Life after summer

We often refer to the summer as our busy time of year; and no doubt it is a busy time for Tree Trust. But for many Tree Trust programs, fall marks the time when we take a deep breath and get ready for what we’re about to take on during the school year.

Community Forestry
Community Forestry has always been a part of Tree Trust, and over the years we’ve given people easy ways to improve the local environment and become more enlightened about their own ability to make a (green) difference.

This fall the Community Forestry Manager, Karen, is busy facilitating our fall planting events (five this year!), working with three Learning with Trees schools, and gearing up for what we expect will be another busy spring community planting season. “It’s always nice to think about how many people we’ve educated and involved, and the difference it makes for everyone,” says Karen.

Youth Development Services
In 2007, we expanded our case management services to help young people complete their education, and get them ready for college or to move into a career after graduation. While our case managers will serve over 400 youth this school year, they will carry slightly smaller caseloads than last year “to provide more intensive services to those who have the greatest need,” said Paula, the Case Management Coordinator.

Reaching those most in need – like kids who are aging out of the foster system – means being more creative with recruitment. This year they’re working with police departments, alternative schools and other non-traditional groups to find “those kids who have difficulty getting involved in the community.”

YouthBuild
In 2006 we added YouthBuild to our menu of job training programs for at-risk youth. While alternating weeks between school and a home site, YouthBuilders focus on completing their education and preparing for a successful transition into college or career.

Staff recently ramped up recruitment efforts to start this program year with “youth who are truly dedicated to the mission of YouthBuild and are committed to education,” said Norm, the Vice President of Programming. We had 120 individuals apply this summer. Of those applicants, 96 eligible youth started a series of screenings in September – interviews, orientation, “mental toughness week” – to narrow it down to 20 young people who officially became YouthBuilders on October 11.

Young Adult Conservation Corp
This school year the program will operate four, five-person crews during each three-month cohort. Participants will start in entry level, gaining job skills and learning life lessons along the way. Some participants will continue for another three months in the advanced level, and a couple lucky advanced graduates will land a three-month internship position.

This year we’re securing more meaningful projects that will instill a greater sense of pride in the work participants are doing in their own communities. For example, a crew recently planted trees and installed edging and sod at a North Minneapolis church just a few blocks from where several crew members lived, helping to complete a two-week Community Forestry project. They are also placing more emphasis on general job readiness this year. Keith, a Case Manager, is strengthening partnerships to allow use of computer labs and may facilitate “job search trainings for the wider community” this spring.

Community Support Program
Our placement coordinators work year-round with parents who are recipients of the Minnesota Family Investment Program. We place them in paid and unpaid positions at 300 partner job sites and help them transition back into the workforce.

This year the program is forming partnerships that provide a more comprehensive continuum of services. For example, we’re connecting with HIRED’s Fresh Start program to join its 12-week classes with our job placements for people who are transitioning out of prison. Our placement counselors are also taking on slightly smaller case loads in order to provide more check-ins and follow-up services.

Jessica, our Community Support Program Coordinator, explained, “While there’s value to providing more opportunities to people, we’re finding better results by providing more individualized, one-on-one services.”

Landscape Services
It’s been six years since Landscape Services was created, and we’ve learned a lot about business along the way. Although it no longer provides hands-on training for job trainees, it does support all of our programs by earning income and helping to keep Tree Trust financially stable.

Despite the tough economy, business for Jared, our Director of Operations and Landscape Services, and his crew has been great. The summer brought renewed residential and commercial landscape contracts. “We’ve increased earned income from private sources significantly this year,” reported Jared. To continue that trend, they’re working on renewing contracts for snow removal, pursuing new areas (namely stream bank and lakeshore restoration), and developing a marketing plan to reach out to private homeowners more directly and not rely so heavily on referrals.

So, what happens with our Youth Conservation Corps program postsummer? Felecia, our Youth Conservation Corps Coordinator, and the rest of the team may not be working directly with youth, but they are hard at work evaluating the 2010 summer, completing reports, making adjustments and creating partnerships and projects for next year.