HistoriCorps and the Job Corps Program
We are excited to announce that HistoriCorps has partnered with the Forest Service to teach preservation skills to a new generation of students. These students will put their newly learned skills to use at select Forest Service recreation sites this year. The students hail from Job Corps, a program administered by the Department of Labor, that provides free job training and education to a diverse group of youth ages 16-24. Job Corps graduates go on to enjoy meaningful careers in a variety of industries, including construction (which we know a thing or two about!).
The HistoriCorps Job Corps Program (JCP) is just one more way that we are working to engage people in saving places for public benefit. Job Corps students, in addition to learning hands-on preservation skills, will be exposed to Forest Service sites in and around their communities. They’ll learn first-hand about the historic recreational facilities available to them, while learning the skills necessary to repair and maintain them for all to enjoy. Who knows? You might even see the JCP in your neck of the woods!
Teepee Work Center
HistoriCorps and Job Corps are hard at work in South Dakota preserving the wood siding on multiple buildings at the Teepee Work Center near Black Hills National Forest. The Center is a USDA Forest Service facility built by the CCC in the 1930s. The students from the Pine Ridge and Box Elder Job Corps Centers will leave their mark on these historic structures while learning traditional wood conservation techniques. After scraping ’em down the students will add a protective finish that will keep the buildings safe and beautiful for years to come! Funding for the project was provided by the Great American Outdoors Act. Stay tuned for more great stories from HistoriCorps’ Job Corps partnership .”
Video Credit | USDA Forest Service
Westward to Willamette!
HistoriCorps and Job Corps Gear Up for Their First Project of 2021.
On April 5th a crew from HistoriCorps will hit the road for the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. There they’ll join forces with students from the Angell and Wolf Creek Job Corps Work Centers to kick off their 2021 season! Their mission? To preserve historic features at the Longbow Organization Camp.
The Longbow Organization Camp was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and has been enjoyed by countless outdoor enthusiasts ever since. The camp consists of sleeping shelters, picnic shelters, and an outdoor amphitheater. These well-loved and highly trafficked features could use a little TLC, and that’s where HistoriCorps and Job Corps come in. (HistoriCorps itself is modeled after the CCC, so we’re thrilled to continue the good work it began nearly a century ago and to preserve these historic facilities for generations to come!)
Together, students and staff will work on a variety of projects, including masonry, carpentry, painting, and cleaning. Students will learn historic preservation skills, as well as project management, and resource stewardship – all while improving the camp for the public’s use and enjoyment. This special partnership was made possible by an agreement with the USDA Forest Service and runs through the end of the year.
Stay tuned for updates from Oregon and other sites across the country as HistoriCorps and Job Corps embark on an epic preservation and learning adventure!
HistoriCorps and Job Corps in the News!
