RESTORING RELATIONS YOUTH CORPS YOUTH HANDBOOK 60 Plato Blvd E. Suite 210 Saint Paul, MN 55107 Phone 651.209.9900 Fax 651.209.9901
Welcome to the Restoring Relations Youth Corps Hau and Boozhoo! Congratulations! You have been hired and are about to begin a unique and rewarding program! Restoring Relations Youth Corps can be challenging in that you will be asked to step outside your comfort zone, learn to work and communicate with different people and have brand new experiences in the outdoors and in your community. Restoring Relations Youth Corps staff encourage you to look over this handbook and discuss it with your parents/guardians or other mentors. The more prepared you are for the summer, the more you will get out of it. This is an exciting and new experience for you, so please feel free to contact the Restoring Relations Youth Corps Staff with any questions or concerns. What Restoring Relations Youth Corps is All About The Conservation Corps Minnesota (the Corps) is involved in conservation and public service projects that incorporate experiential education and youth development. Our philosophy is to develop youth through outdoor natural resource work and educational and recreational activities. We hire youth and young adults through several different programs with similar themes, one of which is the Restoring Relations Youth Corps. The Restoring Relations Youth Corps is about American Indian youth becoming leaders in their communities and taking action on current environmental issues. Local service projects focus on places of historic and cultural significance. You ll be gaining skills to make positive changes in your life and the world around you. You ll also have the opportunity to work with other youth on real issues that concern you. The Restoring Relations Youth Corps has the following goals: 1) provide jobs and conservation experience for American Indian youth in the Minneapolis St. Paul, MN metro area; 2) connect youth to their heritage and cultural values; 3) complete important conservation projects at locations of historic and cultural significance; and 4) introduce American Indian youth to career pathways in conservation. As a Restoring Relations Youth Corps member, you'll spend 8 weeks doing conservation and community work on a crew with other youth and get paid for the work you do! You'll also get to learn about the environment, participate in environmental education, leadership, and recreation activities each week. This isn't the typical classroom setting, but instead is a hands-on experience that is exciting and rewarding! 1
The Work You Will Be Doing Restoring Relations Youth Corps participants meet 5 times each week on a crew of six youth and two adult leaders. Youth crews work hard, rain or shine, on a variety of environmental and service projects, outdoors and in the community. Projects may include planting trees, leading volunteer events, removing invasive species, building raised garden beds for a school garden or packing boxes of food at a local food shelf. You might also be running a meeting, hosting a community volunteer event, or educating younger students about current environmental issues. We expect you to work hard, work together, and make a positive impact on the environment. We also encourage you to bring your own creative energy and ideas to the work. Much of the work is challenging but the rewards are great. Whatever the activity, you'll learn new job skills and learn to work as a member of a team. Education & Recreation Activities At the Corps, fun and learning are part of everything we do! Through the Restoring Relations Youth Corps Program, you will receive training in three different areas: job skills, the environment and civic engagement. All of these are done in such a way that keeps Indigenous perspectives at the forefront. Job skills will include how to write resumes and cover letters, and tips for job searching and interviewing. You will also be meeting local professionals and learning about different career paths, including from American Indian professionals in a variety of environmental professions. Our environmental work will include lessons on topics like ecology, water quality and climate change. You will learn about current environmental issues and how they are being addressed. You will also learn about the historic and cultural significance for American Indian people for each project location. Your civic engagement education will involve training in leadership, conflict resolution, diversity awareness, and environmental justice. We ll also use games and activities to develop skills for teamwork and communication. And whenever possible, there will be time for just playing outdoors and getting to know each other and the outdoors! 2
Your Schedule Schedule: (June 22 August 7) Schedule: (August 9 August 22) Monday: 9:00 am 2:00 pm Tuesday: 8:30 am 3:30 pm Wednesday: 8:30 am 3:30 pm Thursday: 8:30 am 3:30 pm Friday: 9:00 am 2:00 pm Monday: 8:00 am 4:30 pm Tuesday: 8:00 am 4:30 pm Wednesday: 8:00 am 4:30 pm Thursday: 8:00 am 4:30 pm Friday: 8:00 am 4:30 pm **Note: There are additional recreation activities scheduled during these evenings and weekends. Full participation is expected.** Notes About the Schedule From June 22 August 7, breakfast and lunch are provided for you each day. From August 9 August 22, breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided for you each day. During this time you and your crew will be staying overnights at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center near Lake Superior. This is a wonderful location with cabins, a dining hall and lots of recreational activities for you! More information will be provided once you start in June. Paycheck Information You will be paid $8.00 per hour. You will receive a paycheck twice per month. You will only be paid for the hours you work. IMPORTANT 1. You will not be paid for work days and hours missed. Some pay periods may have fewer hours due to days off or holidays. 2. You will receive your first paycheck on July 10. See payroll chart below for more info. 3. If you have any questions about your paycheck, please call 651-209-9900. Pay Period June 16 June 30 July 10 July 1 July 15 July 25 July 16 July 31 August 10 August 1 August 15 August 25 August 15 August 31 September 10 Pay Date 3
Uniform & personal items requirements Work clothes - REQUIRED Long pants - jeans or other old comfortable pants (NO sweat pants, wind pants, yoga pants, leggings, etc. for your safety) Work boots or sturdy shoes that have shoe laces ones you don t mind getting dirty Work gloves, work shirts and safety gear are provided by the Corps and are required Other clothes Please wear layers; for example a t-shirt, with a long sleeve t-shirt, and a jacket. You can always take off a layer if you get hot, and the weather can vary greatly throughout the day. Personal items - REQUIRED Water bottle If you have conditions that require these, you must have them with at all times or you CANNOT work: o Necessary prescription medication o Epi-Pen for known allergies o Inhaler for asthma Optional Items Bug lotion/repellent Sunscreen Camera and film Items NOT ALLOWED to be used during work Electronics such as: o Cell phones, MP3 Players (ipods), etc. 4
Program guidelines Respect yourself and others by: Making positive choices and decisions which contribute to the Corps community. Acknowledging each other as individuals. Abiding by Corps policies and procedures and maintaining open communication to resolve any conflicts that may arise. Working hard within your abilities. Respect the environment in which you work by: Leaving the work site and recreation center better than when you found it. Making conscious efforts to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Understanding the impact and purpose of projects and the Corps as a whole. Program rules Do: Be on time for work and activities. Be a helpful and contributing member of your crew and the Corps community. Work hard and follow the directions. Push yourself to develop new skills, challenge yourself and make new friends. Respect yourself, others, the equipment and the environment. Don t: No smoking or chewing tobacco products during your entire term with the Conservation Corps. This includes both possession and use. An exception is made for crew leaders only for use as it relates to cultural practices. No consumption or possession of beer or liquor. No drugs. This includes both possession and use, other than for medical purposes. No harassment. This includes verbal, sexual, racial, and physical harassment. No fighting. No firearms or weapons. No gambling of any kind. No vandalism or theft. This includes Corps, city, state and private property. No act that is sexual in nature. 5
Other IMPORTANT rules: Consequences: If 5 minutes late twice Will result in an incident report (3 incident reports is grounds for dismissal) If 15 minutes late Not allowed to work and considered an unexcused absence Not in proper uniform (see uniform requirements on page 4) 30 minutes deducted from paycheck and may not be allowed to work if safety is at risk Not in proper uniform twice Incident report (3 incident reports is grounds for dismissal) Two unexcused absences Incident report and terms for dismissal Four excused absences Results in a meeting with program staff and is grounds for dismissal These rules are put in place for the safety of each youth and the growth of healthy young adults. Breaking these basic program rules is grounds for ending your employment with Restoring Relations Youth Corps. As a crew or team everyone is really important to making the crew the best it can be. Therefore we need each person to contribute to the best of their abilities, follow the rules, show up to work and be on time. We want this to be a great experience for you, your coworkers, your crew leaders and the community! Important Dates June 22: First day! Meet at 9:00 am the Center School. The Center School is located at 2421 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404. August 9: Leave with your crew for Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center! August 22: Return with your crew from Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center! Have a celebration dinner with your crew, family, and friends! Transportation The Conservation Corps will provide all transportation from the Center School. You are responsible for getting yourself to the Center School on time each day and for getting yourself home at night. Please talk with your Crew Leaders if this will be a challenge for you so that they can help you figure out transportation. 6
If you have questions, please contact: Contact Information: CREW LEADERS: Jaccie Duncan and Tricia Jennings Email: restore@conservationcorps.org Phone/Text: 651.796.8328 PROGRAM STAFF: Hollis Emery, Program Manager Office: 651.209.9900 x23 Cell: 651.373.1344 Nick Cox, Assistant Program Manager Office: 651.209.9900 x33 Cell: 515.231.1235 Eric Antonson, Program Director Office: 651.209.9900 x11 Cell: 612.306.8660 Conservation Corps Minnesota 60 Plato Blvd E, Suite 210 St. Paul, MN 55107 Phone: 651-209-9900 Fax: 651-209-9901 Pilamaya and Miigwech! 7