New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg received a 2020 Project of the Year Award from The Corps Network in recognition of their service project – Plan ‘Bee’: The Pollinator Project.

The Corps Network, the national association of Service and Conservation Corps, presents this prestigious award to select organizations from their 130-Corps-strong membership. The NJYCP accepted the award at a ceremony on Capitol Hill, as part of The Corps Network’s annual national conference.

Projects of the Year are noteworthy for their ability to provide both a positive experience for Corpsmembers and meaningful improvements to the community. Awardees are chosen through a competitive nomination and review process.

In Youth Corps, teams of youth 16-25 called “crews” carry out a wide range of service projects under the guidance of adult mentors. New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg primarily engages young adults in environmental and conservation work in the Warren County area while pursuing an alternative path to education.

Plan ‘Bee’: The Pollinator Project is the Phillipsburg-based crew’s endeavor into beekeeping. Corpsmembers used woodworking skills to build and repair beehives and landscaped and gardened to create an area of native plants for the pollinators. Over the calendar year, 30 members served over 1,000 hours on The Pollinator Project, harvesting 40 pounds of honey.

“We could not think of a service project that better parallels the lives of our Corpsmembers,” said NJYCP Director Michael Muckle. He looked at the project as a metaphor for addressing issues of substance abuse and mental health: “Bees are besieged by insidious forces not readily visible to all and they are facing an ever-growing lack of resources and suitable, sustainable habitats. Our Corpsmembers face similar dynamics. Plan ‘Bee’ has proven to be an effective model for increasing both the Corpsmembers and bees’ ability to thrive in their respective communities.”

Now in its 35th year statewide and 22nd year in Phillipsburg, New Jersey Youth Corps is one of the largest youth service and conservation corps in the United States. Funded through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Youth Corps is a year-round, locally administered, voluntary program that engages young adults ages 16 to 25 in full-time community service, training, and educational activities.

Through advocacy and providing Corps access to funding opportunities and expert guidance, The Corps Network annually enables more than 25,000 Corpsmembers to strengthen communities, improve the environment and transform their lives through service.

For more information about New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg, please visit www.njycphillipsburg.com, or call 8767-270-7266.