Miami Gardens, FL   On Wednesday, March 7, a premier Federal Government Job Training Program partnered with a Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful (KMGB) project for a large scale volunteer effort aimed to enhance the local environment and help beautify the city.  The City of Miami Gardens started KMGB in 2004 to involve local businesses, residents, school children and government representatives at all levels with creating greener spaces through projects such as litter prevention and landscaping.   The beautiful idea cultivated into action when a large group of 35 young Construction Trade trainees from the Miami Job Corps Center arrived early morning at the project site, and began landscaping the corridors of the canal stretching from 47^th Ave thru 42^nd Ave at the corner of NW 178 Street.  By mid-afternoon, the Job Corps youth had planted over 325 Copper Leaf tropical shrub plants, a species that has been cultivated in Florida for decades.  “The plants add a vibrant variation of red and copper color tones, and they are drought tolerant and grow well in this climate,” said KMGB’s Program Coordinator Claudelle Joseph.City of Miami Gardens Mayor, Shirley Gibson, was there to show her support alongside other key participants to include Home Builders Institute Instructors Alberto Fiallo and Jorge Suarez, Miami Job Corps Center Director Willie Brown and representatives from the City of Miami Gardens Public Works Department and KMGB team.  “ I see this project as a unique opportunity for the Job Corps volunteers to get hands on experience working alongside city employees while having a chance to see viable career paths in this field, “said Mayor Gibson. Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Job Corps is the nation’s oldest and largest residential job training program for at-risk young people ages 16 through 24.  Each year, Job Corps provides approximately 60,000 students with the skills they need to become employable citizens.  “Job Corps training furthers leadership development in our young people, and projects like Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful are a great way for our students to use their Job Corps training to benefit others and give back to their community through service,” said Miami Job Corps Center Director Willie Brown.  Over the last 47 years, Job Corps has provided opportunities to more than two million economically disadvantaged young Americans.  This voluntary education and job training program offers career technical training, academic, and social skills training to students at 124 centers nationwide. The Miami Job Corps Center is located in Miami Gardens.  It provides GED, HighSchool Diploma, and 10 Career Technical Training program offerings to eligible youth.  Blog Writer:  Lori Trujillo, Business Community Liaison/MJCC