Wanted you to know that Hilary is really loving Urban Corps, both the school and the work program. She gets up every morning at 5 am and does things like iron her uniform or finish her homework. It is really changing her life and I wanted to say thank you. It is truly making all the difference. She is like a completely different person now, and I see her confidence building daily when she gets home in the afternoon. Thank you, thank you!
Laurie Dietter, Normal Heights
Urban Corps of San Diego County
Learning, Earning, Conserving
The Urban Corps of San Diego County (a separate non-profit from UCCS) is a certified local conservation corps and charter school whose mission is to provide young adults with a high school education combined with job training and community service in the fields of conservation and recycling, which assist youth in becoming more employable while protecting San Diego’s natural resources and instilling the importance of community service.
UCO blends paid real-world job training, UCCS charter school education, industry-recognized certifications, life skills training, support services, transitional career services, and strategic community partnerships. Corpsmembers work in the field on environmental services, fire fuel reduction, community improvement services, graffiti abatement, urban forestry, recycling, and green building and construction.
Youth in the program may have dropped out of high school due to involvement with gangs or drugs, becoming a young parent, or an undiagnosed learning disability. Some are refugees with limited English. Some aged out of the foster system without a diploma. Urban Corps’ unique work-learn program allows youth to finish high school while earning a paycheck and giving back to the community.
