 Corps Respond Program
The Corps Respond Program:
The Corps Respond Program (CR) is an exciting new program offered by Northwest Youth Corps which is based in Eugene, Oregon. In 2010, a team of ten AmeriCorps members led by a full-time Youth Corps staff member will form the Corps Respond Team whose efforts will focus on disaster preparedness, safety education, community outreach and conservation projects throughout the northwest.
The Corps Respond Program's schedule will include training and conducting education sessions in Lane County and in rural communities, as well as completing conservation projects and technical trainings throughout the northwest and Arizona. By the end of the ten month period, CR participants will have a skill-set which will allow them to pursue leadership, disaster response, wildfire, education, and/or conservation careers. Examples of trainings and skills which may be included in the CR schedule: Red Cross disaster response training, CERT certification and trainings, WFR and CPR certifications, advanced chainsaw training, power tool trainings, experiential teaching skills, technical trail and structure construction, conservation skills, wilderness survival and minimal impact camping skills, Red Card wildfire certification, Search and Rescue trainings, leadership and judgment training, conflict mediation trainings, suicide prevention trainings, volunteer coordination and event planning training and experience, curriculum writing, grant writing and more. The CR training curriculum is being finalized and should be considered tentative and subject to change.
Early on in the 10-month term, Corps Respond members will complete one six and one five week field project in Arizona with one week off in between. The first project will be modeled after NYC's Leadership Development Program. This training will introduce members to conservation and technical project skills, what life is like for the youth who participate in the other NYC programs, as well as focus on group management, project management and judgment skills. The second project will focus on honing and polishing the skill-set of trail and conservation work as well as demonstrating the changes in the work format of future projects.
The rest of the term will be divided between trainings and service, with field work, trainings and presentations. Members may exchange between weeks of service and trainings such as Red Card certification and chainsaw training. They may spend weeks in town teaching Outdoor School and Outdoor Oregon students, and attending and conducting trainings. As skill development progresses, members will begin to engage with communities to teach disaster preparedness. For example, serving with the Eugene CERT program or Red Cross, members will plan, coordinate and present classes to local schools, community groups and Northwest Youth Corps students, staff and members. The CR Team will serve alongside youth crews providing disaster preparedness and technical trainings. Members may serve with local communities where conservation projects are based to teach disaster preparedness skills such as building a 72-hour kit, or preparing homes for disasters such as wildfires.
Conservation projects include, but are not limited to, trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, noxious weed removal, fuels management/silviculture, campground maintenance and other projects. Frequently, projects are located in extremely remote settings, often with little contact with the "outside" world.
All told this program spends at least 70% of their time out and away from the Eugene area. A simplified breakdown of the “out-of-town” time spent in the Corps Respond Program would show that 50% is spent doing Field Projects; 40% is doing outreach projects; while the remaining 10% is strictly traveling to and from these projects. While on paper there is not much time spent in the Eugene area there are plenty of opportunities to engage in the community and get involved with local events. Some of the previous members used their time in town to go to open mike nights, Em’s baseball games, cycling around the area, going to events at the University of Oregon, or just hanging out in town.
Learn more about Corps Respond Team Member positions.
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