About the Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB)

MISSION STATEMENT CCLB’s mission is to raise self-esteem, develop basic work skills, work ethics, and education, and promote teamwork for Long Beach area-at-risk youth through a combination of work, conservation, and education programs. HISTORY The Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) is a nonprofit, certified local conservation corps, one of 12 certified local conservation corps in California. Established in 1987, the CCLB is a nonprofit charitable organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. For each of the last 23 years, the CCLB has hired more than 200 at-risk youth each year from the area served by the Greater Long Beach Workforce Development Board to work on projects developed by the CCLB for local cities, county agencies, and other nonprofit agencies in the greater Long Beach area. The CCLB recruits and employs 18 - 25 year old youth and trains them to carry out job duties needed to complete a variety of CCLB projects, primarily in habitat/park restoration and recycling. The CCLB also requires corpsmembers to be enrolled in an education program while working for the CCLB to further their formal education. The CCLB is affiliated with the John Muir Charter School which is chartered and administered by the Nevada County (CA) Superintendent of Schools. CCLB corpsmembers who do not have a high school diploma are enrolled in the CCLB John Muir Charter School to earn credits and complete their high school diploma while working for the CCLB. Those corpsmembers that have their high school diploma at the time of hire or those that earn their high school diploma while working at the CCLB are required to enroll in some form of post-secondary instruction to continue their education. As an open entry/exit program, CCLB program components and services are ongoing and continuous. Corpsmembers may remain at the CCLB for up to 2 years. This program design gives corpsmembers with multiple barriers to employment and/or furthering their education time to develop necessary skills to enter and remain in the workforce. Safe, enriching and fun CCLB after school programs serve three middle and elementary schools, and almost 400 students each week. These K-8 young people participate in three hours of structured academic improvement, enrichment and recreation five days a week, via a partnership with the Long Beach Unified School District’s Winners Reaching Amazing Potential (WRAP) program. The Conservation Corps of Long Beach is proud to help Long Beach’s youth reach their fullest potential in their transition to become responsible adults.