Hello, I’m Ashley Howard and I’m
an Earth Conservation
Corps member. I’m 19 and have two kids. I enjoy
writing poetry and
public speaking. My brother and sister are also
in the corps with me.
I’m open minded and well out spoken. In the
future hopefully I will be
a writer of a newspaper.
Ashley’s Report
As
young adults travel through a journey of crime,
violence, and young
deaths, the older generation feels that there
is no hope and that the
new era will soon end.
Young adults incorporated with ECC (Earth Conservation Corps) a non-profit organization helping to clean the Anacostia River, have chosen to leave their bad habits behind and make a difference in their lives. The youth in ECC have been on a project to help construct a new Oak Hill. Oak Hill is a juvenile facility for juvenile delinquents. A group called CJC (Civic Justice Corps) is made up of young adults between the ages 17- 25. They are learning trades in construction, landscaping, and are currently trying to obtain their GED. The Oak Hill project is for a minimum of 90 days. Every Tuesday and Thursday CJC hauls into the company van and rides out to Laurel, MD where Oak Hill is located. Their morning consists of gathering their hamlets, gloves, safety vests and safety glasses. Showing that they are eager to work, they hop out of the van and immediately attend to their duties. These include cutting down weeds and vines, laying down asphalt, and separating bricks, metal, trash and debris, and many more duties. As CJC is in the midst of changing their lives, they want the public and the world to know that they are making a change.
ECC
Chairman Bob Nixon and Glen O’Gilvie, President
and CEO, are helping
the youth announce to the world the progress
that they are making in
their lives. A great friend of Bob’s is, Dave
McCourt, a big time
Internet networking producer. He was the owner
of the network that
aired Reading Rainbow. Dave took 3 days out of
his busy schedule to
come down to Washington, DC to meet the corps
members of CJC to hear
their insights and opinions on how they feel
about the work they are
doing. A member by the name of Davon Clifford
expressed his feelings on
the work that he has been doing. As a former
resident of Oak Hill, he
exclaimed that he is happy that now he is doing
something positive in
his life instead of sitting at home or running
the streets getting into
trouble. Davon expressed that he admires a song
called “Waiting on the
World to Change” by John Mayer. Other corps
members including Ashley
Howard, DeAndra Jones, and Dwayne Hamm also put
their input on how they
feel about the work they are doing.
As
Dave McCourt listens to the young adults of CJC
about their
experiences, he gives the group an idea of how
they can spread the
word. Dave suggests that the group be apart of
creating their very own
Internet and channel network to show the world
the differences that the
youth are making. He asks the group whether
they feel that the media
and the environmental work they are doing is
connected and what
reaction they think the public would have
viewing the work they are
involved in. DeAndra Jones responses to the
question,” I feel that the
work we do and the media is connected because
the world will see what
were doing and they will hopefully join us.”
The members were excited
and were eager to start the new project. “Where
do we begin?” Ashley
Howard asks with excitement. Dave McCourt and
Bob Nixon are about to
tour the old Oak Hill facility, which still
populates juveniles, with
Vinni Sheradi employed by the DYRS. Ask for a
volunteer to join them on
the tour, Davon Clifford without any hesitation
volunteers himself.
Written by Ashley Howard 2/29/08
Ashley’s Report
As
young adults travel through a journey of crime,
violence, and young
deaths, the older generation feels that there
is no hope and that the
new era will soon end. Young adults incorporated with ECC (Earth Conservation Corps) a non-profit organization helping to clean the Anacostia River, have chosen to leave their bad habits behind and make a difference in their lives. The youth in ECC have been on a project to help construct a new Oak Hill. Oak Hill is a juvenile facility for juvenile delinquents. A group called CJC (Civic Justice Corps) is made up of young adults between the ages 17- 25. They are learning trades in construction, landscaping, and are currently trying to obtain their GED. The Oak Hill project is for a minimum of 90 days. Every Tuesday and Thursday CJC hauls into the company van and rides out to Laurel, MD where Oak Hill is located. Their morning consists of gathering their hamlets, gloves, safety vests and safety glasses. Showing that they are eager to work, they hop out of the van and immediately attend to their duties. These include cutting down weeds and vines, laying down asphalt, and separating bricks, metal, trash and debris, and many more duties. As CJC is in the midst of changing their lives, they want the public and the world to know that they are making a change.
ECC
Chairman Bob Nixon and Glen O’Gilvie, President
and CEO, are helping
the youth announce to the world the progress
that they are making in
their lives. A great friend of Bob’s is, Dave
McCourt, a big time
Internet networking producer. He was the owner
of the network that
aired Reading Rainbow. Dave took 3 days out of
his busy schedule to
come down to Washington, DC to meet the corps
members of CJC to hear
their insights and opinions on how they feel
about the work they are
doing. A member by the name of Davon Clifford
expressed his feelings on
the work that he has been doing. As a former
resident of Oak Hill, he
exclaimed that he is happy that now he is doing
something positive in
his life instead of sitting at home or running
the streets getting into
trouble. Davon expressed that he admires a song
called “Waiting on the
World to Change” by John Mayer. Other corps
members including Ashley
Howard, DeAndra Jones, and Dwayne Hamm also put
their input on how they
feel about the work they are doing. As
Dave McCourt listens to the young adults of CJC
about their
experiences, he gives the group an idea of how
they can spread the
word. Dave suggests that the group be apart of
creating their very own
Internet and channel network to show the world
the differences that the
youth are making. He asks the group whether
they feel that the media
and the environmental work they are doing is
connected and what
reaction they think the public would have
viewing the work they are
involved in. DeAndra Jones responses to the
question,” I feel that the
work we do and the media is connected because
the world will see what
were doing and they will hopefully join us.”
The members were excited
and were eager to start the new project. “Where
do we begin?” Ashley
Howard asks with excitement. Dave McCourt and
Bob Nixon are about to
tour the old Oak Hill facility, which still
populates juveniles, with
Vinni Sheradi employed by the DYRS. Ask for a
volunteer to join them on
the tour, Davon Clifford without any hesitation
volunteers himself. Written by Ashley Howard 2/29/08