San Jose Conservation Corps & Charter School

Geographic areas served: Santa Clara County

Programs: Under the umbrella of the SJCC there are five programs addressing the needs of youth:(1)YouthBuild San Jose:teaches students marketable trade skills in the high demand, high-wage construction industry. Alternating weekly between our Charter School and the construction site, youth pursue their high school diploma while learning paid construction trades with experienced contractors.(2) Charter School: Students earn credits for a high school diploma or prepare for the GED, learn vocational and leadership skills, and receive the support they need to turn their lives around.(3)YouthCorps: an after-school intervention program at three inner-city public high schools, serving underserved and minority youth with homework assistance, leadership development, and paid after-school jobs performing community service, environmental conservation, and neighborhood beautification projects. (4)Recycling and Eco-Academy: provides students with paid job training,quality vocational instruction, and marketable skills. In 2002 this Department collected and recycled an average of 88 tons per month. The Academy engages students in environmental education,forklift traing,ESL classesand all educational coursework at the Charter School (5)Environmental & Community Projects: Provides the entry level jobs for all corpsmembers. Students are assigned to one of six field supervisors and work in teams of 12 on environmental conservation projects throughout Santa Clara County.They learn teamwork, work ethics, and job skills, among which are landscaping, fire break construction, and concrete finishing.