EMMAUS, Pa. — Under the yellows, oranges and reds of fall foliage, a group from Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley showed off the work it has done to clean up an area park.
- Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley's Promise Corps uses nature to train people for environmental jobs
- Promise Corps worked on Black River Sanctuary, which will open in spring 2023
- This was an opportunity for young people from Allentown to experience nature
“The Promise Corps is an opportunity for us to get youth from the community engaged with environmental justice,” said Hasshan Batts, executive director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.
The company connects young people in the area to local resources that will help them succeed in school and life.
“We want to build bridges with the institutions that have the jobs with youth in the community that need the jobs because part of our work is about keeping youth in the community," Batts said.
"We don't want them thinking you have to move to Charlotte or Camden, or Chicago or San Diego to be successful. We have so much opportunity here in the Lehigh Valley.”
“The Promise Corps is an opportunity for us to get youth from the community engaged with environmental justice."Hasshan Batts, executive director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley
Promise Corps is a pilot program designed to get young people into nature. Friday's first project was to assist in getting the 187-acre Black River Sanctuary ready to open in spring 2023. The area is the 14th nature preserve in the Wildlands Conservancy.
Anderson Cox of Allentown, a member of Promise Corps, was among the people who cleared paths, removed invasive species and worked to get the area ready for others to enjoy.
He said the program has been therapeutic to him.
“My brother was murdered tragically [at] the beginning of 2018, but Promise Neighborhoods has always been a family to me,” he said.
Now, Cox hopes to use the training he received to find a job in the environmental field.
“Getting outside, getting in nature, just enjoying the beauty that is nature. It's amazing," he said.
Leo Rooney, who runs the environmental stewardship workforce development program, said three Promise Neighborhoods members were able to participate this year, but the hope is to secure funding for 20 members next time around.
"We're here to train folks to take careers in these environmental spaces and to reconnect with nature," he said. "And then to teach the skills that would allow you to go into those spaces and find a sustaining career.”
To offer hands-on training, Promise Neighborhoods teamed up with other businesses in the environmental field.
"One of the key things for Wildlands is to make sure that nature is accessible for all, and to have these experiences of our partner groups and our members coming in is really important for us,” said Chris Kocher, the president of Wildlands Conservancy.
"We are just thrilled to have the partnership and have the members coming out to support the building of trails, to enable us to open up this sanctuary to the public in [the] spring of 2023."
Also lending guidance was Reset Outdoors, a company that combines nature with therapy practices.
“Our role has been to provide a little bit of professional development, leadership training and emotional support throughout that process,” founder Connor Moriarty said.
"Professionals who have an understanding of the role that they play, what they can meaningfully contribute, confidence and the good they bring to the team, as well as a really effective self-care strategy will just make them better performers on the job,” he added.
The group first found out about this type of funding through the William Penn Foundation and the core network. Those interested in joining or working with area youth can visit Promise Neighborhoods' website.
