The Chesapeake Bay Trust recently announced the continued expansion of its Chesapeake Conservation Corps, a program that provides service-learning opportunities and green job training for young people through environmental and energy conservation careers.
The initiative, established by the Maryland Legislature in 2010, matches young people, ages 18-25, with organizations throughout the state for paid, one-year terms of service. The expansion marks the beginning of the third year of the program which has expanded from an inaugural class of 16 participants to 21 in its second year to now 26 exceptional young people who will be inducted into the program.
During the course of the year, each Corp Volunteer will work on a variety of environmental initiatives including energy efficiency programs, watershed restoration activities and clean-ups, water quality monitoring programs, reforestation projects, and bilingual environmental education and job training programs.
The Volunteers bring diverse experience and backgrounds to their host organizations, ranging from habitat assessment and fisheries management to environmental justice efforts and rainforest ecology.
Almost 30 percent of previous Corps participants have been hired by their host organizations during the first two years of the program, most in newly created positions, thus providing sustained employment for young people in Maryland and capacity building for host organizations.
source: Chesapeake Bay Trust
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