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Community Initiatives
Cook
County Green Corps, CCGC, is a summer job training
program that promotes careers in the green economy. The three primary goals
are to increase placement in postsecondary education towards to green collar
careers, increase placement green collar jobs, and increase environmentally
friendly behaviors among participants. Young adults 18-24 were trained in
life skills, job readiness skills, environmental literacy skills, and gained
work experience building a community garden, growing fruits and vegetables
and selling produce at the Maywood Multicultural farmers markets. This
project was funded by
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and partners organization
include University of Illinois Extension, Environmental Commission Village
of Maywood, Cook County President’s Office of Employment and Training,
Broadview Park District, Maywood Ceasefire, and Loyola University Chicago
Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy.
Harlem Children’s Zone Event
PAC members organized students from Proviso Math and
Science Academy to participate in the discussion with Paul Tough, New York
Times Magazine contributor and author of "Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey
Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America". The event was held at the
Loyola School of Law and the panel discussion was followed by an impact
session with youth to gather their evaluation of the Harlem Children’s Zone
project.
Loyola Community
Symposium.
PAC members were part of panel discussion to introduce and invite Loyola
Medical Students to participate in local community service opportunities in
Maywood.
Proviso High School Bus Program has
increased attendance of students at both Proviso East and West by ensuring a
safe bus ride to and from school. This program serves well over 1,000
students daily from the two schools combined.
Proviso Youth Opportunity Challenge
promotes positive youth activities; structured job opportunities, volunteer
experiences, after-school and summer activities.
Safe Walk Home Program – Prior to the
Bus Program, PAC provided a group of adult male presence in the high crime
areas during after school hours. Approximately 400 students were served
during this program.
A Town Hall Meeting
was hosted on May 28, 2009 to break the silence and end youth violence. We
anticipate conducting quarterly Town Hall meetings to give information on
fostering positive youth development, which will lead to an elimination of
youth violence, to community residents, organizations and agencies that
serve the Proviso Township community.
Youth Encouraging Success
(YES) is a youth-led after-school program to prevent drug abuse. District
209 high schools and Loyola Masters of Public Health students worked
together with Barbara Cole Director of Maywood Youth Mentoring to apply for
funding from the Illinois African-American Coalition for Prevention (ILAACP).
The program provides peer lead discussions and activities focused on
solutions to address drugs, violence and community involvement among youth.
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