Corps Connection Newsletter (July 2019)

CORPS CONNECTION Sequoia Community Corps

SEQUOIA COMMUNITY CORPS VISITS THE STATE CAPITOL On April 10, 2019, the Sequoia Community Corps traveled to the State Capitol in Sacramento, CA to attend the 2019 Government Education Day. CSET staff and SCC corpsmembers Victor Valdez, Joshua Perez, and Darely Anguino were among those who attended.

Government Education Day is an annual event hosted by the California Association of Local Conservation Corps. The all-day event provided an opportunity for corpmembers across the state to visit legislative offices and share with government officials about their experiences in the conservation corps. SCC corpsmembers met with Assemblymembers Devon Mathis, Rudy Salas, and Vince Fong, along with Senator Melissa Hurtado and Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Tom Gibson.

SCC corpsmembers were proud to share their unique stories of how the conservation corps has impacted their lives.

Corpsmembers are young adults between the ages of 18-24 and nearly all live below the poverty level. Statistics show that for many of the court-involved corpsmembers, the vast majority do not recidivate during their involvement in the corps. The conservation corps is a true testament of a community program that transforms people's lives; young people earn a high school diploma, build essential job skills for the workforce, and gain access to post-secondary training.

Being part of the conservation corps has been a life changing experience for various corpsmembers. Building essential job skills and cultivating recycling, forestry, and other natural resource projects in the Central Valley have been transformational for Victor Valdez who shared his experience in the Sequoia Community Corps with Deputy Secretary Gibson: “Before joining the corps I was a high school dropout; at that time I wanted to support my parents and family so I worked in agriculture as a labor farmworker to make ends meet. It wasn’t until I met a former SCC corpsmember who believed in my potential and encouraged me to go back to school and earn my high school diploma. He introduced me to CSET and the Sequoia Community Corps, and that is how I enrolled in the John Muir Charter School. I have been a student for the past couple of years. What I love about the Sequoia Community Corps is that it feels like a family; I have never been in a place where we work as a team. There were times our crew re-designed past projects that corpsmembers created 15 years ago. It’s hard work being out in the fields; however, I learn something new every year in the corps. It has changed my life!”

The Sequoia Community Corps looks forward to next year’s Government Education Day.

Volume Nineteen — July 2019

CORPS CONNECTION Sequoia Community Corps

GEARING UP FOR SUMMER RECYCLING EVENTS SCC corpsmembers kicked-off their summer by removing debris throughout the Sequoia National Forest and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. CSET’s SCC Department of Recycling manages more than 500 recycling containers placed in residential and national parks. SCC corpsmembers also attended the Portuguese Festival to clean and provide recycling services throughout the five days in which the event was held.

Recycling containers were transported to the corps recycling centers where SCC corpsmembers sorted plastic and glass materials among the debris.

After sorting the materials, recyclables were packaged and arranged for shipment. SCC corpsmember Thomas shared his experience about life in the corps and what it means to work in the SCC Department of Recycling program this summer: “The Sequoia Community Corps has given me the opportunity to start doing better in my life. The most rewarding part of the corps is gaining the work experience that I have gained here over the past nine months. I have gained a lot of knowledge on how to operate a forklift, sort recyclable materials, and package them for shipment. I also enjoy the opportunity to visit and explore different places around the Central Valley that I have not seen. The work is getting more challenging during the summer - it gets sticky and smelly. Although the recycling activities in the summer can be exhausting, it’s all worth it in the end.”

A FRESH NEW LOOK FOR DOWNTOWN’S SEQUOIA LEGACY TREE The Sequoia Legacy Tree in Downtown Visalia has a fresh new look made possible by SCC corpsmembers of the Urban Forestry program. SCC corpsmembers and CSET staff helped install caption signs around the Visalia’s Downtown Sequoia tree to describe its significance to the community. The three-year project honors the historic partnership between Visalia and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The Sequoia Legacy Tree is still in its infancy yet stands at 65 feet tall, with a capacity growth of 275 feet high.

“They were a very nice, hard working group! Thank you CSET for being such a great community partner!” Tourism Marketing Director Suzanne Bianco at Visit Visalia SCC’s Urban Forestry corpsmembers develop a passion for environmental stewardship and engage in greenery projects to increase the quality of life in the Central Valley. On average, SCC corpmembers plant between 500-1000 trees per year throughout Tulare County contributing to scenic beauty and cleaner air and water.

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CORPS CONNECTION Sequoia Community Corps

SCC CORPSMEMBERS GRADUATE FROM JOHN MUIR CHARTER SCHOOL Earning a high school diploma is a milestone that many SCC corpsmembers did not believe was achievable. On June 25, 2019, CSET and SCC celebrated the young men and women who persevered in their educational goals despite the obstacles. Twelve young individuals graduated from John Muir Charter School (JMCS) and family members, teachers, and CSET staff were present to honor the graduating class. CSET and the Sequoia Community Corps congratulated the class on their achievements throughout the years. CSET Executive Director Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner acknowledged the graduates and shared how SCC corpsmembers have a lasting impact through community projects – from constructing walkways at parks, to collecting and recycling materials, and building affordable housing.

Valedictorian Rafael Arzola dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and described it as a difficult path to find a job without a high school diploma. By the time he reached his twenties, Rafael enrolled to JMCS and was offered the opportunity to work at CSET through the SCC’s Department of Recycling. He balanced work and school over the years and is now on the path towards college. He’s happily married and a father to twin boys. Rafael’s words of wisdom to his fellow graduates were, “We all have experienced difficult challenges. Yet, we rose above those challenges and exceeded in getting our education. We look forward to the opportunities ahead.”

CORPS DISCUSSES HARMFUL EFFECTS OF UNDERAGE SUBSTANCE ABUSE On June 20, 2019, the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency’s Department of Mental Health facilitated an Alcohol and Drug Prevention training for The Sequoia Community Corps.

SCC corpsmembers learned about the harmful effects associated with drug and alcohol abuse. Young individuals who drink often increase damage to long- and short-term growth processes, including physical changes in brain structure. “Young individuals tend to drink exponentially compared to adults and ultimately increase their risks to health and safety,” stated HHSA Alcohol and Drug Specialist Virginia Tolento. SCC corpsmembers walked away with an array of resources to prevent substance abuse and underage usage.

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CORPS CONNECTION Sequoia Community Corps

CORPSMEMBER SPOTLIGHT Alexandria The Corps Internship Academy is a new program for the Sequoia Community Corps that launched in October 2018 in partnership with the Walter S. Johnson Foundation. The career exploration program primarily serves SCC corpsmembers ages 18-24 who are transitioning out of foster care. SCC corpsmembers who participate in the program demonstrate the focus and desire to explore a specific career pathway, and enroll in a 300 hour internship at a work site that meets their career interests. Through the duration of the internship, the work site supervisor, corpsmember, and program coordinator are in frequent communication to ensure a meaningful and successful internship experience. Since program inception, eight SCC corpsmembers participated in 2,400 hours of targeted career exploration.

Alexandria is among the SCC corpsmembers who participated in the Corps Internship Academy to explore the field of education. She is now an HR Assistant at ProYouth, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive expanded learning to youth throughout Tulare and Monterey Counties. Prior to joining the Sequoia Community Corps, Alexandria had low work experience and was a bit apprehensive about applying to an internship. The thought of not having enough work experience and the fear of losing a job were her constant concerns. After speaking with SCC's Sr. Program Coordinator Greg Lopez, Alexandria gained the confidence to apply to the Corps Internship Academy. Like many young people who are eager to work yet lack work experience and don’t know where to start, Alexandria attended job readiness workshops to gain insights on how to search and apply for jobs based on her skill sets and career interests in the field of education.

During her internship at ProYouth, Alexandria experienced the significance of teamwork and team building in the workplace. Alexandria appreciated the substantial one-on-one coaching and ongoing feedback on her various clerical tasks, which allowed her to expand her skills and knowledge. The career exploration opportunity provided by the Corps Internship Academy, exposed Alexandria to new opportunities in the field of education through which she discovered the many roles beyond teaching positions. Alexandria looks forward to gaining more skills and climbing the career ladder at ProYouth.

Learn more and stay connected with the Sequoia Community Corps at www.cset.org/sequoia-community-corps

The mission of the Sequoia Community Corps is to provide young men and women with job training, education, leadership and environmental awareness through performance of community and conservation work projects. Corps Connection is published quarterly by the Sequoia Community Corps.

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