Cooling Roofs and Creating Opportunities in Baltimore
Full-time service can act as a stepping-stone in green pathways out of poverty. Service and conservation corps like Civic Works train youth in green construction and weatherization, with the goal of linking them to good jobs in the green economy. B'more Green, one of Civic Works' initiatives, is an innovative job-training program designed to prepare unemployed or underemployed Baltimore residents for entry level careers in the field of environmental technology. Upon completion, graduates receive assistance with securing jobs that build on their training.
Full-time service can act as a stepping-stone in green pathways out of poverty. Service and conservation corps like Civic Works train youth in green construction and weatherization, with the goal of linking them to good jobs in the green economy. B'more Green, one of Civic Works' initiatives, is an innovative job-training program designed to prepare unemployed or underemployed Baltimore residents for entry level careers in the field of environmental technology. Upon completion, graduates receive assistance with securing jobs that build on their training.
Serving in a corps can spark the desire to become an entrepreneur. Danielle Brice started with Civic Works as an AmeriCorps member, receiving a stipend, certification in carpentry and a scholarship. Today she works as part of a Civic Works team installing "Cool Roofs" on low-income homes, earning over $11 an hour. Civic Works is one of the only providers of "cool roofing"- a low-cost, effective means of increasing energy efficiency in homes- in the City of Baltimore. Danielle now plans to create a green construction company, to train and employ other young people from her community.
Excerpted from Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities by Green for All, the Apollo Alliance, Center for American Progress, and Center on Wisconsin Strategy. Published March 2008
