CONSERVATION CORPS OF THE FORGOTTEN COAST & THE ED CORPS

Meeting Schedule: Fridays (except holidays and off site trainings)

Initiative Chair: Mayor Van Johnson (City of Apalachicola), 850-653-3930

Coalition Director: Joe Taylor (Franklin's Promise Coalition), 850-323-0176

Director : Betty Webb (BTW Services, Inc), 850-323-0567

Admissions and Training Coordinator: Jeanette Taylor  (CCFC), 850-323-0178

ED Corps and Academic Coach: Elinor Mount-Simmons ( Mount Up! Educational Consulting, Inc), 850-323-0544

Field Manager: Holden Foley (CCFC), 850-653-6192

Collaborators: The Corps Network, The Nature Conservancy, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, The City of Apalachicola, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (ANERR AND SJBSBP), Franklin County Schools,  CareerSource Gulf Coast, , Florida Department of Health, DISC Village, University of Florida, University of Arizona, Franklin County Emergency Management and the Duke Energy Foundation.

Franklin’s Promise Coalition was selected by the Corps Network to be part of the Gulf Coast Restoration Initiative in 2014. Identified as having the history, infrastructure and community capacity to initiate an independent conservation corps program for the Apalachicola River Watershed region, the Coalition has brought the Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast (CCFC) to a reality. Now in the second year, the program is a comprehensive youth development program for young adults 18-25 years of age (veterans up to 29, and summer internships for ages beginning at 16 years old) which provides participants with job training, academic programming, leadership skills, and additional support through a strategy of service that conserves, protects and improves the environment, as well as community resilience. This initiative continues to accomplish an array of specific habitat restoration projects throughout the region such as invasive species removal, living shoreline installation, oyster reef restoration, water quality monitoring, and pine savanna restoration. The Corps is funded on a “fee for service” model which provides governmental agencies and nonprofits a cost effective alternative to completing environmental work while providing benefits to the local communities.

The ED Corps was established in 2016 to address the need for Corps members to attain their high school diplomas. Through a partnership with Franklin County Schools, the ED Corps re-engages crew members to complete their high school education as a strategy for career alignment.

If you know of a young adult who could benefit as a crew member, contact conservationcorpsfc@gmail.com or call 850-323-0178.