Green Careers Conference

On Thursday, April 12, SFCC Corpsmembers and staff attended our second annual Green Careers Conference at the David Brower Center in Berkeley hosted by Strategic Energy Innovations and Energize Schools. At this informative and inspiring event, we learned about environmental and energy jobs and training opportunities- including workshops from the Center for Ecoliteracy, PG&E, Rising Sun Energy Center, GRID Alternatives, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and many others. The keynote, Kelsey Skaggs, spoke about "climate law", and how she's representing people at the front lines through the nonprofit she started- Climate Defense Project.

SFCC tabled and networked with other schools and organizations throughout the Bay Area, and one of our Corpsmembers, TyJay, even presented on SFCC's Recycling Operations Center! 

Intersession Workshops: Real Talk, Emergency Preparedness, and Healthy Eating

During the John Muir Charter School trimester break, SFCC hosts a 2-week intersession workshop so our Corpsmembers can continue learning and gain new skills. This month, our topics included Real Talk group discussions, Emergency Preparedness, and Food Security/Healthy Eating. Our cooking class was a big hit, and Corpsmembers made healthy meals such as overnight oats, omelettes, and roasted vegetable salad. They also learned about eating well on a budget and the importance of nutrition. Thank you to our partners, who facilitated these workshops and engaged our Corpsmembers in activities that inspired them!

Our partners: Kitava Kitchen and Community Youth Center. 

E-waste and Tire Collection Event

On Saturday, March 24th, SFCC Corpsmembers and staff traveled to Pescadero for the day to host an E-waste and used tire collection event. In partnership with Tri-Valley we recycled more than 3,000 pounds of E-waste and received over 750 tires! Our dedicated team is committed to reducing waste in our communities and we are excited about hosting more events like this in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit our website for recycling information and upcoming events near you: https://www.sfcc.org/recycling-information/

Learning Outcomes Day

Last Thursday, March 15th, SFCC and John Muir Charter School hosted our Learning Outcomes day! This was an opportunity for our Corpsmembers to present on topics that interest them, practice public speaking, and learn more about each other. We invited our community supporters and partners to be part of the "judging team", and they got to hear from our Corpsmembers who spent two weeks preparing. The presentation topics included career readiness preparation for culinary arts, the college application process, SFCC's Recycling Operations Center, the dangers of smoking, and even a demonstration on how to fly a drone! We are proud of the Corpsmembers' hard work and dedication to learning- thank you to everyone who made this event a success!! 

Corpsmembers Visit State Capitol for Government Education Day

On Wednesday, March 7th, SFCC Corpsmembers and staff attended the Government Education Day hosted by the California Conservation Corps and Local Conservation Corps in Sacramento, CA. We arrived early to prepare for meetings with our local representatives and speak about the important work we do in our community.

Corpsmembers met with Assemblymembers Kevin Mullin, David Chiu, and Philip Ting, to tell their stories of how being in the Corps has impacted their lives. Additionally, we attended the CalRecycle meeting and the Natural Resources Agency round table with other Corps. SFCC was also excited to meet and mingle with other Conservation Corps from across the state, and our Corpsmembers learned how large the Corps network really is! We had a great time and are looking forward to next year!

Corpsmembers (from left) Aung, Kira, Brittany, Josh, Henrietta, and Tyjay

Corpsmembers and staff with Assemblymember David Chiu 

Corpsmembers discuss the impact of SFCC with Assemblymember Kevin Mullin's staff 

We had a great time at Government Education Day! 

City College of San Francisco Campus Tour

This year, SFCC was able to host two events for our City College of San Francisco Week. City College Outreach Coordinator, Dion Libutti visited SFCC on Tuesday, February 20th to present to the Corpsmembers and academy students and speak about SF City College, the application process, new and upcoming programs, and completing the financial aid application. Dion mentioned in particular a new program which falls under the Forestry and Natural Resources Career Pathway which is the environmental horticulture program that Corpsmembers may be interested in. See link for additional information

Additionally, on Friday February 23, 2018, Tom Holcomb Jr, SFCC Director of Community and Career Development, took 14 Corpsmembers on a SF City College Campus tour that was facilitated by Dion Libutti. During the tour, Corpsmembers were exposed to the various program offerings at SF City College, saw many cultural arts sculptures, and were able to interact with the media center representative where we learned about the collaborative project that SF City College was undergoing with the new technology and engaging approaches to learning called the collaboratory. Due to scheduling conflicts, we were not able to tour the inside of the horticulture greenhouse, but we were able to take a stroll on the outside where you could see the green space and the green roofs. Thank you City College for having us!

Corpsmembers Travel to Santa Cruz for Oil Signage!

During the week of February 19-22, for the first time, SFCC went on a multiple-day work crew. Four SFCC Corpsmembers and one amazing staff member took a trip south to conduct oil signage reviews in Santa Cruz and Monterey County. This week-long overnight trip was an opportunity for dedicated Corpsmembers to interact with the community and represent SFCC while gaining hands-on job experience. This oil crew was able to conduct over 50 reviews throughout Salinas, Santa Cruz, and Monterey, ensuring that used oil get's recycled! 

Learn more about used oil collection centers from CalRecycle: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/usedoil/certcenters/ 

SFCC Celebrates Black History Month

On Thursday, February 15th, the San Francisco Conservation Corps hosted a Black History Celebration event at our headquarters for Corpsmembers and staff. Our young adults spent a week prior researching prominent black figures in history, and presented to the community at this event. They learned about Jean-Michael Basquiat, George Washington Carver, Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and Henrietta Lacks, among others. This event also included a delicious homemade soul-food meal from our dedicated staff, Kisha! 

Jarrell presents to SFCC community on Michael Jackson. 

Staff serve soul-food meal. 

Delicious food made by Kisha! (left)

Black History Month poster board displayed at SFCC throughout February. 

Literacy for Environmental Justice: Building a Strong and Green Community

The San Francisco Conservation Corps has been working in partnership with Literacy for Environmental Justice on their site at Candlestick Point Native Plant Nursery. Corpsmembers have been planting, weeding, and learning about greenhouse and nursery maintenance all while having a great time outside! We are excited about offering our young adults opportunities to gain essential job skills in the green workforce. Thank you for having us LEJ! You can learn more about the Candlestick Nursery here.

GRID Alternatives PV101 Training

On January 25th, 2018, our Career Development team took nine Corpsmembers to Oakland for the GRID Alternatives PV101 training. This workshop was focused on electrical skills such as understanding circuit control boxes and solar panel types. SFCC Corpsmembers were excited about the on-the-job experience they recieved while learning important energy-specific career skills! Thanks to GRID Alternatives for hosting this workshop. You can learn more about them here.