>Stephanie Weaver, Times-News Intern
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Sat Jul 16, 2011, 11:06 PM EDT
CUMBERLAND — Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is showing low-income youth that going green is more than a decision, it’s a job opportunity.
Youth from six different counties in Maryland — Allegany, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, Garrett and Prince George’s— are working green jobs this summer under the Community Service Block Grant program.
The program awarded a total of $188,973 to the Maryland Community Action agencies allowing students to work summer jobs in their own communities.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our young people to learn to become good environmental stewards in their communities while perhaps getting their first exposure to future career opportunities in Maryland’s green economy,” Secretary Raymond Skinner said.
The program in Allegany County employs 12 youth and two college student supervisors, according to Courtney Thomas, executive director, of the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission. The group works four days a week for eight weeks in Frostburg, Westernport and Lonaconing on projects that include groundskeeping, recycling and waste management.
This summer job goes beyond working; on Fridays, the students have “in-service” opportunities including touring local colleges, and seminars on budgeting and tax withholding.
The program focuses on the environment to “highlight the green job sector,” Thomas said, which emphasizes the future employment opportunities for the youth by “offering education exposure” to these areas.
This is the first summer program the HRDC has headed on its own. “We hope it’s the first of many,” Thomas said.
The Garrett County program employs seven students and two supervisors to work on “trail maintenence and development,” Paige Teegarden of Garrett County Community Action said.
The group has been specifically working at Fork Run, in collaboration with Garrett Trails and Garrett College, on the mountain biking trail. The students have helped with construction and maintenence, which Teegarden claims is a growing need in the community and work force.
“Sustainable trails are part of the economic development in the county,” she said. The trails aren’t only used by tourists and locals, but also for educational purposes through Garrett College.
Much like the Allegany County program, the Garrett County students work four days a week throughout the county. Community Action has open positions for the program.
“It’s a terrific opportunity to be outdoors,” Teegarden said.
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