Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center

Cherokee, NC – Students are earning certifications and increasing their employability like never before thanks to long-time Office Administration Instructor, Penny Cody. Cody has led her classes to a record number of global certifications including a student earning the highest Excel score nationwide in 2012. In the past 12 months alone, students have earned 108 [...]

Almond, NC – The U.S. Forest Service conducted a prescribed burn April 10th, 2013 on about 800 acres in the Cheoah Ranger District, Nantahala National Forest. Students from the Oconaluftee Job Corps CCC Forestry Conservation and Wildland Firefighting program were on hand to help burn out road line and watching for spot fires as the [...]

Cashiers, NC – Nestled deep in the mountains between Sylva and Cashiers, the scenic USFS Balsam Lodge is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a make-over. Throughout the summer and fall, exterior portions of the Lodge have been being restored thanks to the student HBI Carpentry and Facilities Maintenance crews from the Oconaluftee Job [...]

Cherokee, NC – Each year, thousands of volunteers across the country participate in the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in America, National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Locally, students and staff of the Oconaluftee Job Corps CCC contributed over 250 hours of service on the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests as a part of [...]

Forestry Conservation student sawyer, Carrie Oszterling, bucks a fallen tree (left). Nantahala NF Cheoah RD Forestry Technician, Jeremy Waite (red helmet), helps teach Forestry Conservation students proper trench construction techniques as they learn first hand how to prepare for a prescribed fire (right). Bryson City, NC – Deep in the Nantahala Gorge, Forestry Conservation students [...]

 Cherokee, NC – Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center joined 125 other Job Corps centers across the country to celebrate the second annual ‘National Job Corps Commencement Day’. Held on Friday August 24th, 2012, the local ceremony congratulated 20 students who graduated the program this year with successful education and career training in everything from [...]

Cherokee, NC – A whole new group of youth are getting a cultural and environmental education in Cherokee these days. In the early morning light, 15 students look for the first time at a traditional Cherokee rivercane basket and marvel at the colors and detail. WCU’s Adam Griffith of the Program for the Study of [...]

Murphy, NC – Matching a special star head bit in yet another decking screw, student Ryan Sullivan, put in the final pieces to a ‘pin wheel’ turn on a new section on the Murphy River Walk boardwalk. Designed and built on top of an old road bed, the new boardwalk will allow the community access [...]

From left: M.E. Smith,  Center Director, USDA Forest Service, Oconaluftee JCCCC, North Carolina, Tom Tidwell, Chief, USDA Forest Service, and Holly Krake, USDA Forest Service, Oconaluftee JCCCC, North Carolina. Smith and Krake received the 2012 MLK Drum Major for Service Award at the USDA National Service Day in Washington, D.C. CHEROKEE, NC – The Oconaluftee [...]

CHEROKEE, NC – The Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center recently hosted its Second Annual Fall Basketball and Volleyball Tournament.  The invitational basketball tournament was accepted by several local community teams as well as other Job Corps teams.  It was a day filled with sportsmanship, excitement, community, and high flying basketball games. As a special [...]