Brand Manager for Planters said “Peanuts are truly a ‘naturally remarkable’ food. They have a rich American heritage and, in many ways, are both good for you and good for the earth. Planters is excited to work with the local D.C. community to create a natural space in our nation’s capital that celebrates the peanut and promotes healthy living and sustainability.” 

In 2011, the first Planters Grove opened in New Orleans. An additional Planters Grove will be created later this year in New York City.

To follow The Corps Network’s partnership with Planters and get updates on our work, you can “Like” The Corps Network on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCorpsNetwork and“Like” Mr. Peanut on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mrpeanut.

To learn more about Corps in your state and ways to volunteer, visit www.corpsnetwork.org.     

About The Corps Network: Established in 1985, The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 158 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 48 states and the District of Columbia, The Corps Network enrolls more than 33,000 young men and women annually in service in addition to mobilizing approximately 227,000 community volunteers each year. For more information contact Rob Spath at rspath@corpsnetwork.org or visit www.corpsnetwork.org

About Planters: Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, has a long history of pioneering industry firsts. This inventiveness is delivered through a diverse portfolio of nutritious and delicious plant-based snacks such as peanuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts. Planters NUT•rition offers a distinctive line of nut mixes that focus on specific nutritional needs. Planters almonds and pistachios are roasted with real herbs and spices, delivering extraordinary flavor. Planters Trail Mix blends roasted nuts, delicious fruit and other wholesome ingredients to help fuel an active lifestyle.

About Planters Sustainability: Planters has made considerable investments in greening their facilities through energy and water conservation, as well as waste reduction. As part of its brand citizenship, Planters has committed, in collaboration with The Corps Network, to developing green, natural spaces called Planters Groves across the U.S. The brand’s commitment to nut farmers is extended through the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), an initiative to improve cashew production, sustainability practices and increase the cashew-related income of 150,000 cashew farmers by 2012.

About ECoRe: ECoRe is a provider of engineering consulting services, specializing in clean technology development, engineering and integration of renewable energy solutions, and developing sustainable communities. ECoRe focuses on addressing diverse energy-related needs by forming integrated management teams to develop energy solutions that foster sustainable communities and provide affordable, tailored solutions.  Their team of engineers and sustainability professionals bring sustainable solutions – both financially and environmentally – to the people and companies that have traditionally been underserved by the sustainability community. Learn more at www.ecoreventures.com.

About Parks & People: Washington Parks & People began 20 years ago with Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, receiving the National Park Service’s highest organizational award for leading the transformation of the single most violent park in the capital region into one of its safest. We lead greening initiatives across the city — massive land reclamation, native reforestation,  watershed restoration, public health and fitness programming, urban agriculture, and green job training — to help revitalize once forgotten communities. Learn more at www.washingtonparks.net.

About Earth Conservation Corps: Earth Conservation Corps is a nonprofit youth development and environmental service organization located where the heavily polluted Anacostia River flows through our nation’s capitols most disadvantaged communities. Since 1989 we have been successfully reclaiming two of America’s most endangered resources — our youth and our environment. We use the challenge and promise of restoring the Anacostia River to engage unemployed community youth for a transformative volunteer year of environmental action and community service. Learn more at www.ecc1.org.

About The Student Conservation Association: The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is a national organization that develops tomorrow’s conservation leaders by providing high school and college students with conservation service opportunities in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests. Since 1957, SCA’s hands-on practice of conservation service has helped to develop new generations of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet. SCA is a non-profit headquartered in Charlestown, NH and maintains regional offices in Boise, ID, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C. For more, logon at thesca.org.

 

 

Green For All and The Corps Network Collaborate in Creating Green Careers Pathways for Low-Income Youth

 

by Vien Truong, Senior Associate, Green For All & Sally Prouty, President and CEO, The Corps Network

Green For All (GFA) and The Corps Network (TCN) are proud to work together tackling one of our nation’s most pressing problems: youth employment and career pathways. All too often, future jobs will be out of reach to our nation’s youth, especially those in low-income communities and communities of color.

At the Clinton Global Initiative’s CGI America meeting, both TCN and GFA will be promoting the role of green jobs in solving problems of pollution and poverty. During the conference, which takes place on June 29 – 30, TCN will be announcing the upcoming release of a new resource: A Green Career Pathways Framework: Postsecondary and Employment Success for Low-Income Disconnected Youth. Green for All, which was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2007, will also be attending the convening to discuss creating good, green jobs that have career pathways and pathways out of poverty for all communities.

TCN’s seminal white paper shows the opportunities in the green economy and its potential to offer a pathway out of poverty for low-income young adults, many of whom have disconnected from school, are struggling to find a way into the economic mainstream, or both. This correlates with GFA’s efforts to develop and grow career pathways and pathways out of poverty for low-income and disconnected youth through our Youth Employment and Leadership Ladders (YELL) Community of Practice, which is co-chaired by TCN and the Wangari Maathai Center for Sustainable Cities and Schools. Through the YELL working group, our organizations will develop and share resources that create and sustain effective youth workforce training programs; research and provide best practices and strategies for removing barriers to training and employment for youth; and share other resources towards helping prepare youth for, and connect youth to, green collar jobs.

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, along with heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The CGI community also includes CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship, MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make a Commitment to Action, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. CGI America is the newest addition to this community. For more information, visit https://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

Maryland Conservation Corps Battles Insect Parasites to Save Hemlock Trees

 

The parasitic wooly adelgid. Photo by E.P. Mallory via Flickr under a Creative Commons license

The Maryland Conservation Corps was featured along with several other partners in a recent Baltimore Sunarticle for their work to combat wooly adelgid insects that are decimating hemlock tree populations in Maryland forests in places such as Swallow Falls State Park.

Tina Stevens, a Park Service Associate with the Corps, said that “Last week 50 corps members treated 2000 old growth hemlock trees to prevent the HWA from spreading and devastating the 478 acre park.”

Aside from those impressive numbers, according to The Sun, “Besides their ecological role, the stately hemlocks at Swallow Falls also draw 250,000 visitors a year” making this task even more important.

You can read the full story about how the Maryland Conservation Corps and other state agencies and partners are combatting the insects at The Baltimore Sun (link). 

 

thumbnail

EarthCorps Alumnus Assists Japan Disaster Relief, Aims to Create New Conservation Corps in Japan

Tatsuya Tsukamoto, a 1999 EarthCorps alumnus, has been supporting recovery efforts in Japan following the devastating March 11th earthquakes and tsunami.

According to EarthCorps Director Steve Dubiel, “Tatsuya has continually pursued his dream of launching a conservation corps movement in Japan.”

Tsukamoto recently emailed Dubiel and says that he’s currently working with the volunteer Center in Tochigi and the Tochigi Conservation Corps to provide relief and assistance to affected communities.

In the Fukushima area, Tsukamoto and the Corps have been working in a damaged city named Iwaki City (right), near where one of Japan’s nuclear power plants was damaged and is releasing radioactive materials. As a result, Tsukamoto and the Corps are planning to start a Fukushima Conservation Corps to “restore the city and the environment,” but only once the nuclear plants become safe. (See more photos).

Tsukamoto wrote Steve saying: “I would like to ask you and EarthCorps to send some volunteers in the future, after Atomic Energy plants become safe. Also, I may ask you and Conservation Corps in USA to support starting Fukushima Conservation Corps, when it is ready.”

To learn more about EarthCorps and it’s international mission to restore habitat and lead environmental service volunteers, please click here. 

Hawaii Five 0 Star Meets Kupu’s Urban Corps

 

Yesterday Hawaii Five-0 shot on location just outside Kupu’s training facility in Kewalo Basin Park. Daniel Dae Kim, one of the show’s stars, took time to take a photo with the Urban Corps. On the show, Kim plays a police officer tasked by Hawaii’s Governor to a special crime investigation team. While Dae Kim has appeared in numerous movies and television programs, he currently is most well known as “Jin,” one of the most beloved characters on the recently completed science fiction series Lost.

The Kewalo Basin Park area is being transformed by Kupu’s new Urban Corps. Recently it was known as a space known for rubbishness, drugs, and abandonment. Now it has been changed into to an amazing park and facility worthy of being showcased by a hit national television show.

Urban Corps has installed slate and granite in the bathrooms of the facility, landscaped the surrounding park, and will be constructing an imu pit (Hawaiian underground earth oven).

While these early achievements have been great, what’s more amazing is that the young men in Urban Corps are transforming into individuals who take responsibility for the world around them, growing personally while giving back to their community.

To learn more about Kupu, the Urban Corps, and the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps, please visit Kupu’s website.

Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Thriving, Plans to Double Enrollment

 

Oconaluftee Jobs Corps Fall graduates. Photo by Holly Krake.

 

This article was written by Scott McKie and originally published in the Cherokee One Feather.  Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center is a member of The Corps Network.

Three years after the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (OJCCC) almost had its doors closed for good, the Center is thriving. “It is ranked 36th out of 122 Job Corps Centers nationwide,” Danny Muse, OJCCC academic manager, told the members of the Job Corps Community Relations Council at a meeting held at the Center on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Muse, an employee at OJCCC since 1976, said they also rank 7th in literacy, 3rd in numeracy and 3rd in graduate placement. Since June, 18 students have received their GED.

“This is a stepping stone for them,” said Muse, “and we’re working very diligently to help them get there.”

The Community Relations Council was formed in June as a way to garner community and regional support for the students and their needs. Information from the Council states the ideals of the group includes: creation of sustainable vision and goals, development and strengthening of partnerships, address local needs while fostering employment and lifelong skills in students and designing a culture of commitment and stewardship.

Holly Krake, OJCCC business community liaison, related that there are currently 68 students enrolled at the Center and they performed a total of 13,270 work-based learning hours this year. “Based on common wages, that would total over $240,000 of labor hours that students have put into the community.”

She said OJCCC students have volunteered at numerous area businesses, organizations and events including: Far West Special Olympics hosted in Cherokee, EBCI Dora Reed Childcare Center, “Meet Me in the Smokie” Open Charity Golf event, EBCI Fisheries and Wildlife, Cherokee Indian Hospital, Cherokee Chamber of Commerce, and more.

OJCCC has plans to expand in 2011 by doubling their enrollment and adding four next programs, sponsored by the Home Builder’s Institute, including: Carpentry, Electrical, Facilities Maintenance, and HVAC.

Krake said the volunteer and career opportunities all help tremendously with the development of students. “All of those are reasons that students get vested into the program and dedicate themselves to finish.”

For information on the Community Relations Council or to find out how your business or organization can partner with OJCCC, contact Holly Krake 497-8062.

California Conservation Corps Kicks Off EnergySmart Jobs Program in Grocery Stores

 

Republished from the California Conservation Corps’ Newsletter. The CCC is a member of The Corps Network.

Using a Sacramento supermarket as a backdrop, representatives from the Energy Commission and PECI joined California Conservation Corps Director David Muraki (pictured above) and Sacramento corpsmembers in the official launch of the EnergySmart Jobs program. 

Sixty-one corpsmembers are being trained as surveyors to help grocery businesses large and small find energy-saving opportunities, particularly in refrigeration units. The store owner can then work with a contractor as far as implementation of energy-saving measures.

Unique for the corpsmembers are the use of iPhones to enter and transmit data from the grocery stores.

 

Sacramento corpsmember Caitlin Howard checks data entered into her iPhone.

One focus of the program is converting lighting in grocery refrigeration cases to energy-efficient LED lighting. LED lights emit significantly less heat so the compressors don’t have to compensate to keep the cases cold. The work could be done by contractors after the initial energy survey, with businesses provided financial incentives to cover a portion of the cost.

The CCC has about 40 corpsmembers participating in the program right now, from Sacramento, San Jose, Los Angeles, Inland Empire and San Diego. There are also eight corpsmembers from the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. Alternates will be trained to backfill the crews as the current corpsmembers will have opportunities for job placement with the contractors.

The corpsmembers will travel throughout the region to visit stores. It takes 45 minutes to an hour per survey; some 20,000 businesses will be visited during the program’s 14 months.

Conservation Supervisor Scott Linton is serving as project manager for the program. He says all the stakeholders are pleased with efforts to date and that CCC corpsmembers and staff have done an outstanding job.

“I’m incredibly impressed by the technological savvy of our corpsmembers and staff who are implementing the program in such a short amount of time, ” Scott says. “They’re raring to go and working faster than we can supply them with assignments.”

EnergySmart Jobs is an initiative of the California Energy Commission, administered by PECI and financed through federal stimulus funds (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act).

 

Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia Executive Director Robert Martin Honored as Volunteer of the Year

 

Pictured (left) Linda Pannell, WVEA representative and Robert Martin (right), recipient of the Effie Mayhan Brown Award. Pannell also nominated Martin for this prestigious award.

From the Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia

Beckley, WV – Robert A. Martin, Executive Director of the non-profit Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia (CCCWV), received the prestigious Effie Mayhan Brown Award at the West Virginia Education Association’s 31st Annual Human Relations Luncheon. The award, presented on April 30, 2010, recognized Martin as an individual who exemplifies the goals and charges of the WVEA Minority Affairs Committee resulting in positive community growth and contributions. Educator Linda Pannell, who teaches at Lester Elementary, nominated Martin for this Volunteer of the Year award due to his unwavering commitment and time devoted to area youth.

For the past several winter ski seasons, Martin has provided ski clothing, equipment, rentals, lift tickets, and lessons for over 20 area youth from Raleigh & Fayette Counties at no cost to the children, ranging from as young as age 5 up to 16. He also made sure that each had transportation to and from Winterplace once a week for approximately 8 weeks during the winter ski season. Linda Pannell also assists Martin by chaperoning the children and helping to coordinate their trips to Winterplace each week. Many of the youth are from Pannell’s church and she has seen the smiles and positive impact that the skiing has had in their lives. “The children are our future leaders of tomorrow–they deserve opportunities and a chance to experience and be exposed to all that our area has to offer”, says Pannell. Robert Martin has taken such a huge interest in these kids and has made them feel like they can conquer and do anything. He does not ask nor expect anything in return – except to make sure the kids have a great time which is why I nominated him”.

Along with Pannell and her husband, Martin’s staff volunteers once a week after work with the children either helping them to ski, or simply assisting with supervision and all of the intangibles it takes to get the children ready for the slopes. None of the youth had ever skied before until Martin extended this opportunity. By the end of the ski season, everyone is skiing on their own and the grand finale is a weekend trip to Snowshoe. The interest and inquiries have increased to where Martin is currently seeking funds and ramping up volunteer recruitment efforts so that he can serve more youth and turn no one away. Plans for a trip out west are also being considered. “We want to expose the children to the best and make sure their experience is both memorable and everlasting. It is also a boost to their self esteem; it mentally and physically challenges you. Plus, it opens their eyes to so much more than just skiing”, says Martin.

Martin has served as the Executive Director of the CCCWV for the past 17 years. Robert is responsible for starting The First Tee of Beckley in 2005, which received its statewide charter in 2009 as The First Tee of West Virginia. TFTWV is a youth-development program that utilizes the game of golf to bring fundamental life skills, core values, and educational experiences to underprivileged youth that might not typically be exposed to the game. Programming seamlessly integrates life skills and nine core values: Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Confidence, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courtesy, and Judgment. Many of the same philosophies and core values of The First Tee are being integrated with the skiing program.

Martin, a veteran of the United States Army, has studied at Howard University, Grambling State University and West Virginia University College of Law. He holds a degree in Political Science and English and was selected as one of the “100 Most Outstanding Young Men in America” in 1983. Currently, Robert serves as both member and Board of Director for The Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce and Beckley Rotary Club and is Chairman of the Board for The First Tee of West Virginia. Robert is also Chairman of the Beckley Intermodal Gateway (BIG) Steering Committee; and is a member of the Washington, DC-based Intelligent Transportation Systems of America (ITSA); and serves on the West Virginia Citizen Corps Council. Robert also volunteers as a ski instructor for the Challenged Athletes of West Virginia (CAWV), an adaptive sports program for disabled athletes located at Snowshoe.

About CCCWV

Today’s CCCWV are inheritors of the legacy of FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps; its mission is to conduct projects and programs which strengthen and revitalize our communities; provide self-esteem, educational enhancements and employment opportunities through meaningful work experiences for both youth and adults; and, to conserve, develop, and enhance our state’s natural resources. For more information about the CCCWV, call 304-254-9196 or visit www.cccwv.com.

About WVEA

The West Virginia Education Association, headquartered in Charleston, WV is the state’s largest teachers’ organization. WVEA has been making a difference for over 150 years, providing support for educators and advancing public education in the state. For more information about WVEA, call 1-800-642-8261 or visit www.wvea.org.

 

thumbnail

The Corps Network and Planters to Collaborate

 

The Corps Network, the voice of the nation’s Service and Conservation Corps, andPlanters, America’s leading snack nut brand, are coming together to transform neglected land into natural spaces, in select communities across America. Ken Smith, the renowned landscape architect, is being tapped to design the spaces – with a whimsical touch befitting of the brand and its iconic character, Mr. Peanut.

Starting in 2011, The Corps Network and its member Corps will help Planters bring its “Naturally Remarkable” campaign to life by encouraging Americans to get their hands dirty, reconnect with the earth and experience real growth in their community.

Increasingly, companies are working with nonprofits to address a variety of issues facing our communities. The Corps Network hopes their work with Planters will become a model for what can be accomplished when the private and public sector join together.

“We are very excited about working with Planters,” said Sally Prouty, President & CEO. “Our rich histories and commitment to sustainability brought us together, and it’s our mutual desire to make a difference in our communities that drives us forward.”

This is the first national public/private collaboration of this type for The Corps Network. “We are very committed to the work we and our member Corps do. Our first major collaboration of this scale had to celebrate conservation and service,” said Sally Prouty. “ Planters’ commitment to sustainability and its desire to bring people together in service fit with what The Corps Network is about.”

“We want to celebrate where we came from. Planters are the original entrepreneurs – scrappy and down to earth,” said Jason Levine, Senior Marketing Director at Planters. “We’re excited to work with The Corps Network, its member Corps and local community volunteers to create spaces where people can reconnect with the land, plant memories and grow a community.”

About The Corps Network: Established in 1985, The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 143 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 47 states and the District of Columbia, The Corps Network enrolls more than 30,000 young men and women in service in addition to mobilizing approximately 227,000 community volunteers annually. For more information contact James Jones at jjones@corpsnetwork.org or visit www.corpsnetwork.org.

About Planters & Sustainability: Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, has a long history of pioneering industry firsts and this inventiveness is delivered through a diverse portfolio of nutritious and delicious snacks.Planters is working with the National Peanut Board to recognize peanut farmers who are implementing sustainability practices and making positive social changes in their local communities. Planters is a founding member of the African Cashew Initiative, which aims to increase the cashew-related income of 150,000 cashew farmers over the next four years. Planters has also conserved 5.6 million pounds in packaging and shipping materials and its Suffolk, VA roasting facility has achieved a “zero waste to landfill” goal.

thumbnail

How a Corpsmember Used his Stipend to Start a Successful Nonprofit in India that Upcycles Waste

 

This year C. Srinivasan was the recipient of Earthcorps’ Annual Alumni Award. Steve Dubiel, Executive Director of EarthCorps, recently took time to write us and explain Srinvasan’s inspirational story. Based in Seattle, Washington, Earthcorps enrolls participants in a year long program. Approximately half of its participants  are AmeriCorps members and the other half are from other countries. In total, Earthcorps has alumni in 74 countries. 

In 1997 we had the pleasure of welcoming C. Srinivasan to EarthCorps. He’s from India. While at EarthCorps, Srinivasan saved the majority of his stipend to launch a non-profit, Exnora-Green Cross Vellore (soon to be renamed Indian Green Service).

The driving goal for all of Exnora-Green Cross Vellore’s work is to “bring about socio-economic changes through employment generation based on environmental conservation.” Programs seek to utilize three abundant resources: sunlight, people power, and garbage. Srinivasan told me that “EarthCorps helped me to understand that the goal is not to isolate people from nature, but to help both coexist sustainably.” He further added that, “my real success in India is because of the field work I did with EarthCorps in Seattle.” Srinivasan provides a model for all of us to help educate people and “help them see the legacy (good or bad) that they will leave their children.”

Srinivasan’s organization has launched several initiatives, including a Zero Waste Management project. Using India’s people power, Srinivasan has developed an innovative model for transforming waste management. Instead of collecting and dumping garbage at great cost, Exnora-Green Cross Vellore has created a system that generates modest profit from waste collection by “upcycling,” or transforming nearly all waste into marketable goods. Waste is collected twice each day and sorted into approximately 200 categories. Each component is then developed into a marketable good that is sold to support the overall program. There are only about 10 items that can’t be recycled, including items like chewing gum, Styrofoam, broken ceramic, and aluminum candy wrappers.

Srinivasan and his team are constantly working to reduce the number of non-recyclables and have reached out to 1,000 companies (India, US, and beyond) working with them to redesign packaging and products to move closer to the goal of zero waste. This model program has the attention of the Indian government who has tapped Srinivasan and set the goal to replicate the program in 500,000 communities across India over the coming 3-5 years. Needless to say, this is an incredible success.

Srinivasan’s story provides a great example of how corps programs inspire young people to change the world and give them tools to succeed.