Greencorps Chicago celebrates graduates of green jobs program

On Thursday, deep inside the Garfield Park Conservatory at 300 N. Central Park Ave., dozens of smiling family members gathered to congratulate the graduates of Greencorps Chicago’s 2016 adult training program.

The 9-month-long program was designed to give adults with barriers to employment training and practical experience in ecological restoration, landscaping, tree care and carpentry. It graduated its 22nd class this year with a total of 23 graduates.

A variety of speakers addressed the graduating class on Thursday, including Deputy Mayor and Chief Neighborhood Development Manager Andrea Zopp.

“Greencorps Chicago is a critically important training program that demonstrates Mayor Emanuel’s commitment to knocking down barriers to employment for ex-offenders who want to support themselves and their families while making a positive contribution to our city,” Zopp said. “Greencorps helps individuals who would ordinarily have trouble finding employment get training and jobs while making Chicago a greener, more sustainable city.”

At the ceremony, the city also recognized Greencorps “alum” Henri Jordan, who is volunteering as a mentor in the program and was awarded an Illinois Job Honor Award by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Illinois State Council for the Society for Human Resource Management. Jordan is employed as a resource technician with Forest Preserves of Cook County, where he helps care for public land.

The 2016 Greencorps class restored and improved habitat for more than 1,000 acres, removed 200 acres of invasive species and planted over 200 trees and shrubs. Green infrastructure training also was added to this year’s curriculum, as well as several camping trips to immerse students in their training.

The program took several of the Greencorps students to Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, where they took three six-day trips to work with the U.S. Forest Service.

Michael Hendricks, 22, is one of the students who attended this trip, and he’s the youngest graduate of the 2016 program. He plans to initially work in ecological conservation and eventually move to California and work to stop wildfires.

“I feel like a lot of younger people should give it a shot. It’s been known as the best-kept secret of the West Side,” he said. “I was the youngest person to graduate this year, and I feel like there should be more young people in the program like me.”

Hendricks was chosen by the graduates to speak at the ceremony. In his speech, he said the staff described this year’s group as the closest they have seen.

He also said his fellow graduates were not only co-workers but friends and supporters. Hendricks also thanked his family and Greencorps staff and program organizers for their dedication.

“It started out pretty rough, we started off knowing absolutely nothing,” he said. “It’s crazy how, in just a few short months, we came this far.”

Angela Rodgers, 48, is another 2016 graduate and an ex-offender. She said she heard about Greencorps at a job fair, and although she felt nervous about applying for the program, she was ready to challenge herself with a new endeavor.

“There were days where I didn’t want to go, but I couldn’t stay home and sleep in my bed all day,” she said. “I have a lot of energy, and I have a lot to give.”

Rodgers said she faced several challenges as she worked to complete the program. She has been dealing with her sister’s recent death this year and she felt “paranoid” and “anxious” while taking the written tests. But she pushed through and said she has a winter job lined up and will apply to become a supervisor at Greencorps next year.

“I’m so proud of me,” Rodgers said. “My sister is with me here today, and she would be so proud of me too.”

Greencorps works with outplacement specialists to help their graduates find stable jobs in the community.