Youth and Educational Partnerships

Corvias announced its partnership with Junior Achievement of Greater Washington (JA) to perform stormwater retrofits through the CWP at their Finance Park located on the campus of G. James Gholson Middle School/Cora L. Rice Elementary School in Landover, Maryland. Operations at Finance Park are made possible through a partnership with the Prince George’s County Public Schools System, signature sponsor Capital One, and the local business community. JA Finance Park impacts every 8th grade student in Prince George’s County through 14 weeks of an in-classroom personal finance curriculum and an innovative, one-day experience at the facility led by volunteer role models from the community. JA Finance Park provides students with a vigorous, hands-on budgeting experience, and exposure to an environmental solution to managing stormwater runoff.

The completed projects include:

• A massive bed of native plants that processes stormwater and provides habitats and food for nearby wildlife
• Plants that include pollinators to feed butterflies and hummingbirds
• A walkway consisting of permeable pavers that decrease maintenance spending as a result of cost-saving stormwater collection and re-use
• Promotion of environmental awareness

The CWP also supports Junior Achievement by participating in an annual volunteer activity at Finance Park. Through leadership of the JA staff, CWP team members and partners spend a full day mentoring students as they participate in various budgeting exercises. Students are issued life scenarios with careers, families, bills, etc. and must utilize what they have learned in the classroom to survive the day. The CWP volunteers have thoroughly enjoyed navigating these exercises with the students and looks forward to continuing the partnership.

To learn more about this great organization and how you can become involved, please visit: http://www.myja.org/

Wellness Ambassadors Environmental Health Summer Camp Program 

The Clean Water Partnership’s commitment to youth and young adult continues to thrive through its support of the End Time Harvest Ministries (ETHM) Jobs-For-Youth Summer Employment Program. ETHM is a local non-profit whose mission equips youth with educational, social, moral and economic life skills. The six-week, paid internship allows students to work as summer interns with multiple local businesses, connect stormwater management to health, and participate in real life work experiences to help them prepare for the workforce. The Bladensburg and Parkdale High School students are matched with Prince George’s County businesses and government agencies eager to provide mentorship and training towards choosing a career path. Exposing students to disciplines such as engineering, culinary arts, hospitality, medical, political science, carpentry, electrical, public policy, music & arts, and agricultural science helps the students deepen their commitment to sustainability, and spurs the economic growth of our county. In addition to working at their respective County located jobsites, students also attend workforce readiness workshops that teach and test in the areas of grooming, resume composition, interviewing techniques, and other components of workplace professionalism. Furthermore, the students serve as health and wellness ambassadors by participating in activities in which they learn about the effects of stormwater management on health. Although introduced to the CWP in 2015, ETHM has been proudly serving, employing and educating youth in the Prince George’s County Port Towns since 1996. To view an interview of three ETHM interns discussing their experience working with the DPWT in summer 2016, please visit the CWP YouTube channel.

To learn how your business or organization can employ students, volunteer or support ETHM, please visit: www.ethm.org