Since the beginning, virtually all of the work involved in building and staffing the Jersey Explorer has been done by young people - particularly the young people of New Jersey Youth Corps. The Jersey Explorer is the only children's museum in the country that was built by young people and the first to pioneer the concept of using youth as staff. The Dept. of Labor administers the New Jersey Youth Corps, a program that offers young adults between 16 and 25 who have left high school without graduating the opportunity to both earn a high school diploma and gain work skills through meaningful community service. More than 14,000 young people have participated in the New Jersey Youth Corps since it was established in 1984. For more info, visit:
AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans each in intensive service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. AmeriCorps members serve through more than 2,100 nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based organizations. They tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs, and help communities respond to disasters. Created in 1993, AmeriCorps is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service,which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. Together, these programs engage more than 2 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year. For more info, visit:
