Climate Resilience; Workforce Training; Urban Greening; Extreme Heat

President Biden announced the launch of the American Climate Corps to celebrate Earth Day. This program is patterned after the Civilian Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Peace Corps which all focused on providing service opportunities for youth that while gaining vocational skills. The American Climate Corps aims to put thousands of young people to work on climate resilience and clean energy.

Trees not only make neighborhoods more beautiful, but they also provide measurable health benefits, including better air quality, lower temperatures, and increased community engagement. The City of Oakland is using state grant funding to help young people find jobs and pursue careers in climate resilience and public safety. This includes the Youth Employment Partnership’s Oakland Forward Program now planting street trees in East Oakland which has less tree canopy cover (7-12%) than the city average (19%).