California’s Youth Job Corps offers a second chance at career, higher education
Program goal is to bridge work and education gaps for foster, justice-impacted, low-income youth, and others
EdSource Feature Story by BETTY MÁRQUEZ ROSALES on February 26, 2024
One of Kaelyn Carter’s ongoing challenges these days is working early hours as a landscaper through the cold, often rainy San Francisco Bay Area weather — a world away from the stagnation he remembers feeling when he first arrived in California less than two years ago.
Then, Carter had just been released from prison after three years of incarceration in Virginia, where he was born. He had made his way to California, which he heard might have more job opportunities.
He’d tried working, but he’d run into more trouble and once again had a warrant out for his arrest. So he turned himself in.
That decision led to significant changes in his life, he said, because his probation officer connected him with his current workplace, which is part job and part rehabilitation program.
The job is with Rubicon Landscape Group, a landscaping company in the city of Richmond that has multiple branches, including a Reentry Success Center which offers a structured 18-week vocational training program where young adults under age 30 who’ve been impacted by the justice system learn about horticulture and landscaping.
Working at Rubicon, Carter said, offered him a community and the means to provide for himself and rebuild his life.
The program is part of a larger state effort led by California Volunteers, called the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps, that provides employment opportunities for Californians ages 16 to 30.
“The pay is helpful, the exposure they appreciate, but what I hear that, just to me, is so incredible and inspiring is when they say, ‘I just never thought I had something positive to contribute to my community. I never thought that I had something of value where I could give back, and I could lift up the community I love while also supporting my family at the same time,’” Fryday said. “I remember hearing that specifically in Maywood.”
It’s a sentiment also shared by Carter in Richmond.
“It might sound crazy, but Rubicon has been basically a safe haven for me because it helped me with dealing with … I want to say poverty, if that makes sense,” said Carter, now 29.
His job also helps him address his depression. Rubicon’s wraparound services — such as mental health support, resume workshops — help with housing and transportation, and working with plants helps him feel more grounded, Carter said.
All Youth Job Corps service members at Carter’s job with Rubicon are justice-impacted, which has given him a community of others with similar life experiences.
Read the full story at EdSource
For more information about Rubicon Landscape Group and the Beautify Richmond Program, please contact:
Rubicon Landscape at +1 510-680-0309
Image credit: Kaelyn Carter, right, works is part of a community beautification program in the city of Richmond as a service member with California Volunteers’ Youth Job Corps. Credit: Courtesy of Ebony Richardson/Rubicon Landscape Group
About the Beautify Richmond Program:
The Beautify Richmond Program, a collaborative effort between Rubicon Landscape Group, Rubicon Programs, the City of Richmond, and the Reentry Success Center, is a transformative initiative aimed at empowering justice-impacted individuals in Richmond, California. Central to the program is Rubicon Landscape Group’s provision of comprehensive job training in commercial landscape maintenance. Leveraging its expertise and resources, Rubicon Landscape Group offers hands-on training, mentorship, and guidance to equip participants with the necessary skills for a fresh start in life after incarceration. Additionally, the Reentry Success Center plays a pivotal role by providing essential support services such as housing assistance, treatment programs, transportation aid, clothing provisions, and nutritional support to address various personal and professional needs of program participants. Through a structured curriculum, practical experience, and holistic support from Rubicon Landscape Group and the Reentry Success Center, participants embark on a journey of personal and professional growth, gaining valuable skills and resources for successful reintegration into society. The Beautify Richmond Program exemplifies a collaborative effort dedicated to fostering positive change within the community, with a focus on empowering individuals through skill development, support services, and community engagement opportunities.
About Rubicon Landscape Group:
Rubicon Landscape Group is a subsidiary of Rubicon Programs, a Bay Area non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals and families through comprehensive support services and vocational training. With a focus on sustainable landscape management, Rubicon Landscape Group partners with municipalities, HOAs, and commercial properties to deliver high-quality landscaping services while promoting environmental stewardship and community well-being.
