Search Results

The largest SJCC+CS graduating class in almost ten years reached an important milestone last month. 2023 Charter School graduates closed a chapter in their journey as they prepared to embark on the next. Speeches at the ceremony were led by Principal Rahul Sharma, followed by student speakers Valeria Arias-Lomeli and Eric Villasenor, Dean of Student Success Natali Zepeda, California State Assembly Member Ash Kalra, Board President Liz Hunt, and CEO Dorsey Moore. The speeches were filled with reflection and encouragement and left graduates with the empowering message that they can move forward to accomplish anything they set their minds to. Watch below to hear from Charter School students and staff, as well as see the highlights from the graduation ceremony as our 2023 Charter School graduates take this big step toward the next chapter in their journey. The recurring theme of this year’s graduation seemed to be new beginnings and redefining one’s story. Sharma addressed the graduates directly, stating, “You are worthy of being here today, but most importantly, you are worthy of being in spaces that people have told you that you do not belong in.” Breaking these societal barriers with such an important life milestone is a monumental moment in the lives of our Charter School students and a proud moment for our Charter School staff. Students shared firsthand about their experiences at the Corps and the emotions of graduating. English and Language Arts teachers Lori Moore and David Saltman shared their thoughts as well, providing a well-rounded conclusion to the 2023 Charter School graduation as we look back on all our students’ accomplishments this year. In particular, our staff praised our students’ persistence and resiliency in the face of adversity. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023!

In honor of Earth Day, join us on Friday, April 21st, 2023, from 9 AM - 1 PM to celebrate Global Youth Day! We will be partnering with Valley Verde to help make compost. *Registration below* Take this opportunity to work alongside our Corpsmembers and learn how they are making a difference, protecting the planet, and improving the well-being of their communities. *Volunteers must be 18+ to participate* Can't make it? Sign up for future event notifications here! Please consider supporting this event and more like it by donating today. REGISTER FOR OUR EVENT HERE!

In celebration of Women's History Month, we came together to recognize and celebrate the achievements of young women at the Corps! Each department nominated young women honored at our 2nd Annual Women's History Month event. The nominees went on stage to say a few words and share their stories. "I am a daughter of immigrants. I am a 2nd generation Mexican American. I am a woman. And I am proud of it all." - Valeria. "I want women to know that no matter what obstacle you go through, there is always a solution." - Neferly. "Failures in life do not define me, but mold me into becoming a better and stronger person." - Esther. We have an incredible group of women at the Corps who continue to inspire those around them.

Zero Waste Silicon Valley strives for a healthy and clean environment through education and community involvement. They partner with the East Side Union High School District to bring sorting stations to East San Jose schools, making waste sorting easy and convenient for all students. Changing our waste sorting practices in East Side San Jose is long overdue and vital in creating a sustainable school district. Cleaner and greener schools bring us one step closer to achieving zero waste in our community. Our Zero Waste team provides four color-coded and clearly labeled bins to make the sorting process as straightforward as possible. They are there to answer any questions Piedmont Hills High School students may have about what goes where. Once students have the necessary knowledge, they can encourage their peers to sort their items and guide them on how to do it properly. This helps reduce waste on campus. There are four main categories to sort; liquids, recycling, food waste, and landfill. The yellow liquid bin allows students to empty beverage containers first before recycling them. This provides an easy way to dispose of liquids so that beverage containers can be recycled cleanly and correctly. Glass, metal, paper products, and plastic bottles and containers go into the blue recycling bin. By disposing of recyclables correctly, students can help increase the recycling rate so that less paper and plastic end up in the landfill. The green food waste bin is for organic items that will biodegrade, like fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy products, and more. Collecting food scraps instead of throwing them in the landfill gives them a second chance at providing nutrients to plants and animals. Anything that cannot be recycled or composted goes into the gray landfill bin. By informing students how to make the most of what they have, using reusable items instead of single-use disposables when possible, and utilizing the recycling and food waste bins, they can significantly reduce how much landfill waste is produced at their school. This both keep our schools clean and benefits the environment. We can reduce 45% of emissions by reducing, reusing, and recycling!

"Rosalina has been the example of a Corpsmember success story since the beginning.” Despite facing adversity, Rosalina is constantly uplifting her community with her can-do attitude and perseverance. While taking care of two daughters as a single mother, she has helped improve her community’s green spaces by working on various vegetation management projects this past year. She has been described as “a staple and influence for other women in the organization by leading by example.” Not only did she encourage her team with endless support and lead the way for various community improvement projects, but she was also able to earn her driver’s license and become a U.S. citizen, all while raising two daughters. Rosalina was invited to Washington, DC, where she received her award and gave an inspirational speech. Rosalina is still serving as a Corpsmember while also working as a translator at a law office. She is currently working to become a certified translator. Due to her work with SJCC+CS, Rosalina was connected to various new experiences and skills that have given her the confidence to accomplish her goals. “I’m really thankful that I joined the Corps because I got the help that I needed in order to get my citizenship, driver’s license, OSHA-10, CPR, and chainsaw certifications. These will all help me in my future job opportunities.” With her newfound skills and experiences, Rosalina plans to apply for permanent city or park maintenance jobs. She also has aspirations of becoming a medical assistant. Congratulations Rosalina! We are so proud of you and all the hard work you've done and continue to do for our community! Your achievements and leadership encourage us all to reach higher levels of service. Watch the recorded live broadcast here: * Rosalina's Speech begins at 3:34

Albertano, an Environmental Projects Supervisor, leads his crew in more than just a professional way. Albertano’s crew forms personal connections amongst each other so that they feel more like a family than just a team. William, an Environmental Projects corpsmember, says, “it’s like a little family…I know they got my back, and I got theirs.” This benefits and increases their comradery, improving workflow and creating a positive work environment. Albertano’s emotional support and professional guidance allow the corpsmembers to feel safe, supported, and connected. The dynamic amongst the crew is just one example of the strong bonds that can be made at San Jose Conservation Corps and how a positive work environment and a strong sense of teamwork and comradery can leave a lasting positive impact. “I think a lot of them are on the right track to becoming who they want to be in life,” says Albertano, “and I’m proud of each one of them.” These positive experiences allow corpsmembers to grow professionally and personally and form lasting friendships. The stronger the bond, the more unified the team, and Albertano’s crew shows just that. Surrounding yourself with people you can rely on boosts your confidence and allows you to excel in your career.

Zero Waste East Side aims to divert the maximum amount of usable materials from landfills through reusing, recycling, and rethinking. We offer several services to the East San Jose community. Keeping schools clean and green benefits both the community and the environment. Our Zero Waste team coordinates with the kitchen staff to reduce food waste, which is a lot of what the school waste is composed of. Food waste is collected and transported to Mission Trail Systems to upcycle into animal feed. In the future, we aim to collect from the kitchen and the entire campus. Diverting waste from landfills is essential in reducing waste and protecting the environment. One of the most important ways to ensure as much material is recycled or composted as possible is to improve the sorting habits of students and staff. This is accomplished through education and outreach conducted by our team members. We also conduct waste audits to determine how much waste is produced and what it contains. The materials are sorted into different categories, and data is collected to create a specific zero-waste plan. In October 2022, we conducted a waste audit at James Lick High School. Education and outreach will be conducted afterward, and future waste audits will compare results. In addition to these services, Zero Waste East Side provides free bulky item pickup services upon request from a school. In addition to bulky items, we collect hazardous waste and hard-to-recycle items. Non-recyclable items, such as books, furniture, and other usable goods, are donated to nonprofit organizations such as Goodwill, repurposed, or put into a free-used goods marketplace. Zero Waste East Side is a unique and impactful partnership between East Side Union High School District and San Jose Conservation Corps that helps the school district strive towards zero waste. Besides the environmental benefit, this partnership supports the school in meeting new regulatory requirements and creates a zero-waste model that can be replicated nationally and globally. Our program sets up young adults for success by giving them a chance to develop themselves personally, professionally, and academically and become the next environmental stewards to help create transformational change for our planet. Through job training, corpsmembers are able to be involved in this mission on an advanced level. Corpsmembers assist with outreach, education, and collecting material at schools. This experience gives them the skills needed to continue spreading zero-waste practices in our community. Interested in making your school a zero-waste campus? Visit: https://zerowastesv.org/contact

For Giving Tuesday, we’re giving you the opportunity to experience the corpsmember journey through the eyes of our corpsmembers. The photos here show what makes the Corps experiences so meaningful for them and also what they’ve been proud to accomplish in their time here. Our motto of service to self, service to community, service to environment, shows up in the corpsmember experience in many ways. Student and Corpsmember Belen explains that "being with the Corps has allowed me to go to school and work while also taking advantage of affordable housing." For her, service to self means that she’s supported in achieving her personal goals. Corpsmember Geoffrey shows pride of his 'service to community' by describing how he resolved hazardous conditions for people visiting Veggielution Community Farm. "My team built a path allowing a dry access point to fresh food for those who need it most." Zero Waste Corpsmember Ansgar works at the Goodwill Mattress Recycling project and explains that 'service to environment' "helps me contribute to society" by recycling something that normally would go to a landfill. While some find the Corps benefits them personally and provides training they can bring into future careers, others feel they get to be part of something bigger and give back to the community and environment. For most, both are true. Please donate to support corpsmembers striving towards their goals and accomplishing everything from a high school diploma to building lifelong connections. Corpsmember William explains, "[My crew is] like a family. I know they got my back, and I got theirs." As part of our Corps family, we appreciate your support of our corpsmembers all year round. Show them that you’ve got their back by giving to the Corps today.

Zero Waste Silicon Valley conducts a waste audit at James Lick High School to determine what the waste stream is comprised of. Corpsmembers and staff have fun along the way! In October, our Zero Waste team conducted a baseline waste audit at James Lick High School in San José. The audit allowed us to see what the waste is composed of to determine the next best steps to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill. This audit was performed before any outreach or education. We will conduct a second waste audit about a year later to compare results and track our progress. This comparison will show how effective outreach and education are in improving the waste stream and how informed recycling allows less waste to go into the landfill. While the waste audit can be a gross or daunting experience, it can also be fun! Corpsmembers and staff were able to find fun along the way through comradery and exciting discoveries. The Yeti canteen was just one of many interesting finds that kept our Zero Waste team engaged and entertained throughout the process. Along with the fun and humor, this waste audit was very informative. Corpsmembers such as Jeremiah Garcia, Joseph Garcia-Perata, and Vanessa Valencia revealed in interviews that this experience shows them how important it is to sort waste. For Abraham Burciaga, it was a revelation about the importance of others sorting their waste and sorting his own. He states, "this has helped him with his waste streams and separating food." Sorting waste benefits both the community and our environment. This waste audit provides insight into how people dispose of their waste and to what degree it is incorrectly or correctly sorted. As Jeremiah says, "sooner or later we want to try and implement all these categories." The goal is to sort our waste more thoroughly in the future to reduce waste in landfills and to implement this practice in the entire school district. Luckily James Lick High School students seem to be doing a great job sorting their waste! This made the James Lick High School waste audit a positive and hopeful experience. As Jeremiah says, "we don't have a planet B. We need to make most of the planet we have now."