Most young people join a corps because it’s a job and they can earn some money, and it’s also a chance to get away from home, in search for something different…what they gain is much, much more.
Page Summary
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- Corps members get paid, learn applicable hard/soft skills, but the real take away is civil interaction
- Confidence is strengthened; leadership roles are typical; reinforced sense of community and service
- Various corps member stories provided
What Members Walk Away With
First, they get paid. Typically, minimum wage but opportunities for greater earnings exist.
Second, they serve on a crew with other individuals who could not be more different than themselves – individuals they would never imagine to have very much in common with. They are in uniform. There are no phones. Work is outdoors rain or shine and members walk away with a sense of “hard work.” As a result, members walk away with both a wide range of applicable hard skills and soft skills (i.e. dedication, punctuality, time management, etc.) that are critical for success in any professional career.
Third and finally, they read articles every day and talk about them – article topics may range from bear habitat to abortion – with diversity of members comes diversity in opinions. This is where the real work and gains come into play. While the work is important, and constantly learning new skills prepares members for ongoing job opportunities, the real gain is civil interaction. Guided by well-trained Team Leaders, members come to find ground with one another, building friendships and new-found memories they may never have dreamed of making with people who share entirely different beliefs or background. A corps experience gives members a refined sense of respect for others.
Corps Members also come home with a new or renewed sense of confidence in themselves. They are physically and mentally stronger. They own their own words and actions and even when they get it wrong, this come naturally now.
While most would not consider themselves leaders in the classic sense, most members who “graduate” the corps are more comfortable sharing their opinions as well as jumping in to help, teach, or demonstrated a particular skill to others when needed. Seeking out opportunities to lead come more naturally to most after their experience.
Parents say again and again their kids are now “picking up their own messes”, jump in to help with family chores, and in general have a feeling that their child left but has returned a young confident adult with good habits. Members understand they are part of a community and that they have an important role to play, indeed, a vital role.
In short, members walk with a strengthened sense of values around education, conservation, and becoming more self-reliant individuals. They understand more than ever before the idea of being personally responsible for what they say and do.
These are the young women and men who through these newly strengthened values and actions will become the fabric for a more civil society, stronger communities, and a unified nation.
Corps Member Stories
A student from Harwood High School knocked on my office door. She was dressed in black with a great deal of face jewelry. She had served on a four-week residential crew in the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. She said she was under impression there would be no one else from her home town on crew. There was. The head cheerleader. The two could not be more different. She said the two of them hated each other and had gotten into fights at school. Not only were they assigned to the same crew but they had to share a tent!
She went on to say that while they are not best of friends, they regularly have lunch together at school. They learned from their experience that while they outwardly could not be more different, they actually had a lot more in common.
— Shared by Thomas Hark, VYCC President Emeritus, CCCUSA President & Chair
As Assistant Crew Leader during the 2016 GLCC field season, David enhanced his GPS skills and leadership capability in a team environment. Working in remote areas without cell service forced him to make important decisions on the fly, which is a skill he will use his entire career. Working alongside US Forest Service employees in the Ottawa NF gave him a better understanding how National Forests are managed. David is currently working at Western Land Services as a GIS Analyst.
— Shared by David Failing, Great Lakes Conservation Corps, Superior Watershed Partnership, Michigan
The Corps experience has shaped who Emily is today. In 2013, she began as a crew member working on a Piping Plover Habitat Restoration project. During the 2014 Season she was a crew leader for a Tribal Youth Crew at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, gaining valuable leadership skills. Since then, Emily has led multiple Great Lakes Conservation Corps (GLCC) field crews working across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on high priority restoration and educational projects. Today, Emily has a full time job with benefits as the Program Director for the GLCC.
— Shared by Emily Leach, Great Lakes Conservation Corps, Superior Watershed Partnership, Michigan
Remember when…the value of work completed by the CCC was estimated to be around $2 Billion in 1942. In today’s dollar, that is equivalent to $30 Billion.