Washington, DC – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced that a team of several hundred young people will help beautify public housing in the District for the rest of the summer as part of the Mayor’s Annual Summer Youth Employment Program. The team is an expansion of the work of the Mayor’s Green Summer Job Corps, a program administered by the DC Department of the Environment (DDOE). Corps members have spent their summer learning about environmental protection; cleaning up rivers, parks and schools; and educating the public.
“The Green Summer Job Corps has been a phenomenal success,” said Mayor Fenty. “Whenever one of our agencies does something successful, we need to duplicate it, build on it, and share it with the rest of the government. That’s what we’re doing here today.”
The youth will work at eight District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) sites throughout the District until school starts. Members will clear garbage and invasive plant species, and perform minor landscaping tasks under supervision. The students were previously employed at PR Harris Educational Center.
“I’m thrilled that we’re expanding the idea behind the Job Corps,” said DDOE Director George S. Hawkins. “In a very short period of time, these young people will learn marketable skills that they’ll keep for life. They’ll also be able to pass their knowledge of environmental stewardship along to their friends and families.”
The cleanup program is a partnership among DDOE, DCHA, the Department of Employment Services, the Department of Public Works, and the Office of Property Management.