Southern California Consortium

Program News

Eco Warriors

Eco Warriors Information Coming Soon.....
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Generation Green

Generation Green is a kindergarten through 12th grade program sponsored by the Southern California Consortium. The program provides environmental education and leadership opportunities to underserved urban youth. Generation Green provides our local youth with role models, career training, and encourages higher education. Generation Green Update »

Stewardship Academy

Founded on the idea that "without direct meaningful experiences in the great outdoors urban youth grow up without an understanding of the vital role natural resources play in their everyday lives" the Southern California Consortium has developed the Stewardship Academy program.

The Stewardship Academy is an environmental education and work-experience program that engages high-school aged youth in service-learning projects within the national forest. Students are divided into work crews and are transported from their local school site to recreation and resource work sites on the weekends during the summer months (June-August). The vast majority of participants are first time forest visitors and many express a high interest in returning as they become aware of the various recreational and work opportunities.

By taking youth crews to the Angeles National Forest on the weekends to engage in meaningful recreation and resource work, the Forest Service is taking a proactive approach in raising awareness of "Leave No Trace," fire prevention, and conservation principles among first-time, reoccurring, and future forest visitors. Students also gain exposure to valuable work experience and develop skill-sets that can prepare them to pursue careers in natural resources and inspire them to obtain higher education degrees.

Professional development workshops were added to the Stewardship Academy program. These workshops included resume writing, interview skills, colleges and careers, safety and fire prevention, and "Leave No Trace" and conservation ethics. The students gained a great deal of knowledge from the professionals in the Forest Service that assisted them.

Goals of the Stewardship Academy include:

• Promoting conservation literacy in underserved communities by increasing understanding and use of Forest Service programs and activities
• Building the Forest Service's capacity to engage low-income audiences and enable informed decision making
• Increasing the number of diverse youth who choose education and careers in natural resource fields

Los Angles County Fair Leadership Camp

Thirty-two youth from the communities of Pico-Union, Watts, and East Los Angeles were selected to participate in the 3rd Annual L.A. County Fair Leadership Camp in 2009. Replicated from the California State Fair Leadership Camp*, this opportunity takes high-school aged youth to work alongside Forest Service employees in providing environmental education to the public who visit the "Caring for the Land" exhibit at the L.A. County Fair held at the Pomona Fairplex.

The Southern California Consortium provides students with leadership training in public speaking, time management, team work, and professionalism; students are required to keep a daily journal where they reflect and later share their experiences in a public speaking setting.

While at the fair, students work at various stations each with a different message on conservation or fire prevention. The L.A. County Fair took place from September 5th to October 4th. The students were divided into four groups. Each group worked nine days at the fair. This event provides many of the students with their first real work related experience as all the student participants receive an educational monetary award for their efforts.

*For information on the State Fair Leadership Camp please visit: www.fs.fed.us/r5/ccc/leadership-camp.

SCC Youth Leadership Banquet

The Stewardship Academy and Leadership Camp participants are put in the spotlight at the "SCC Youth Leadership Banquet," held annually in October at the local community center in Watts. The students take center stage and address an audience consisting of their parents, LA Corps community leaders, Forest Service leadership, school administrators, and other land management professional who contributed to the success of the programs. One student from each group is selected as the outstanding leader by their supervisor. They receive a certificate and a small treat in recognition of their excellent leadership skills.

US Forest Service - Southern California Consortium
Last Modified: Friday, 13 May 2011 at 12:49:25 EDT