We met with Dereck the day after he took the certification exam for the National Green Infrastructure Program. He was feeling pretty confident.
Dereck
Section Heading
Here’s what he told us: “My first jobs were security at Six Flags and behind the counter at KFC. Those were all right, but now I’m looking down the road a little further. I want to make my 84-year-old grandmother proud.
Thanks to the Lever Fund’s investment in Washington Parks & People's Green Corps, I could get a green job, maybe at a construction site. The pay is a lot higher, there’s a better chance of promotions, and it lets me contribute to infrastructure that will last. When I first saw that big pile of books, I wondered if I could get to know all that stuff, but I could and I do! I’ve learned all about trees, different species of plants, and the environment.
“Everything’s coming to fruition.”