National Skills Summit

National Skills Summit
Innovative Initiatives: Construction and Transportation

City of Baltimore, Maryland and Civic Works: Community Improvement Teams

The Challenge:

To find workers to end the urban blight in Baltimore while simultaneously working to educate and give experience to an urban population of motivated individuals who don't have the skills necessary to start a career.

The Solution:

Combine workforce preparedness training with community service so that young people make visible and valuable contributions to the community, not only building work skills but also building their self-esteem, citizenship, and sense of connection to others.

The Partners:

Civic Works is a non-profit program that helps young people develop work skills through community service.

Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development, Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources all provide support for the program and projects and work for the program participants.

Port Discovery and the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks provide program participants with opportunities to get involved with community youth through tutoring.

Baltimore Public Schools offer a source for recruiting program participants.

The Story:

In the fall of 1997, James Harrison went to Civic Works looking for a stable job and an opportunity to earn his GED. He gained much more than that. He joined a community improvement team and contributed to the improvement and beautification of Baltimore, feeling the pride of giving something back to his community.

Civic Works divides participants into community improvement teams that work on various projects to resuscitate and beautify Baltimore. Some current and past projects in which Civic Works participants have been integral include turning vacant lots into parks and gardens, providing landscaping and other services to public housing developments, and building trails in Baltimore County. Other workers form teams that provide physical assistance to community residents when a storm, fire, or other disaster strikes. Still other teams rehabilitate houses that are then sold or rented to low- and moderate-income families. Education and mentoring teams, which recruit youth with at least two semesters of college, provide tutors to work with children and teens at after-school programs.

James also became a crew leader, was promoted to assistant supervisor and then supervisor, and went to night classes at Baltimore City Community College. He is working towards his associate's degree in mental health and plans to get a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Civic Works offers training to young people like James who are between the ages of 17 and 25. In 1999, 150 young men and women participated. About two thirds of the 1999 participants were high school graduates or dropouts and one third had some experience in college. Through their participation in Civic Works, they not only gained work experience and completed their education, but supplied a much-needed workforce to the city of Baltimore in their efforts to clean up their surroundings as well.

A Model of Innovation:

Job preparedness training and the notion of civic duty are combined in a remarkable formula under the Civic Works program. It meets existing community needs, providing young people with valuable job experience, training, and resume building, while providing vital services to those in need. Additionally, extensive recruitment efforts, including advertising in church and community organization newsletters, local newspapers, brochures and flyers, posters in high schools and college campuses ensure that Civic Works will always have an extensive pool of potential workers from which to draw.

Contacts:

Dana Stein, Executive Director
Civic Works
2701 St. Locust Dr.
Baltimore, MD 21213
410-366-8533 (p)
410-366-1831 (f)

Highlight quote:

"Civic Works is a model for introducing young people to the values of public service. Baltimore is shaping future community leaders as well as workers."