YTT WORKIN’ HARD FOR THE MONEY
Ford, Prince and Aiyana are working hard maintaining and planting trees, learning about urban forestry, staying hydrated, and working as a team. The teens are getting their first work experience and spending quality time outdoors while improving our community. They are planting trees in residential yards, weeding mulch beds, working in the urban orchards and going on green team building experiences. Their work is concentrated in neighborhoods that have the lowest tree canopy in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. They work Monday through Thursday 8AM – 1PM for 10 weeks over the summer. This program was made possible by a Great Ideas Initiative Grant from the Children’s Services Council Palm Beach County.
Delray Beach
Delray Beach is a small city on Florida’s southeast coast. The Pineapple Grove Arts District is dotted with public art and galleries. Nearby, Cornell Art Museum displays contemporary works. The lakeside Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens offers tea ceremonies, calligraphy workshops and serene outdoor spaces. Wakodahatchee Wetlands is a park featuring a raised boardwalk with views of birds, turtles and alligators.
Boynton Beach
Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 68,217 at the 2010 census. In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 78,679 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Children’s Service Council of Palm Beach County
A Children’s Services Council (CSC) is a countywide special taxing district created by ordinance, and approved by voters, to fund programs and services that improve the lives of children and their families.
To date, 11 Florida counties have created CSCs that invest taxpayer dollars in the well-being of their community’s children and families. While the services offered and age groups served vary depending on the needs of the community, the primary focus of all CSCs is to invest in prevention and early intervention programs that produce measurable results.
In nine counties, voters have approved “independent” taxing authority for their CSC to ensure that a dedicated funding source is available for children’s programs and services. In addition to Palm Beach, the other counties with independent districts are Alachua, Broward, Hillsborough, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Pinellas and St. Lucie. Duval County (Jacksonville) operates as a “dependent” district, relying on funding from different sources, including county government, to pay for children’s programs and services. Manatee County is a hybrid.