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EXCHANGE: PeoriaCorps offers more than career advancement

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - Six months ago, seven strangers were brought together through a common desire to determine their path in life.

On July 8, they stood together as a family, having completed the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program, thus marking the end of another PeoriaCorps Program.

They officially graduated from the program among family and friends with a ceremony on Monday at one of the city Public Works buildings in South Peoria.

But the work does not end there. In two weeks, they will put their knowledge to the test to earn the official credentials and prepare to compete in the job market.

"Ultimately we are training the workforce of tomorrow, right now," PeoriaCorps program director Jamila Wilson said. "We are hoping to develop our workers by helping to restore their confidence so that they can be stronger, productive workers within our economy."

PeoriaCorps is a state-funded Illinois AmeriCorps program that started with the purpose of creating a solution to two problems - sewer overflow and unemployment.

The program serves as a pathway to a career for students between 18 and 24 who have been out of school and unemployed for at least six months. Once the students complete the application and interview process, they are trained and work to maintain green infrastructure installations throughout the city.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes green infrastructure as an approach to water management that protects, restores or mimics the natural water cycle. The bulk of the work involved surface-level maintenance jobs like weeding, pruning and mulching. Yet, Wilson described the program as having a similar structure to a professional development experience or fellowship.

The program members also worked on enhancing soft skills like public speaking, teamwork and time management while visiting different companies to job shadow and build their resume.

Since PeoriaCorps inception in 2017, the program has seen many different faces come and go - some see it through to the end while others give up along the way. But Wilson said this group is different.

"They've all navigated some levels of challenge, some obstacles, whether it was personally or professionally," said Wilson. "And for them to still stay committed to it is really strong. I think it speaks to that self-efficacy that we work toward."

Being the oldest of the group, Sterling Turner, 28, came into the program with determination to figure out his career. He was tired of living from check to check. After hearing about the program from a family friend, he took a chance and ended up discovering something that really interested him.

He's always had a dream of becoming an electrician, and this program led him to the next step. During one of the training days, the group worked with solar panel installation. While talking with a worker from the Tri-County Urban League during a one-on-one career building session, Turner discovered that solar panel installation could help advance him in the electrician career he dreams of.

He is currently in the process of becoming certified through the Solar Pipeline Training Program at Illinois Central College and he credits the program for helping him get there.

Besides achieving his main goal, Turner said that meeting all of the different people and experiencing the different opportunities were the best part of it all.

"It was always something new," he said. "There are so many people you come across, so many opportunities, so many jobs, so much information that you have to succeed coming out of this program."

While Turner was not expecting the program to be such a family-oriented feel, at the end of it all he could say was, "it's the people." They helped him through his struggles and the laughs, smiles and tears shared at the ceremony were a testimony to the bond that these strangers formed through a journey of self-discovery.

The other graduates include Jonah Bloom, Derrick Brown, Princia Boungou, LaCarre Crawford, Jaishaun Johnson and Jesmon Reed who all shared reflections about their time with the program.

The case manager Amelia Hufled, crew supervisor Darren Graves, storm water engineer Andrea Klopfenstein and president and founder of Reign Construction, Inc. Bridget Booker also shared words of encouragement with graduates.

"You are all extensions of our family now," said Klopfenstein to the graduates. "Believe in yourself, because we believe in you."

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Source: (Peoria) Journal Star, https://bit.ly/2NKTNKB

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com

In this Monday, July 8, 2019 photo, Sterling Turner, 28, standing, second from left, talks about the rewards of completing the six-month PeoriaCorps job training and summer employment offered by the city during a graduation ceremony at the Peoria Public Works facility in Peoria, Ill. Standing at left is Jamila Wilson, PeoriaCorps program director (David Zalaznik/Journal Star via AP) The Associated Press
In this Monday, July 8, 2019 photo, PeoriaCorps graduate LaCarre Crawford sits before photographs of the summer employment crew working during the six month program during graduation ceremony for Crawford and the six other participants in Peoria, Ill. (David Zalaznik/Journal Star via AP) The Associated Press
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