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OCCC students and Corpsmembers also have the opportunity to participate in field trips and <br />educational outings. Last year students took a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance in Los <br />Angeles, connecting them to history and fostering compassion for all people. The OCCC brings <br />Corpsmembers to the California Workforce Association's annual Youth Conference, where they <br />meet local and state leaders in workforce development, take part in career exploration, <br />participate in workshops and peer mentoring, and network with a wide variety of professionals <br />and leaders. The OCCC will continue to offer civic education opportunities like this for WIA and <br />non-WIA youth in order to develop community engagement. <br />The OCCC already promotes civic engagement in its Corpsmembers through participation in <br />community events. This year some of our youth assisted in hosting the Children's Water <br />Education Festival held at the University of California, Irvine. The OCCC Corpsmembers <br />operated the recycling stations throughout the festival, teaching children what to recycle and <br />compost. They were able to empower other youth in our community to be environmentally <br />conscious and learned important hands-on leadership skills. <br />Through OCCC projects, Corpsmembers have a large community impact. Recently, through the <br />Adopt -a -Channel project in association with Disneyland Resort, they have met important <br />community leaders and contributed to removing over 2,000 pounds of debris and abatement of <br />over 15,000 square feet of graffiti. Through the Sheriff's Department, Corpsmembers take <br />pictures of the graffiti before its removal to help the Sheriff's Department record graffiti marks. <br />This highly important project is environmentally beneficial in protecting our ocean and keeping <br />our beaches clean. The OCCC will also be supporting Santa Ana River Conservancy, which will <br />involve the restoration of the Santa Ana River, providing needed recreational opportunities, <br />water quality protection, and land restoration to the Santa Ana community. <br />The OCCC also has a partnership with local social enterprise Monkey Business Cafe as well as <br />the Fullerton Arboretum in their "Farm to Table" program. Corpsmembers obtain externships <br />through this partnership, in which they alternate growing produce on the arboretum's farm and <br />cooking the harvest in the kitchen of the Monkey Business Cafe. This enriches the community <br />and brings a stronger connection to the Earth for Corpsmembers and cafe patrons alike. <br />Every year, three or four Corpsmembers, the CEO, and the Program Manager go to Sacramento <br />for the California Association of Local Conservation Corps (CALCC) and California Conservation <br />Crops, Government Education Day. They meet with senators and assembly members, tour the <br />Capitol, participated in educational activities like develop a mock state budget, and learned <br />about California's government. They have the opportunity to engage with Corpsmembers from <br />other conservation corps around the state and observed our state government at work. <br />OCCC has for the last three elections served as a polling place at our Charter School site and <br />utilized Corpsmembers as volunteers which provided experience and education concerning the <br />voting process. OCCC also offers assistance to participants in enrollment in selective service <br />and voter registration. Often times our participants are called for jury duty but have no idea of <br />what to do, we assist them in the process. <br />EXHIBIT A <br />