O.C. CONSERVATION CORPS 5 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Initially established as a gang prevention program in 1993 by the City of Anaheim, the Orange County Conservation Corps (OCCC) recruits out -of -school, low-income or very low-income, unemployed, 16-24 year old, at -risk young adults from throughout Orange County to work on various conservation and environmental projects. OCCC is one of eleven certified local conservation corps in California, associated with the California Conservation Corps, and operates under provisions of the California Public Resources Code. OCCC, a California nonprofit 501 (c) 3 corporation under the direction of a Board of Directors and an Executive Director, is a member of the California Association of Local Conservation Corps and the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps. OCCC is also affiliated with the California Charter Academy and operates a charter school campus at its Anaheim administrative offices. Through the charter academy, OCCC works with charter school staff to provide a high school curriculum and instruction leading to a high school diploma. OCCC creates and facilitates an atmosphere where at -risk young adults can successfully develop on an educational, professional and personal level with the support of caring adults. OCCC's approach to employability teaches program participants—Corpsmembers--teamwork and cooperation while completing work projects of benefit to their community and the environment. OCCC employs more than 90 at -risk young adults each month to complete its various work projects. OCCC currently has 22 staff members who train, supervise, and mentor cros on a daily basis. In an effort to leverage resources and to avoid duplication of services, OCCC works with numerous community -based and government agencies to provide services and resources of benefit to cros. What kind of impact have your services made to the youth in the community? Orange County is the second largest county in California. Two of the 10 largest cities in California are located in Orange County, Anaheim and Santa Ana. (2000 Census Data) The County continues to experience a pattern of rapid urbanization, greater ethnic diversity, neighborhood disintegration and economic disparity familiar to many other large, urban metropolitan areas of the United States (The Center for Demographic Research, California State University, Fullerton, March 1999). Not many programs exist to prepare low-income, non -college bound, high school dropouts for the world of work. State, County and local resources are focused on "School to Career" activities and/or criminal justice "hook 'em and book 'em" activities. OCCC is focused on serving the unmet needs of those young adults who are not in school, or are coming out of the juvenile justice system and are at high risk of problem behaviors if not given the opportunity and tools to succeed. The next nine years are expected to be the period of most significant growth in the Orange County 10-17 and 18-24 year old populations: California Department of Finance 1999 Population Pro'ections 1 8.24 Year Olds YEAR POPULATION PERCENT OF GROWTH 2000 230,416 22