Louisiana Green Corps serves our community through our workforce training program, the Construction & Conservation Corps (CCC) to train young adults in hands-on, paid workforce development while advancing resilience of our communities in ways that are visible and lasting at the individual, household, neighborhood, and city levels. 

Participants, aged 18-35, will spend at least 50% of their time in the field, completing projects that lead to climate sustainability and resilience, applying classroom lessons in real-world settings, and gaining valuable on-the-job experience. Corps members gain skills in green construction, stormwater management, urban forestry, and renewable energy while completing projects that directly reduce heat and flood risks. Each project offers dual outcomes: participants build experience and career pathways, while communities benefit from healthier environments.

Our work centers on construction activities that mitigate extreme heat and flooding, as well as improve local air quality. Trainees contribute to the installation and maintenance of green infrastructure, including rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable surfaces, which increase stormwater retention and reduce subsidence. They take part in expanding the City’s tree canopy through urban forestry, a critical component of New Orleans’ commitment to plant 40,000 trees by 2030. These efforts lower neighborhood heat stress, improve air quality, and deliver measurable health benefits to residents. Additionally, we are focused on solar energy, energy efficiency and weatherization, ensuring that households and community hubs in vulnerable neighborhoods are better equipped to withstand rising temperatures, intensifying storms.

Community partnership is central to this approach. Construction and conservation projects are planned and implemented in collaboration with a diverse set of public, private, and community partners.

This approach reflects a social, enviroment and economic equity model. At the community level, projects create cooler streets, safer homes, and reduced exposure to flooding and heat. At the individual and family level, trainees gain income stability, career readiness, and access to family-sustaining employment. By linking climate policy implementation with workforce development, we ensure that the residents most impacted by environmental inequities are the same ones leading and benefiting from the solutions.