Marin Pilot Program Prepares County Youth for Long-Lasting and Fulfilling Careers

An innovative Marin County pilot program launches this summer. Preparing at-risk youth for future employment. The program will employ 16 at risk Marin County youth between the ages of 16-24 to complete daily paid conservation work at either the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden or Mt. Tamalpais State Park for a total of eight weeks.

Based on the highly successful Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps (SCYEC) program, the MYEC will empower local youth with job readiness skills in a fun and stimulating atmosphere. Participants will also receive weekly instruction on current environmental issues and career exploration.

“We are really excited about this summer’s program and the chance to engage young people in gaining new skills and doing important work in the outdoors,” said Max Korten, CCNB’s director of natural resources and contracting. “The sense of accomplishment from building a trail or planting, tending and harvesting a row of tomatoes is truly meaningful and rare in our modern world.”

Using the Marin County Office of Education’s Work Readiness Certificate criteria as their foundation, CCNB will impart appropriate workplace behaviors essential to retaining employment. At the program’s end, participants can apply for CCNB’s ongoing education and training programs which could extend their paid work.

“This project will give young participants an idea of what we do as managers to protect cultural and environmental resources,” Maintenance Chief for California State Parks/Marin Sector Victor Bjelajac. “It will also allow us to help them develop projects that they are interested in which is a joy to see.”

The Marin Employment Connection (MEC), Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB), Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (GGNPC), California State Parks (CSP) and the Marin County Board of Supervisors (BOS), are partnering to launch the Marin Youth Ecology Corps (MYEC) this summer. The MYEC is one of several County of Marin, Department of Health and Human Services’ initiatives to increase local and regional youth employment.

Additional Resources:

Applications are available via Marin Employment Connection’s (MEC) website: www.marinemployment.org.  Interviews will be held at CCNB’s San Rafael office located at 27 Larkspur Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 on June 6th and 11th from 4-6 PM. Orientation starts on June 17th, with a celebratory kick-off event at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden on June 21st.

To find out more about CCNB or the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, call CEO Marilee Eckert at (415) 246-3248 or email meckert@conservationcorpsnorthbay.org.

Contact Victor Bjelajac regarding further information on California State Parks Marin Sector at (415) 388-2719 or Victor.Bjelajac@parks.ca.gov