Conservation corpsmembers receive high school diploma
San Diego County CA— Urban Corps Charter School (UCCS) with locations in San Diego, Escondido, San Bernardino, Lake Elsinore, National City and Vista, in partnership with Urban Corps of San Diego County and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) hosted a graduation ceremony for 54 conservation Corpsmembers who completed their educational requirements and earned a high school diploma.
“Earning a diploma from Urban Corps Charter takes hard work and dedication,” said Dan Thomas, executive director, Urban Corps Charter School. “Our Corpsmember not only attend school at an accelerated pace – but they work and receive job training four days a week. It is a huge accomplishment when they graduate and I am extremely proud!”
As a Corpsmember, youth ages 18-26 work and receive paid job training four days a week in the fields of recycling, community improvement, urban forestry and construction through Urban Corps of San Diego County or the CCC and attend school one day a week with UCCS. The school is Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredited and has a low student to teacher ratio making it an ideal learning environment for its accelerated pace. Teachers take every opportunity to connect classroom learning with the vocational skills the Corpsmembers are gaining working in the community to create a unique learning environment.
“Many of our Corpsmembers have families with children and need to be able to earn an income while working towards their high school diploma,” added Kyle Kennedy, CEO, Urban Corps of San Diego County. “Our program allows that. Not only are they paid for their work, but they learn new job skills that they can use to gain employment after they graduate.”
“In the CCC, Corpsmembers without high school diplomas are required to attend high school classes for a minimum of 10 hours a week,” said Lisa Tomas, M. Ed., District Director, CCC San Diego Center. “With their studies and the rigorous work out in the field, earning a high school diploma while in the CCC is quite an accomplishment.”
The graduation was held at Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park and included a traditional cap and gown ceremony along with a keynote speech from Dr. Francisco Escobedo, executive director of the National Center of Urban Transformation. The event was sponsored by Mission Federal Credit Union.
“At Urban Corps Charter, this is one of the best times of the year. Not only because of the holidays, but because of graduation. These students are inspirational. They have accomplished so much and it is very gratifying to know that we have helped them with their education and put them on the road to success,” concluded Thomas.
Urban Corps and the CCC always welcome new Corpsmembers! For more information or to join Urban Corps, visit www.urbancorpssd.org or the CCC at ccc.ca.gov
About the Urban Corps Charter School
Urban Corps Charter School provides conservation corps students 18-26 years of age with an accelerated, technology-rich learning program designed to address young people’s simultaneous needs for high school education and job training.
About the Urban Corps of San Diego County
Founded in 1989, Urban Corps of San Diego County is a certified local conservation corps and charter school whose mission is to provide the county’s most vulnerable young adults aged 18-26 the tools to expand their career opportunities through paid job training, support services and a second chance to earn a high school diploma.
About the California Conservation Corps
The California Conservation Corps is a state agency offering young adults a paid opportunity to improve California’s natural resources and communities. The CCC also responds to emergencies such as fires, floods, weather and agricultural disasters. The CCC has Corpsmember openings every month for young adults ages 18 to 25 and veterans to age 29. For information on joining, call 1-800-952-5627 or visit ccc.ca.gov