“The greatest opportunity coincides with the greatest

need”

PresentersPatrick Barnes, P.G.

FounderMatilda Tennessee

Director

• Help disadvantaged young people reconnect to society through education and job training;

• Impart job skills and behaviors to help facilitate gainful employment, build hope, families, communities and foster economic growth;

• Help young people become stewards of their environment while introducing them to entry level career opportunities in the environmental field and green jobs.

LVI’s Goal

Types of Environmental ProgramsLVI provides training and programs in the following areas:

• Community Involvement Environmental Through Service

• Environmental Site Assessment and Remediation• Community Surveying/Condition Assessment• Brownfields Site Evaluation• Abandoned Gas Stations

• Environmental Construction• Weatherization• Energy Efficiency

Students receive job training the following:Industry Certifications: - 10 and 30 hour OSHA Construction Safety - 40 hour Hazardous Waste Operations - 32 hours Asbestos Worker - 16 Mold Remediation - Energy Efficiency Associates -Building Performance Professionals - Adult EducationTraining involves a combination of classroom activities, community projects, on-the-job training, and mentorship through working with professional environmentalists, geologists, and hydrologists in the industry.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS2008-2010

Program Fact Sheet

Cycles: 6Total Number of Students trained : 180Community Work Sites/Projects:• America’s Wetland Conservation Corps• Operation REACH’s Gulfsouth Youth Biodiesel• New Orleans Recreation Department• Audubon Nature Institute• Sidewalk Repair and Construction• Urban property survey of Phoenix of New Orleans, LA • Soil Cleanup and Biofuels Sourcing Project Sprout

Wetland Conservation Corps

America’s Wetland Conservation Corps (AWWC)• Develops restoration projects

designed to engage communities in wetland conservation activities.

• Coordinate hands-on restoration projects including vegetative planting, restorative interventions and community-wide cleanups for volunteers.

Greenhouse view of project.

Students sorting through wetland samples.

Biodiesel Project

Operation REACH’s Gulfsouth Youth Biodiesel• Growing renewable energy through the collection of

used cooking oil and conversion into biodiesel fuel. • Trained in business, community leadership,

environmental sciences, chemistry, mechanics and engineering through hands-on participation in

biodiesel production.

LVI students are learning the various steps of the process of converting cooking oil to biodiesel oil.

Students observe a sketch of the biodiesel process.

NORD

New Orleans Recreation Department• Restore 16 NORD playgrounds at

an accelerated pace • Playgrounds opened earlier than

planned• Taught landscaping techniques• Volunteered as Special Olympics

Coaches

Students raking the baseline on baseball/ softball field.

Students clearing a path at the park.

Audubon Nature Institute Audubon Nature Institute• Diversity of wildlife; • Preserve native Louisiana habitats;• Educate diverse audience about the

natural world; • Enhance the care and survival of

wildlife through research and conservation; and

• Provide opportunities for recreation in natural settings.

Lois Nembhard, Acting Deputy Director Americorps State and National Programs visit with students at the Audubon Nature Institute.

Students painting one of the facilities at the zoo.

Concrete and Construction

G&C Concrete and Construction, LLC• Train construction and masonry

techniques. • Carpentry skills framing and forming; • Operational skills of power tools and

heavy machinery; • Pouring concrete; • Mild plumbing; measuring; leveling

the ground; and blue print reading.

Student smoothes out freshly poured concrete.

A frame for sidewalk replacement.

PNOLA.’

Phoenix of New Orleans, LA (PNOLA) –

•Surveying properties prior to assessments

• Photo documentation• Data Collection

Measuring the dimensions of a property.

Students hosing down after taking surveys in the field.

Project Sprout

Project Sprout• Transform blighted properties into

nodes of community redevelopment.

• Planting of bio-energy gardens that include plants such as:

- Sunflowers, - Sprout remediate soil, - Yields a crop for bio-fuel

production, - Provides green-collar job training

Students observing newly planted crop.

Students digging to clear area for planting.

LVI Current Focus Areas

Brownfields and

Home Weatherization

Definition- Definition of Brownfields

The term “Brownfield" means real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminantion.

The city has identified 177 closed service stations and 267 hazardous sites that limit the city's ability to

redevelop after storms and floods.

Brownfield Sites

Brownfield Sites

Brownfield Brownfield Sites Redevelopment

The American Can Company before remediation

American Can Site after completion of site project. Picture taken from Orleans Avenue.

American Can Site courtyard during renovationactivities

Completed courtyard showing new pool

Front side of site during redevelopment and remediation activities

Front side of site after completion of remediation activities and redevelopment into an apartment and retail-store complex

The goal of our program is to provide the environmental

assessment/remediation and construction job skills training

necessary to allow young people from the community to obtain

meaningful employment.

Weatherization Program

The training program focuses on skill development in following areas:• Building Construction Basics• Building Science• Cost versus savings of Energy Efficiency

recommendations• Weatherization techniques

Weatherization Program Cont.’

Students installing a radiant barrier in a home to keep the attic cooler decreasing the workload on the cooling unit.

Performing a Blower Door Test….. Hot Water Heater Insulation.

Weatherization Program Cont.’

Weatherization Program Upon Graduation, participants will be

able to perform the following duties under supervision:

1. Take Home Energy Assessments2. Analyze Blower Door Tests results3. Make Energy Efficiency

Recommendations4. Make Weatherization upgrades

Weatherization Program

The goal of this program is to trainindividuals in weatherization techniques and help create a workforce that can participate in making New Orleans area homes more energy efficient.

ConclusionLVI feels fortunate to be able to help

turn the “needs” of our community into job “opportunities” for our youth