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The Corps Network News, October 2007

From the President and CEO:

While we’re pleased to focus this newsletter on our Civic Justice Corps initiative, I would also like to share a few other highlights from recent months. Our number one goal – to sustain and grow the Corps movement – guides our work. Capitalizing on the efforts of Corps from across the nation since Hurricane Katrina, we’re delighted to announce the opening of our new Gulf Coast Conservation Corps in Mississippi on October 1st. We have plans to establish a new Corps in New Orleans in the near future. Two national advocacy efforts underway have the potential to substantially grow the Corps movement: A Clean Energy Corps – to relieve poverty and inequality, to expand job opportunities and promote national service; and, a Transportation Corps – to address the problems of persistent youth and young adult unemployment particularly among minority group members, and our looming infrastructure crisis.

Corps across the country celebrated National Public Lands Day on September 29th – a time when the work of the CCC of the 1930’s is recognized. We’re planning for a year-long celebration in 2008 honoring the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the CCC. Also in September, we participated in the Voices for National Service Hill Day to encourage increased funding for CNCS programs including AmeriCorps. I appreciated the opportunity to have participated in a panel on service and workforce development at the Center for American Progress in conjunction with the Voices events. Finally, the Excellence in Corps Operations (ECO) process is underway. ECO is a program assessment process recognizing Corps that are committed to high-quality standards and continuous improvement. Twelve Corps are engaged in the process this year.

This edition of The Corps Network News is focused on the Civic Justice Corps, a 14 site national demonstration project. An out growth of the Corps-to-Career initiative, the Civic Justice Corps is proving what we already know – that service is an excellent strategy for re-engaging court-involved and formerly incarcerated youth and young adults. The Civic Justice Corps is unique in that it focuses enrollment on formerly incarcerated and court involved individuals and also in its focus on green projects benefiting low-income communities.

I invite you to learn more about the Civic Justice Corps and other projects of The Corps Network. Please visit our website www.corpsnetwork.org or give us a call at 202.737.6272. The Corps movement is growing and we invite you to be a part it.

Best wishes,

Sally T. Prouty
President and CEO