Service Learning is what makes NJ Youth Corps unique. In an effort to have activities to reinforce the academic lessons learned in the classroom - and to honor our origins from the Civilian Conservation Corps of the ’30s & 40’s - we engage our Corpsmembers in projects with an environmental theme. These community-based, environmental projects address unmet needs, develop a sense of personal and civic pride in our Corpsmembers and according to a Rutgers University Study - “lead many Corps members to develop a sense of their own potential for “making a difference” as ecological citizens.” See that study here.

All Corpsmembers will participate in a minimum of 140 hours of working on community service projects. These projects are an extension of the educational experience and will be used as a means for Corpsmembers to be able to demonstrate the work-related attitudes they have learned throughout the program. Here are some of the projects we work on:

Landscaping Applications

Mowing, Trimming, Edging, Tree Planting & Pruning, Brush Management

Trail COnstruction & Maintenance

Clearing & Establishing Trails, Maintaining existing trails all over Warren County.

Sustainable Agriculture

Raised bed vegetable farming & preservation of food. Corpsmembers will see food grown from seed to table, preserving and canning what they grow. They will also maintain native species plantings for pollinators.

Apiculture (Beekeeping)

Introduction to Beekeeping, hive management & Maintenance, and harvesting honey. Using a curriculum developed by staff, CM’s learn about hive maintenance, treatments, and honey harvesting.

Corpsmembers will also be educated on pollinators and the benefit we derive from their hard work. More information on pollinators can be found here. Information about our Project of the Year Award from the Corps Network can be found here.

Ecological Restorations

Introduction to environmental restoration work, planting in riparian (streamside) zones to increase floodplain capacity and stability leading to better water quality. If applicable, Cm’s will enroll in a supplemental training course to better prepare them in applications and terminology associated with ecological restorations and riparian (streamside) plantings. Check out the video to learn more!

Working at White Lake Natural Resource Area

The White Lake Natural Resource Area is a beautiful 469-acre preserve located in Hardwick Township. The park’s most notable feature, White Lake, is a deep 69-acre spring-fed water body. A variety of interesting habitats surround the pristine lake, including fertile meadows, karst limestone exposures, sinkhole ponds, and stands of mature hemlock and hardwood forests.

The NJYC of Phillipsburg was awarded the Stewardship Contract for this property by Warren County in 2020. As we look to the future, we see unlimited opportunity to utilize this precious resource as an outdoor classroom to learn and serve in.