California Students Reap Rewards for Recycling

 


 

Taken from Valley Community Newspaper

Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Keep California Beautiful (KCB) and the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps (SRCC) today announced the winner of the Read, Write, Recycle! Challenge, a recycling contest for students in the San Juan and Natomas School Districts that teaches the importance and value of recycling.

Students from Whitney Avenue Elementary School emerged as the grand-prize winners after collecting and recycling 1,124 pounds of plastic, aluminum, glass and paper during the five-week contest. Today, the students received the $1,000 grand prize for their achievements related to https://top-casino-promo-codes.com/. Along with the grand prize, one participating school in each of the two school districts was awarded a district level prize of $500. Witter Ranch Elementary School claimed victory in the Natomas School District and Whitney Avenue Elementary won in the San Juan School District.
In total, the six participating schools helped recycle a grand total of 2,892 pounds, more than one ton, of materials throughout the competition, including 467 pounds of plastics. The six participating schools included: Natomas Park Elementary, Heron School, H. Allen Hight Elementary, Greer Elementary, Witter Ranch Elementary and Whitney Avenue Elementary.

“The students at all of these schools should be proud of what they have accomplished by being part of Read, Write, Recycle!,” said Dr. Pan, a local pediatrician and State Assemblymember. “They should also know that, by recycling, they are connected to a larger effort to protect our environment, creating a healthy planet and healthy futures.”

“The efforts of the students in the San Juan and Natomas School Districts are phenomenal. The more we can do to spread the word about recycling among kids, the more kids can take that knowledge and apply it in their everyday lives,” said Steve Russell, vice president of ACC’s Plastics Division.

“It’s amazing how much our students, as well as the staff, learned about recycling by participating in this program,” said Vincent Arias, principal at Whitney Avenue Elementary. “Educating and involving students in recycling at the elementary school age will help ensure that they will continue recycling as they grow up.”

A total of 165 elementary school classes from the six schools participated in this five-week recycling challenge. In total, more than 4,300 students participated in the program, learning valuable lessons about recycling.

“The Read, Write, Recycle! Challenge has been a welcome addition to our ongoing conservation efforts and work training program,” said Dwight Washabaugh, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps. “Partnerships like these help ensure that the SRCC can provide the kind of on-the-job career experience that our corps members need.”

The Read, Write, Recycle! program was first conducted in February of 2012 in San Gabriel County where 1,500 students recycled more than 11,000 pounds of materials. Building on the success of this initial program, Assemblymember Dr. Pan and the partners brought the competition to Sacramento in the fall of 2012.

Read, Write, Recycle! is the latest recycling effort supported by ACC under the Plastics. Too Valuable to Waste. Recycle.™ campaign. ACC also works with LA’s BEST, an after-school enrichment program in Los Angeles, to educate students about recycling, and ACC is a key sponsor of Recycle. Goal., a recycling contest between young soccer players in Southern California and the Central Valley.
 

To learn more about Read, Write, Recycle!, please visit www.2valuable2waste.com.

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Veterans-youth conservation partnership to restore Colorado’s public lands

 

Taken from Pagosun.com – by Jennifer Freeman, Special to the SUN  

The Conservation Lands Foundation and the Colorado Youth Corps Association have announced the launch of their new Veterans-Youth Conservation Corps Partnership at a celebration and kickoff in Denver.

Nearly 100 supporters gathered to launch this new public-private collaboration that unites the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), conservation corps, private industry and veterans groups to provide Colorado veterans and youth with employment and job training opportunities working to restore and maintain Colorado’s public lands.

“When you take Colorado youth corps, tie them in with veterans, mix that with the Bureau of Land Management staff that’s in Colorado, then you begin to get a pretty rich soup,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper, addressing the crowd. “Mix in some private industry funders to provide resources or donations, add the Conservation Lands Foundation. Now it’s seasoned, now it’s got heat and energy.”

Working on Colorado’s public lands, including the McInnis Canyon and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Areas and Canyons of the Ancients, corps members will work 10-hour days, four days a week on a variety of projects. The veterans and young people will be fixing trails, improving wildlife habitat, restoring wetlands and rivers, and cutting out unhealthy trees or undergrowth that would readily feed forest fires.

“This partnership is about training and employing our veterans and young people; they are our future conservationists, our future resource managers, and having the opportunity to hone their skills in this setting is invaluable,” commented Jennifer Freeman, executive director at the Colorado Youth Corps Association. “We look forward to expanding job opportunities for young people and veterans who want to serve the people and lands of Colorado.”

Colorado BLM is providing some funding for the veterans and youth corps for 2013. The Conservation Lands Foundation is leading an effort to seek additional funding from energy companies that work in Colorado and other private industries in order to expand funding for this partnership.

In addition to Gov. Hickenlooper, two current conservation corps members — former Marine Corey Adamy and Western Colorado Conservation Corps crew leader Eddica Tuttle — also spoke at the event.

Tuttle has worked since 2011 for the Western Colorado Conservation Corps near Grand Junction, earning AmeriCorps Education Awards for higher education and the opportunity to be the first in her immediate family to attend college. Adamy is a Marine Corps veteran and leads a crew of veterans in the Durango-Farmington area in a wildlands firefighting program for the Southwest Conservation Corps.

Adamy talked about how veterans often miss the camaraderie and physical activity they experienced in the military. Many need to transition back into civilian life, want to physically work outdoors and they enjoy the teamwork and structure of a conservation corps.?

“The agencies (such as BLM) love the veterans crews and our work,” Adamy stated. “We’re doing great work on the ground with our wildlands fire program that they couldn’t get done with just the funds they have.”

Charlotte Overby, with the Conservation Lands Foundation, sees the partnership as a great way to invite the private sector to show their support for veterans and young people, be good stewards of some of the state’s most treasured public lands and take pride in what they accomplish.

“This is an ideal partnership with the potential to be robust and productive in job creation and habitat restoration,” Overby stated. “Colorado’s public lands are part of our shared outdoor heritage and so important to our economy, and preserving them for future generations must be a priority. This partnership will create immediate job opportunities and prepare our future natural resource stewards to carry out that mission.”

Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center Congratulates Graduates


Photo by Holly Shok of The Journal

Taken from The Journal – written December 8, 2012

SHEPHERDSTOWN – The U.S. Forest Service Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center graduated 95 students on Friday.

Students, who were required to have a high school diploma or GED to finish, received a certificate of completion and career technical training certificate from Harpers Ferry Job Corps Center at the ceremony, hosted at Shepherdstown’s National Conservation Training Center.

“This is the beginning of education and training for the rest of your lives,” Center Director Ralph DiBattista said addressing the graduates. “Congratulations on a job well done thus far.”

The graduation address was made by recent retiree of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dr. Mamie Parker, president of MA Parker and Associates. Parker encouraged graduates to avoid, what she terms, the four cancers of life: criticizing, complaining, negatively competing and comparing. Parker, who was the first African-American to serve as the FWS Regional Director, detailed her story of success, which included various ups and downs.

“You, graduates, are certainly braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think,” she said.

Harris Sherman, undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, also addressed the graduates.

“Let me just say that … you should feel so proud of the achievement you have made here,” he said. “I know that a lot of you have overcome adversity. You have rolled up your sleeves, you’ve worked hard, you’ve put your shoulder to the wheel. You all have faced a variety of challenges that a lot of young people your age have not had to face.”

“I just want to salute you,” Sherman said. “I hope you will savor this moment, you’ll look back on this moment, you will realize how proud you should be of yourself for everything that you have been able to accomplish. Congratulations to you.”

Keith McIntosh, representative of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, spoke on behalf of the senator. Manchin also addressed the graduates via video clip.

Special awards were presented by Mike Grove of Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia. Additional outstanding student awards were presented to Darren McIntyre Jr., Career Technical Training Award; Melody Self, Academic Student of the Year; Brandon Perry, Residential Student of the Year; Terrance Pearman, Counseling Award; and Richard Johnson, Student of the Year.

“My fellow graduates, today is one of the most successful days of our lives, because we achieved our goal,” Johnson announced to the class of 2012. “Every four years, America needs a new president who can lead our country in the right direction – that president could be you. You have taken the right step at Job Corps. Don’t stop now.”

The Harpers Ferry Job Corps Center was initiated as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty.

 

 

TCN Staff Attend Annie E. Casey Foundation Event on Youth Employment Crisis


On Monday morning, several members of The Corps Network staff attended an event hosted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Patrick McCarthy, President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and an expert panel discussed many of the challenges that young people face in a time of scarce jobs, and the enormous value that programs that help youth can serve. Jamiel Alexander, a member of the National Council of Young Leaders and a representative of YouthBuild USA, introduced a short video.

Our partners at Spark Action have produced an excellent write-up about the event that we recommend. It includes a link to watch a recording of the event in its entirety.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation also released a new report in conjunction with the event titled Youth and Work: Restoring Teen and Young Adult Connections to Opportunity. 

Click here to download and read the full report

White House Releases 2012 America’s Great Outdoors Progress Report

Earlier this month the White House released their latest progress report about the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Corps and the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Initiative received several mentions throughout the report and in quotes from top officials.

But this was the crucial one: “USDA and DOI investments in Youth Conservation Corps programs increased participation by 20 percent this year above 2011 levels.” Bravo!

Click here to download and read the full report 

Remembering Rosalio Cardenas

We recently learned that one of our past Corpsmembers of the Year – Rosalio Cardenas – was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident on the morning of Wednesday, December 12, 2012. Lio won Corpsmember of the Year for California Conservation Corps in 2007. He was flown out to Washington, DC to be honored at our National Conference in February 2007. Below is the speech he gave upon receiving his award. 

We at The Corps Network are deeply saddened by Lio’s sudden passing. We send our condolences to his family, his friends, and California Conservation Corps. For information on Rosalio’s service in the Corps, click here to read his bio from our Conference.

Services for Lio are as follows:

  • Rosary Service Friday, December 21, 2012 4:00pm – 8:00pm Greenwood Memorial Park & Mortuary 4300 Imperial Ave San Diego, CA 92113 (619) 264-3131 
  • Funeral Service Saturday, December 22, 2012 10:00am – 10:45am St Anthony of Padua 410 W 18Th St National City, CA 91950-5528 619-477-4520 
  • Graveside Service Saturday, December 22, 2012 11:30am – 12:00pm St Anthony of Padua 410 W 18Th St National City, CA 91950-5528 619-477-4520
     

A speech by Rosalio Cardenas (2007)

Most people would argue that prior to joining the California Conservation Corps my life was on track.  I grew up in a warm house with loving and hard working parents.  They owned their own gardening business with only four employees: my father, my mother, my brother and I.  I had 96 units at a four year university, had worked as an educator, tutored privately and made between $10 and $24 an hour.  Everyone thought that I was on my way to success and that all was fine.  The truth is that I was just idling through life.  I was taking class after class, but not getting significantly closer to my degree and career goal, teaching.  I was working part time jobs in the educational field and tutoring for cash.  Yet these jobs and tutoring stints were unstable.  Working with my father on my days off from school and work could only help for textbooks or gas.  Statewide budget cuts and unwise city budgeting made my part time jobs unreliable and scarce.  So I decided to go for a career change and began the application process with the California Highway Patrol.

I joined the California Conservation Corps per my brother’s recommendation in January of 2006.  He told me about how he earned certifications and worked hard for his money.  He boasted about how he worked for the state, had some medical benefits and showed off his uniform.  He informed me about the scholarship after just six months of continuous work.  What was the catch?  As a corpsmember one would make minimum wage and the work wasn’t always comfortable.  Yet what convinced me was that my brother was happy and enjoyed his job.  I later found myself working in ditches, streams, next to freeways, dirt and rain.  I had gone from classrooms and libraries to labor in the outdoors.  The work was similar to what I had done with my father for years, so my muscles were getting worked everyday.  The remarkable difference is that I could have made more money working with my father.  Nevertheless I gained a lot more than minimum wage.  I worked alongside young men and women from a different walk of life than myself.   Some were single parents, others were trying to leave the gang lifestyle and several had misfortunate lives so far.  This was the real benefit of this program, rather than a job, the diversity of a team and the comradeship.  My previous jobs lacked substance; I felt left out and not as important.  In this program all my peers were friends opposed to just coworkers.  We would help each other out on and off the grade.

The biggest impact from the corps was the Backcountry Trails Program.  I left the luxuries of life behind for a simple life.  The cell phone was traded for envelopes and stamps.  My motorcycle was replaced by a pair of hiking boots.  I never imagined myself bathing in a creek or climbing a peak.  I worked on mountain ridges during thunderstorms, near soothing creeks, at the world famous Yosemite Falls and throughout Northern California Wilderness.  The work was intense and strenuous, and the days were long.  I slept on the ground and under the stars.  All the sights, sounds and smells will never be forgotten, because pictures and stories will never do justice to what I’ve experienced.  Yet the biggest impact was that of my crew.  We were an extremely diverse yet close knit crew of twelve.  We worked, ate, hiked, relaxed, played, lived and grew together.  I made friends for life.  Despite five months of arduous labor my impact on the Wilderness is truly insignificant.  Rain, snowfall or an earthquake can undo everything I’ve made, dug and cleaned this summer.  But my influence on my crewmates and theirs on me will never be washed away.  I learned my importance to others and the effect I can have on my peers.  Due to my cool head, role as a mediator and overall character I was affectionately nicknamed “Papa Leo.”  I found out that I could do so much more than I ever expected, physically as well as mentally and socially.

The Backcountry truly prepared me for my career goal of becoming part of the California Highway Patrol. Not only did I test my limitations, but I found myself as well.  I intend to continue helping others and assist in keeping the peace. I am currently in an advanced stage in the California Highway Patrol’s application process, the Backgrounds Investigation phase which is the lengthiest part of the process.  I have just earned a generous scholarship from Americorps, through my service in the California Conservation Corps, which I plan to put towards my unfinished degree. My ultimate goal is to become a success in life and be a genuinely happy person.  I do not dream of wealth or seek riches.  I want to continue making an impact on my peers and community, while in uniform or at leisure.

It would be a great honor to represent the California Conservation Corps and all that it encompasses. It has helped become a well rounded citizen.  Thanks to my experience with the California Conservation Corps I have many anecdotes along with valuable lessons I am willing to share.  I honestly see the Corps movement as a stepping stone building block for the success of America’s youth.

Orange County Conservation Corps Helps Staff Veterans Day Event and Meet Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez

Corps Members (middle row, left to right) Andrew Aguirre, Michael Ramirez, Jordan Ramirez, (front row) Marlene Villegas Gonzalez, Julian Gonzalez and (not pictured) Myriah Vasquez met Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (front row, center) and many supportive veterans.

From Orange County Conservation Corps

Veterans continue to be an inspiration at home. Six of our Corps Members volunteered at the Veterans Day Flag Raising Ceremony and Job Fair in Santa Ana on November 8 and were honored to meet many service men and women, as well as Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Mayor Miguel Pulido of Santa Ana.

Our Corps Members helped set up for the event, control traffic and clean up afterwards, which kept them pretty busy throughout the day. Still, they had time to explore the booths and meet employers, exposing them to possibilities they might not have otherwise known about. They got a much better idea of what options there are specifically for veterans.

As far as their experience with the veterans attending the event: “They were amazed that there were so many people giving them support,” said Program Specialist Ralph Jimenez. As Corps Members thanked veterans for their service, the veterans encouraged the Corps Members to continue their education and be loyal to themselves and their country. By the end of the day, veterans sought out Corps Members to see if they had any more questions.

150 Corpsmembers Join in California Conservation Corps Flood Exercise

Photo Credit: Conner Jay/Daily Republic

Members of the California Conservation Corps, including one crew from each center throughout the state, participated in a large-scale flood readiness exercise in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta this week.  The Delta levees have experienced flooding and levee breaks many times over the years, so the Twitchell Island exercise provided corpsmembers with a realistic site for sharpening their skills.

The exercise included proper methods for filling and passing sandbags, construction of sandbag walls, protection of levees from wave-wash erosion and “boils,” or seepage through the levee.

Every CCC crew is trained in floodfighting techniques by mid-December, and can be dispatched where needed during to assist state agencies and local communities during winter storms and floods.

Read more about the exercise and see additional photos at the Fairfield Daily Republic website.

Providing Relief – What Corps Have Done to Assist in Hurricane Sandy Recovery Efforts

 

Washington Conservation Corps members remove damaged household items from a flooded home

Hurricane Sandy took lives, destroyed homes and businesses, and left millions of people without power. As the storm bore down on the Northeast coast during the last days of October, Corps across the country were already mobilizing to help with the relief effort. Corpsmembers have played a significant role in helping communities in New York, New Jersey and 5 other states recover and rebuild.

Some Corps worked through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and FEMA, while others organized independent of the federal response. Some Corps worked in shelters, while others cleared debris. Some Corps travelled thousands of miles to assist in the relief efforts, while other Corps worked in their own backyards.

Find out which Corps have been involved in Sandy recovery, read about what they’ve done to help, and see pictures from the field:

Corps Involved in recovery efforts 

Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa Corpsmembers “mucking out” a home damaged by flood water

What are some of the things Corps have done?

  • Operated emergency shelters throughout New York City: managed volunteers, monitored and assisted residents, cared for children and pets, maintained the facilities
  • Cleared debris
  • Cut down damaged trees and limbs
  • “Mucking out” – removing water and water damaged items and building materials from homes and businesses affected by flooding
  • Solicited donations of food and emergency supplies from individuals and businesses not hit as hard by the storm
  • Operated distribution centers and packaged emergency supplies for Sandy victims in need of food, water, blankets, clothing, toiletries, and other necessities
  • Canvassed neighborhoods to find people in need and spread information about repair work
  • Restored parks damaged by high winds 

NYRP clearing a downed tree in New York City 

AmeriCorps NCCC/FEMA Corps members assisting with water distribution in Far Rockaway, NY.
 

Get more pictures and more information on the recovery efforts and Corpsmember experiences

Student Conservation Association (SCA) Corpsmember in New Jersey

Southwest Conservation Corps members working with FDNY

Utah Conservation Corps members surrounded by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy 

Green City Force Corpsmembers and staff serving food 

Montana Conservation Corps members organize supplies at a distribution center

New Jersey Youth Corps clearing a downed tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I went through what they went through and I became someone different” – a former Corpsmember helps young offenders get back on their feet

Where are they now? – Catching up with 2011 Corpsmember of the Year,
Andrew McKee 


Andrew and his crew of NYC Justice Corps members take a break from their work on a community center to pose for a picture

Andrew McKee, formerly a Corpsmember with Phipps CDC/NYC Justice Corps, won Corpsmember of the Year in 2011 for his commitment to service and self-improvement. Read below to find out what he’s been up to since accepting his award, or find out more about Andrew and his Corps experience by reading his bio from our 2011 National Conference.

Giving back to the community is very important to Andrew McKee. He is especially dedicated to helping youth with criminal backgrounds make positive changes in their lives. Andrew has firsthand experience with just how challenging life can be for a young man with a record.

Andrew was convicted of a felony and served time at Riker’s Island; New York City’s main jail complex. When he was released from jail on probation, Andrew worried that the stigma of a conviction would keep him from finding gainful employment. He was still in his early 20s and had his whole life ahead of him, but his self-esteem was damaged by the thought that his employability might always be in question. Things turned around for Andrew when his probation officer referred him to NYC Justice Corps – a job corps that helps youth previously involved in the justice system build important life skills and gain work experience through addressing community needs.

Andrew served in the Corps for six months, from January 2010 – June 2010. Looking back on the experience he says what stands out in his memory was his participation in renovating the basement of Labor Bathgate Daycare Center in the Bronx. With decaying, water-stained walls and broken ceiling tiles, the basement was unsafe for the children. Andrew and his fellow crewmembers completed all the necessary repairs and beautified the basement with paint and child-appropriate decorations.

 “It was satisfying to just interact with my fellow cohort members and actually gain some work experience. I’d had jobs before, but nothing like that. Just the whole experience of working together with my peers and doing something positive – that stands out to me,” said Andrew. “Every chance I get or when I go past there I like to check up on the work I did. It’s been almost three years and I still take pride in it.”

While with the Corps, Andrew was placed in a prestigious internship with the New York City Department of Probation. He spent three months serving as an assistant to the Commissioner’s Office, visiting courts in all five of New York City’s boroughs to collect data from juvenile probationers. The information Andrew gathered, as well as his personal insights into the justice system, guided decisions made by Andrew’s superiors about what kinds of reforms were needed in the juvenile probation system.

After graduating from the Justice Corps, Andrew got a job handling internships and doing clerical work for New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development. However, after two years in this position, Andrew realized that the place where he really wanted to work was the Justice Corps.

“I felt like I could use my experience there,” said Andrew. “Having been a Corpsmember and actually coming from the same place that these guys, these new Corpsmembers, are coming from…I wanted to just give my own testimony and feedback and show them that they can do something with their lives. I’ve been there and I sat in the exact same seats that they sit in. I went through what they went through and I became someone different.”

Andrew took a job with the Corps as a Site Supervisor. Every day he leads a group of about 8 to 12 youth, ages 18 – 24, in a community benefit project similar to the daycare renovation project he helped complete when he was a Corpsmember. Most of the skills Andrew teaches his crews are skills he learned with the Corps over two years ago.

“My job entails supervising our participants on a worksite. I do their time sheets [and] I teach them how to do carpentry…I’m just teaching them basic skills like how to do plastering or floor tiling – it depends on what the job is. These guys are beginners and I’m just helping them get their work experience.”

In addition to working with the Corps, Andrew is enrolled at Borough of Manhattan Community College. He says he has taken a wide array of classes with plans to receive an associate’s degree by the end of 2013. He hopes to then get his bachelor’s degree.

When he’s not at work or school, Andrew likes to indulge in his favorite hobby: photography.

“Yes. I definitely still do photography. I try to make it a part of my free time any chance I get,” said Andrew. “I take pictures of pretty much everything. Anything I see that interests me I’ll take a photo of it. I also have a strong interest in studio photography.”

Andrew hopes to soon turn his hobby into a profession. He wants to open his own photography studio and do freelance work on the side. While his money would come from putting together packages and taking pictures in his studio, Andrew would also love to send photos to publications or use his camera to document red carpet events.

Completing his degrees and starting a photography business are Andrew’s two main goals, but right now he is happy to help young offenders get back on their feet. To youth thinking about joining a Corps, particularly a civic justice corps, Andrew says:

“If you really want to change then you should take the program seriously. There’s not a lot of opportunities out there that provide these resources and services. A program like this that offers work experience and internships – there are just a whole lot of doors that can be opened for you, especially when you’re young and you’re in this population, 18 – 24-year-olds. You have to take advantage of this opportunity and take it seriously.”