WASHINGTON, June 25, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- June 25th launches year 12 of the 'GreenTeam,' a regional six-week high school summer conservation program managed by the Student Conservation Association (SCA) in partnership with the National Park Service and the ExxonMobil Foundation. The program is designed to provide Washington-area high school students hands-on experience, gaining leadership opportunities and team-building skills to promote conservation and the enhancement of the region's natural resources.
Comprised of sixty high school students from district-area high schools, GreenTeam members receive a monetary stipend for their community service on conservation crews in local parks and trails, with the added benefit of gaining experience in environmental education, job skills and career development. To participate in the GreenTeam, students are recommended by school teachers and counselors, while many express a strong interest in the environment and community service.
The GreenTeam will be in action throughout the capital region, with students split into ten teams of six for intensive projects including, but not limited to trail construction, re-vegetation and watershed restoration at C&O Canal National Historic Park, Fort Circles Trail, Fort Washington Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Greenbelt Park, Kingman Island, and Rock Creek Park. The six-week program also includes an educational component in which students study ecosystems, conservation principles and environmental awareness. GreenTeam high school summer conservation crews runs from June 25th through August 3rd.
2007 marks the 12th year of ExxonMobil's national partnership with SCA in the nation's capital. A significant presence in the greater Washington area, ExxonMobil's Northern Virginia offices have a dedicated staff of over 2,500 industry professionals leading the way in supplying fuel to more than 300 Exxon and Mobil-branded service stations in the region. Information about ExxonMobil can be found at http://www.exxonmobil.com.
The nation's largest provider of year-round environmental conservation service opportunities, outdoor education and leadership training for youth and young adults since 1957, SCA volunteers annually commit nearly 2 million combined hours of service in close to 500 national parks, forests, refuges and urban green spaces throughout all 50 states.
In Washington, the SCA Regional Office mobilizes district youth while encouraging them to take active ownership in preserving the environmental health of their communities. Working on conservation projects throughout the Capital area as well as local parks and trails, SCA programs provide the added benefit of youth gaining experience in environmental education, community service, job skills and career development, while increasing neighborhood participation and environmental awareness. Additional information about SCA is available through http://www.thesca.org.
Editors: Contact SCA Media Relations Coordinator Brandon Frazier at 703-524-2441 or bfrazier@thesca.org to arrange site visits to conservation service projects, photo opportunities and/or student interviews.