title
REPORT
Department: Resource Management
Request: Receive and File
Report Title: Expansion Strategy for a Conservation Corps
Report Period: N/A
Summary: The “Expansion Strategy for a Conservation Corps” Report was developed in partnership with the Chicago Jobs Council to shape a strategy for engaging “out of school” youth in the FPCC Conservation Corps, a priority component of the Forest Preserves’ Next Century Conservation Plan (NCCP). The main objectives of the Conservation Corps are to:
1) Provide 150,000 conservation service hours annually to the FPCC within five years.
2) Continue to support and expand existing Corps programs that engage high school students, college students, and adults from across Cook County.
3) Ensure Corps programs are accessible to young people who are not enrolled in school and not employed (“out-of-school youth,” ages 18-24), as well as to people with involvement in the justice system.
4) Provide valuable paid work experience, basic work skills, and industry skills training.
5) Bring diverse populations to the Forest Preserves and build a new constituency of local volunteers as well as future conservation stewards and leaders.
6) Focus on habitat restoration work, to assist with the NCCP goal of ensuring native landscapes will thrive for generations.
The Report calls for close collaboration with existing conservation internship providers to expand current programs that have a proven track record of providing quality Corps programs to youth and adults. The Report outlines a clear strategy to bring people from all backgrounds to the conservation table, a critical need to ensure long-term support for the Forest Preserves of Cook County going into the next century and beyond.
District(s): Districtwide
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