The Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps continues the Civilian Conservation Corps‘ tradition to address climate change, advance greener living, and provide needed education and training for disadvantaged populations in the Great Lakes area. Our Go Solar program offers a significantly discounted solar panel system installation to encourage renewable energy use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Our Reduce The Runoff program provides free landscaping to qualified recipients to minimize rainwater pollution from runoff and increase our waterways’ health. The Certification and Emergency Response Training (CERT) High School has locations in Racine and Milwaukee and works as a hybrid career academy that trains students to be first responders and prepare for occupations in the transportation industry. Finally, our Veterans Corps and Ag Veterans programs offer assistance with transitioning into civilian life. Our veterans’ services build on military experience, promote a sense of purpose, provide peer support, develop job skills training, and instill self-confidence.
The Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps is a proud member of the Corps Network and collaborates, to share best practices, with more than 150 service and conservation corps throughout the United States, particularly with corps operating in the Great Lakes basin and the Midwest. Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps members from our Racine and Milwaukee locations work on projects such as removing invasive species from area parks, cleaning up our local waterways, expanding urban gardens, and revitalizing urban properties. Visit our Facebook page to learn more about how we are improving communities.
The Great Lakes CCC participates in the Southeast Wisconsin Solar Group Buy program and partners with Eagle Point Solar, a specialist in solar panel system installations, to save homeowners and businesses up to 35% off standard pricing while providing necessary job training. Our goal with the Go Solar program is to get as many solar energy users as possible because the average residential solar panel system reduces 3-4 tons of carbon emissions per year! Corps members receive time on each installation in the Go Solar program to learn valuable job skills from Eagle Point Solar’s experienced, skilled workers. Members acquire essential knowledge on a path to earn higher wages and be self-sufficient.
Our efforts to improve natural habitats and local waterways include the Reduce The Runoff program, which offers free landscaping to qualified property owners to prevent stormwater flooding, sewer back-ups, soil erosion, and sewage in local waterways. By capturing stormwater on a property, we help slow its flow, trap, filter, and remove runoff pollution. Landscaping improvements can be soil amendments, core aeration, rain gardens, stormwater trees, bioswales, and permeable pavement.
The Great Lakes CCC provides veterans services to Southeastern Wisconsin communities to serve veterans that are retired, transitioning, homeless and in permanent housing, in rural and urban communities, and those from under-represented populations and under-served geographic areas. Our Veterans Corps program allows members to become part of the AmeriCorps program, which provides a stipend of $12 per hour, and up to 50 hours every two weeks, plus an education award. The Great Lakes CCC is among a select group of non-profits nationwide that has also been awarded the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Grant, which specifically helps homeless veterans, “reestablish an employment trajectory that will enable a prosperous future.”
Our AgVets program offers veteran farmers and other military veterans middle-skill credentials and immersive training to increase the number of military veterans employed in agribusiness. Wisconsin is fourth in the nation for food and beverage manufactured products. Southeastern Wisconsin alone has approximately 250 food and beverage industry employers who employ 15,000 individuals in the region. Our Ag Veterans receive diverse immersive experiences as part of their next mission to help feed America. Field trips to diverse farm and agribusiness ventures in the region offer veterans the opportunity to study varied business models, network with employers, and understand the range of agribusiness options available.
The Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps was conceived by an assembly of 25 CCC alumni at the 75th anniversary event of the Civilian Conservation Corps in 2008. The assembly addressed regional social and physical challenges in southeastern Wisconsin. Great Lakes CCC serves the Greater Milwaukee region of Kenosha, Walworth, Racine, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties.
Yes, through our programs and CERT school, members and students earn pay while receiving important training and certifications for career development!
