General News | American Youthworks

American YouthWorks’ Environmental Corps will provide disaster relief to Joplin, MO

On May 27, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Environmental Corps, General News, Press Releases, By Rachel Matvy

Young adult volunteers will travel to Joplin, MO to provide disaster relief to tornado victims

Austin, TX– May 27, 2011 – On Tuesday, May 31, 2011, eight, American YouthWorks’ (AYW) Environmental Corps (E-Corps) members will head out for a three week disaster relief mission to Joplin, Missouri. Through an agreement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), E-Corps will provide a self-sustaining crew of young adult volunteers, trained in chainsaw operation and safety, to support state and local authorities in response to the Missouri tornadoes, severe storms and flooding.

E-Corps is a fifteen year old AmeriCorps program that empowers future leaders by engaging them in service to their community though habitat restoration and trail construction projects and disaster relief services, while they are gaining job skills and earning an education award that can be used for college or technical training. Due to its national reputation of training safe and skilled sawyers and previous experience in New Orleans and East Texas aiding Hurricane recovery efforts, the CNCS asked E-Corps to again partner with FEMA to provide similar aid to Missourians. When deployed to New Orleans in 2005, crew members cleared an entire park of downed trees and debris, assisted neighbors with clean-up and started a garden to uplift community spirits. E-Corps crews are completely self-sustaining when they travel, they: camp in the area, supply their own tools and bring and cook their own meals.

E-Corps will arrive in Joplin on Tuesday evening to set up camp and will begin assisting local authorities Wednesday morning. E-Corps was specifically called upon because of their diverse experience with tree removal, brush clearing, creek clean-ups, erosion control techniques, stream-bank restoration and volunteer coordination and reputation for providing quality work. The crew may provide support in any of the following capacities: critical clean up and removal of storm debris, emergency housing repair, flood relief, registering and coordinating volunteers, assisting the United Way with volunteer disaster operations, initiating casework to enable long term recovery and providing support for special needs.

“It takes a special individual and a prepared state of mind to volunteer to go into a disaster area. We have high standards for our E- Corps members’ work ethic and provide intensive technical and safety training to prepare our members for situations where they may be called on to provide leadership and service to others, especially under physically and mentally demanding circumstances such as this disaster in Joplin. Our E-Corps members work hard daily, giving their sweat in service to others and they are eager to put their strengths to work for the people of Missouri,” said Parc Smith, CEO of AYW.

Casa Verde Builders Home Featured in Cool House Tour

On May 17, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, General News, Special Events, By Rachel Matvy

The American YouthWorks’ (AYW) home, built by participants of Casa Verde Builders (CVB), at 6911 Villita Avenida, Austin, TX is one of 16 homes that is being featured in the 2011 Cool House Tour and is unique in that is was built by at-risk youth for low income, first time homebuyers. The Tour will take place on June 5 and is organized by the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) in conjunction with Austin Energy Green Building. We would like to thank the TXSES for selecting our CVB house and the proud owners who are opening their home to approximately 1,000 visitors that day.

Participants of the CVB program of AYW learn cutting-edge, green construction techniques by building energy efficient homes from foundation to finish while earning their high school diploma or GED and money for post-secondary education. This award-winning program is proven to produce higher academic performance and consistent attendance for its participants by removing barriers to education and providing hands-on applications for course material. Each participant earns a bi-weekly stipend, which helps many of our students students whose income supports a family, and graduates from AYW with job skills and nationally recognized certifications that give them an edge in finding employment.

“Coming from a rundown home with six children and a single mother, I never thought I would graduate from high school or step foot into a college. After constant work and studying for a year with AYW, I managed to obtain a GED and start attending college, becoming the first in my family to do so,” Elizar Espinoza, CVB participant.

In partnership with the US Department of Labor and YouthBuild USA, CVB is a nationally-recognized leader in combining education for youth with green building and affordable housing. Since the start of the program in 1994, over 1,000 participants have gone through the CVB program, building over 80 energy-efficient, affordable homes, similar to the one being featured in the Cool House Tour.

The TXSES Cool House Tour will feature homes that exemplify the benefits of a whole-house approach to design and construction: proper orientation, comfort, energy water and material efficiency, durability and low maintenance and healthy and safety. This tour is not only an educational opportunity for the community, but also is a fundraiser for the TXSES.

You can tour the homes from 10 am – 6 pm. Please make the CVB home at 6911 Villita Avenida a stop and to see how AYW is transforming the lives of at-risk youth through service to the community. Check the TXSES website for Tour guidebooks.

Trained workers don’t drain Texas

On May 12, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, General News, Green Energy Corps, By Rachel Matvy

HB 1432, Texas Sustainable Youth Program

YouthBuild USA, one of the major funders of our Casa Verde Builders, Green Energy Corps and Computer Corps programs, is working to develop future leaders by funding job skills programs across the country that encourage personal growth and academic advancement through building affordable housing, emphasize civic engagement and personal responsibility, provide opportunities to gain nationally recognized certifications and support alumni in achieving job or post-secondary education placement.

Texas State Representative Mark Strama, introduced HB 1432 into the 82nd Legislative Session. If passed, this bill would support the creation, operation and funding of a Texas Sustainable Youth Program (TSYP). The TSYP would be established in the Texas Workforce Commission as a workforce training and development program that would promote the economic self-sufficiency of youth and young veterans by providing those persons with opportunities to acquire job skills while performing community service activities, would create opportunities for communities to restore abandoned properties and historic areas, enhance public places, increase the availability of affordable, energy efficient housing for individuals and families of low income and would create training and employment opportunities for young veterans.

On April 14th, AYW program participants spoke in a public hearing about the life transforming benefits of the job skills, education and support services that they have received in AYW Corp programs. Many of our students face similar obstacles as the individuals who would be supported by a TSYP and wanted to share their stories with the people who could create change. The youth to benefit would be 16 to 24 years old, have not received a high school degree or equivalency or did not perform satisfactorily on eight grade level assessments, have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out, are economically disadvantaged or a veteran under 24 years of age.

YouthBuild programs in Texas, including AYW, enroll about 105 participants a year and over the course of two years, constructed ten brand new homes and rehabbed 63 existing homes, all for low income Texans. The average cost per participant in Texas is $15,700 and the benefits are at-risk youth who become civically engaged, taxpaying citizens. HB 1432 would support more job training and life transforming services, like the services offered at AYW.

AYW highlighted in historic preservation case study

On May 2, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Environmental Corps, General News, By Rachel Matvy

Historic Preservation Case Studies

Power Hour

On April 8, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, General News, Special Events, By Rachel Matvy

CVB house to be featured in the Cool House Tour

On April 5, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, General News, Special Events, By Rachel Matvy

The American YouthWorks’ (AYW) home, built by participants of Casa Verde Builders (CVB), at 6911 Villita Avenida, Austin, TX is one of 16 homes that is being featured in the 2011 Cool House Tour and is unique in that is was built by at-risk youth for low income, first time homebuyers. The Tour will take place on June 5 and is organized by the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) in conjunction with Austin Energy Green Building. We would like to thank the TXSES for selecting our CVB house and the proud owners who are opening their home to approximately 1,000 visitors that day.

Participants of the CVB program of AYW learn cutting-edge, green construction techniques by building energy efficient homes from foundation to finish while earning their high school diploma or GED and money for post-secondary education. This award-winning program is proven to produce higher academic performance and consistent attendance for its participants by removing barriers to education and providing hands-on applications for course material. Each participant earns a bi-weekly stipend, which helps many of our students students whose income supports a family, and graduates from AYW with job skills and nationally recognized certifications that give them an edge in finding employment.

“Coming from a rundown home with six children and a single mother, I never thought I would graduate from high school or step foot into a college. After constant work and studying for a year with AYW, I managed to obtain a GED and start attending college, becoming the first in my family to do so,” Elizar Espinoza, CVB participant.

In partnership with the US Department of Labor and YouthBuild USA, CVB is a nationally-recognized leader in combining education for youth with green building and affordable housing. Since the start of the program in 1994, over 1,000 participants have gone through the CVB program, building over 80 energy-efficient, affordable homes, similar to the one being featured in the Cool House Tour.

The TXSES Cool House Tour will feature homes that exemplify the benefits of a whole-house approach to design and construction: proper orientation, comfort, energy water and material efficiency, durability and low maintenance and healthy and safety. This tour is not only an educational opportunity for the community, but also is a fundraiser for the TXSES.

You can tour the homes from 10 am – 6 pm. Please make the CVB home at 6911 Villita Avenida a stop and to see how AYW is transforming the lives of at-risk youth through service to the community. Check the TXSES website for Tour guidebooks. They can also be purchased for $15.

Americorps and YouthBuild funding cuts have impacts on service organizations

On March 8, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps, General News, Green Energy Corps, By Rachel Matvy

A Congressional vote to reduce the federal budget could threaten American YouthWorks as well as many other service oriented nonprofit organizations. The House of Representatives passed a bill that would eliminate funding for YouthBuild and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), both of which provide funding for AmeriCorps and thousands of grants to nonprofits that deliver essential community services. The bill is under consideration in the Senate.

American YouthWorks receives funding from both CNCS and YouthBuild for its Casa Verde Builders, Computer Corps, Environmental Corps and Green Energy Corps. These programs allow students and graduates to participate in community service, gain job skills and earn money for college while serving low income Austinites by building energy efficient homes, refurbishing computers and performing weatherization measures and by improving public lands through trail building and maintenance, habitat restoration for endangered species and invasive species removal.

Here are a few things that our students and Corps members have accomplished in 2010 alone:

Casa Verde Builders program participants built two houses, repaired eight homes and 33 participants graduated.
Computer Corps saved 59 computers from landfills by refurbishing them and donating them to nonprofits and low income Austin residents.
Environmental Corps completed the restoration and construction of 28 miles of trails, restored 337 acres of native habitat and performed $61,000 worth of in-kind work.
Green Energy Corps members made improvements to 200 homes for low income families; including weatherization, repairs and accessibility projects.

Please help us continue to serve our community.

Tagged with: careers • green jobs • service

Youth and Volunteers Clean Greenbelt and Remove Invasive Species to Honor Dr. King

On January 5, 2011, In American YouthWorks, Casa Verde Builders, Environmental Corps, General News, Press Releases, Special Events, Volunteering, By Rachel Matvy

American YouthWorks, Keep Austin Beautiful and Montopolis Tributary Trail Association partner to improve the Montopolis Greenbelt.

Austin, TX– On January 15, young people from American YouthWorks’ (AYW) Environmental Corps, Casa Verde Builders (CVB) and staff will engage volunteers in community service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Partnering with Keep Austin Beautiful (KAB) and the Montopolis Tributary Trail Association, corps members and community volunteers will remove invasive species, seed wildflowers and pick up trash on the Montopolis Greenbelt.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

8:30 am-9:00 am Volunteer sign in and breakfast

9:00 am-10:00 am “Reflecting on the Dream”

Huston-Tilloston University

Davage-Durden Union Building

900 Chicon Street.

10:00 am-3:00 pm Montopolis Greenbelt Clean up and Invasive Species Removal

Meet at the Montopolis Practice Fields

901 Vasquez St.

Volunteers can sign up at www.handsoncentraltexas.org. Wear long pants, bring water and be prepared to get dirty. If you have questions, call Rachel Matvy, 744-1904. The service project will take place next door to Burdett Prairie Cemetery, a historic site that AYWs’ CVB program has already performed several service days to restore. Currently, there are just a few, short trails in the Montopolis neighborhood. The Montopolis Tributary Trail Network will be constructed in the Montopolis Greenbelt to increase connectivity to nearby bikeways and parks and provide more recreational space. This service project is one of the first steps. Please join us!

Tagged with: Martin Luther King • Media Advisory • MLK • service • volunteering

Congressman Doggett to Highlight Green Job Opportunities at American YouthWorks

On September 8, 2010, In General News, Press Releases, By mmiller

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American YouthWorks Demonstrates How They Turn At-Risk Youth to At-Promise Through Education, Service and Conservation

AUSTIN, TX – September 15, 2010 – American YouthWorks will showcase its green job and service corps programs at an Open House event on Monday, September 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at American YouthWorks, 1901 E. Ben White Blvd. Congressman Lloyd Doggett will make a special visit to the nonprofit to recognize the strides they have made toward filling the need for jobs in the emerging green economy by providing at-risk youth in the Austin area with green job skills.

The event will feature an address from Congressman Doggett regarding green jobs as well as hands-on displays and demonstrations from members in each of American YouthWorks’ green job training programs that will demonstrate the skills acquired through participation in the programs. Mayor Lee Leffingwell will read from a proclamation acknowledging the thirty years American YouthWorks has offered green jobs programs. The Economic Development Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will be acknowledged for their contribution toward the changes made to American YouthWorks’ facility as part of a $1.2 million grant from EDA to transform the building into a LEED-certified green building and learning model for students. Other dignitaries, local partners and funders will also be on hand for the event.

“American YouthWorks is moving in the right direction, not only by creating a well educated ‘green collar’ workforce, but also by generating that workforce from the communities disadvantaged and high-potential youth. This organization has set a fine example I can only hope others across our great country will follow,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

Congressman Doggett will present an American Flag that was flown over the US Capitol to American YouthWorks founder, Richard Halpin, in honor of his 30 years of service for young Texans. After the Flag raising, Congressman Doggett will preside over the swearing in ceremony of new AmeriCorps members enrolled in American YouthWorks programs.

The American YouthWorks facility located in South Austin houses the green job training programs along with their Service Learning Academy that provides an opportunity for disadvantaged youth in the Austin area to combine their high school education with real life experience through service and green job training in environmental conservation. The comprehensive model of American YouthWorks is a one-stop human services organization providing job skills, education, life services for young people ages 16 to 28 and their children.

“Our young people not only learn to work hard, reach their educational goals and gain job skills that will serve them lifelong, but they also learn the tremendous value of volunteerism and doing their part to improve the environment and the lives of others in need,” said new CEO of American YouthWorks, Parc Smith.

Congratulations E-Corps Summer Crew Graduates!

On August 23, 2010, In Environmental Corps, General News, Service Learning Academy, By mmiller

E-Corps summer crews celebrate Graduation with a service project and fishing at Bastrop State Park.

E-Corps members at Mission San Juan in San Antonio.

Congratulations to our Environmental Corps Summer Youth Crew who have worked through two and a half months of hot weather during their summer break from our Charter High School. They constructed an awesome rock masonry structure at Barton Hills Elementary, reopened a 300 year old Spanish Irrigation channel in San Antonio, along with many other erosion control, invasive species, and trail projects. Many members of the crew experienced their first time camping, fishing and even using a drill during their summer with E-Corps. They learned to set up a tent, cook outside and cast a fishing pole. The members also received High School credits for being on the crew and participating in several educational sessions throughout their term. They raced in teams to identify the native and invasive tree species of Austin and learned how many of the plants around us are used in everyday materials. They learned about the carrying capacity of an ecosystem and how to identify soil types by adding water to it. The members impressed us with their enthusiasm, work ethic, and mastery of skill and we know they will continue these values throughout their lives. Happy Graduation!

Click here to see more amazing photos of E-Corps projects around the state.