JOB CORPS Global Youth Service Day is a public awareness and education campaign organized by Youth Service America (YSA) that highlights the valuable contributions youth make in their communities around the country. Job Corps encourages all centers to participate in this nationwide event. The goals of Global Youth Service Day are to mobilize youth as leaders in understanding, valuing, appreciating and engaging their communities. An estimated 2 million youth will participate in the GYSD nationwide. Over 100 students and staff will be participating in our Community Affair projects.
This week the Jacksonville Job Corps Center led and participated in community service and service-learning projects with Jacksonville’s parks and beaches coordinated by the Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission. The projects began on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 and ran through Thursday, April 19th culminating on Friday, April 20th with Earth Day Activities. On Tuesday, April 17th the students volunteered at Bethesda Park at 10790 Key Haven Blvd. from 9:00a.m.-12:00 noon. From 10:00a.m.to 1:00 p.m. students and staff volunteered at Ocean Parkway and Community Center at 12223 Sago Avenue 32218.
On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 the volunteers cleaned up at Blue Cypress Park-4012 University Blvd from 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m. and Arlington Lyons Club from 10:00-1:00 p.m. Our final day of service for the week was at Jacksonville Beach-2 Ocean Front North -9:00a.m.-12:00a.m.
Overall, the center had 236 volunteers, picked up 66 bags of trash, 3 old tires in the lake, 1 bicycle and 4250 ciagarette butts. It was truly a community affair for the staff and students from the Jacksonville Job Corp
In addition to the impact on communities, research shows that sustained community service can lead to increased levels of academic learning and workforce readiness skills among youth.