Youth Corps cleans up, learns about Montgomery Village

The Montgomery Village Foundation Summer Youth Corps program began June 23 and ended August 8, with the crew working five days per week, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Their mission was to assist with park maintenance, beautify Montgomery Village parks where practical and to learn life lessons by completing tasks as a team.  

Each year a group of five Village teens are selected to be part of the Youth Corps to perform parks maintenance and environmental projects throughout MVF park properties. Those chosen spend time outdoors, learn about the environment and gain new job skills, as well as gaining a better understanding of Montgomery Village and having some fun.

The Youth Corps completed park and community center maintenance along with many environmental improvement projects throughout Montgomery Village. Some of the main projects completed included: lake/pond restoration; park inspections to identify potential maintenance issues and removing low level tree growth near paths; safety assessments of all playgrounds; and storm water drainage improvements. They also assisted in the management of the rides and games at our Fourth of July Celebration.

With Youth Corps being many of these Villagers’ first job, having them learn what characteristics are essential to succeed at a position in the future was crucial. The crew gained valuable lessons in punctuality; flexibility with new concepts; demonstrating good judgment; teamwork; and responsibility for decision making.

With all Youth Corps staff living in Montgomery Village, another program element that was essential was community education. Every morning before beginning their day, the staff would be asked questions regarding Montgomery Village to educate them on their community and how Montgomery Village became what it is today. Throughout the summer, Youth Corps received many compliments from residents for being very hardworking and providing excellent customer service. It is safe to say Youth Corps had an extremely successful summer.