Free Job Training for Residents of 80205 Zip Code

Denver Green Jobs Initiative announces the availability of free job training, support services and job placement assistance to help unemployed and disadvantaged residents of the Five Points area (80205 zip code) launch careers with strong earning and advancement potential in Colorado’s high-growth green industries:

o Solar Energy Technology
o Green Construction
o Energy Efficiency and Weatherization
o Green Jobs Administration and Sales

Denver Green Jobs Initiative is currently recruiting for all classes, which range from introductory to high-level certification courses. Denver Green Jobs Initiative is reaching out to our friends to help us spread the word about this great opportunity for free job training for residents of 80205. Anyone is welcome to visit the Denver Green Jobs Headquarters, located in the Phillips Center at 1619 E. 35th Avenue.

“We are dedicated to creating a highly skilled and flexible workforce for the green economic sector,” said Rick Lawton, Project Manager for Denver Green Jobs Initiative. “Denver Green Jobs is a community-based engine for economic development and environmental sustainability that will help residents of 80205 access the training and support they need to successfully begin careers in Colorado’s fastest growing industries.”

Colorado is already an important national player in the renewable energy and efficiency industries, and by 2030 these sectors could generate $61.5 billion in revenues and create 613,000 well-paid jobs in the state. Nationwide, the renewable energy and efficiency industries could generate 37 million jobs by 2030 – that’s 17% of all anticipated U.S. employment. Most jobs in the green sectors are similar to roles in other industries - truck drivers, welders, roofers, machinists, construction laborers, and cashiers - and offer opportunities for entry-level employees to work their way up the ranks and build a promising career.

Denver Green Jobs Initiative participants can choose to take just one course or sign up for a career path. Course offerings combine technical and non-technical training to prepare students for success in employment, apprenticeships or continuing education. Each participant receives individual job placement assistance, including resume preparation, writing cover letters, interviewing and networking skills, and access to employers who are hiring.

Participation in the Denver Green Jobs Initiative is limited to individuals who reside in the 80205 zip code (Five Points, Cole, Whittier, Skyland, and Clayton neighborhoods).

“Denver Green Jobs Initiative is focused on the Five Points community because we have identified a strong need for training and education in order for folks to break into the high-growth industries of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable construction,” said Lawton. “Five Points is among the city’s most historical and most vibrant communities, yet one in four residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment and crime rates are significantly higher than averages for Denver.”

Those interested in enrolling in training through Denver Green Jobs Initiative should visit www.denvergreenjobs.org or call 303-974-1900 for more information.

Denver Green Jobs Initiative is a collaboration between nonprofit, community-based organizations, private companies, trade unions, and workforce development agencies. Denver Green Jobs Initiative is a two-year project funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Congrats, Digital Connectors!!

On Saturday, July 17, Mi Casa Resource Center and the Comcast Foundation celebrated the graduation of Mi Casa’s inaugural class of Digital Connectors, a group of 12 youth from diverse, low-income backgrounds, who recently completed the 10-month digital literacy program. Mi Casa’s Digital Connectors showcased what they learned about digital media, broadband technology, and putting their knowledge to work for the betterment of their community.

The Comcast Digital Connectors program is an innovative partnership between the Comcast Foundation and One Economy Corporation which has launched in several Comcast markets across the country to involve youth in bridging the digital divide, or the gap – often along socioeconomic and generational lines – between those with access to digital technology and those without.

“The Digital Connectors program is an important initiative for Comcast as we continue to seek out opportunities to educate young people about civic engagement and instill in them the leadership and technology skills that are so essential to their futures,” said Scott Binder, regional senior vice president of Comcast. “We are proud to honor these students for their initiative and commitment.”

The 12 Mi Casa Digital Connectors recognized on July 17 – six received certificates of completion and six received certificates of participation – are local youth ranging in age from 14 to 21. They come from different schools including North High, and P.S.1 Charter School. In exchange for their hard work and time commitment, which averaged six hours per week for 10 months, the Digital Connectors received a desktop computer and a USB drive. In recognition of their graduation, the Comcast Foundation and One Economy Corporation will reward each Digital Connector with a flip camera AND a netbook computer!

“We have encouraged our Digital Connectors to think about the program as a job, complete with important responsibilities, high expectations and tangible rewards,” said Andrea Herrera Moreno, Mi Casa’s Digital Connectors Program Coordinator.

Perla Jimenez, 19, participated in the program with her two younger brothers and will be recognized on July 17. “I’m a Digital Connector because I see myself as a leader to my younger siblings. I know that if I do something good they’ll want to follow in my footsteps,” Perla says.

Perla was named Mi Casa Digital Connector of the month in February 2010 and received the same honor nationally in March. Perla has been an enthusiastic participant in the Digital Connectors classes and service projects even as she gets ready to attend Community College of Denver in the fall. Perla is proud and excited to be the first person in her family to graduate high school - and in four years, she plans to be the first to graduate from college.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Visits Mi Casa

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was in Denver yesterday, where she visited Mi Casa and the Denver Green Jobs Initiative - a DOL-funded project in the 80205 zip code to provide job training, supportive services, and job placement assistance to unemployed and disadvantaged residents.

Secretary Solis blogged about her experience in Denver and at Mi Casa in the White House Blog - check it out!

Secretary Solis praised Mi Casa and its partners on the Denver Green Jobs Initiative for providing low-income workers with the skills needed to start a promising new career - not just a job. Sec. Solis said that she and the Obama Administration are fixated on creating opportunities in the renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) industries - even if jobs in these sectors are not yet abundant.

"It's our future," Sec. Solis said. "We have lost more than one million jobs overseas, but I think green-collar jobs can bring those jobs and more back home to the United States ... The President and I feel strongly that in order to realize our vision to create sustainable energy sources and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we need to invest in our most valuable resource - our people."

That's why the Department of Labor is investing in job-training programs across the country - part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For more information about green jobs training through Mi Casa, visit our website www.MiCasaResourceCenter.org.

MSCD Center for Urban Education Teaches Programming to Mi Casa Youth

Mi Casa volunteer and Metropolitan State College Professor Dr. Don Gilmore is a math whiz.

In fact, he’s so good he teaches math to math teachers. So you might be surprised to meet his sidekicks in the classroom – Rajon and Deon – students at Lake Middle School who attend Mi Casa Neighborhood Center every day after school.

Rajon and Deon didn’t have any experience with computer programming until Dr. Gilmore and his student assistants from the Metro State College Center for Urban Education came to the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center to start a computer gaming program. The volunteers from MSCD taught the Mi Casa kids about Alice, a computer programming teaching tool that makes it easy for students to create 3D animated stories. Rajon and Deon dove into the project and soon were creating not just digital stories, but interactive video games.

Last year, Deon and Rajon had a chance to share what they learned about Alice with a group of math teachers, who were eager to hear their impressions of the program. The teachers asked them questions about the program and the best way of teaching it to students. The kids got a real kick out of tutoring the teachers for once!

Rajon and Deon continue to be Dr. Gilmore’s valued teaching assistants. Just last month they stopped by the Office of Urban Teacher Partnerships at the Center for Urban Education for pizza and pop before heading over to join Dr. Gilmore and his Mathematics of Secondary Curriculum course. Deon and Rajon were there to help Dr. Gilmore teach the students about using Alice in the classroom.

Students from the United States have fallen well behind students from other countries in knowledge of math and science – an issue of great concern to Dr. Gilmore. “Math is part of every science. It’s incredibly important yet the traditional approach to teaching math hasn’t been successful in engaging a broader audience,” he says. “I prefer an approach where students’ learning is focused around their own thinking and ideas. There may be just one right answer to a problem, but often there are different ways to get there, and I’ve found this approach keeps students more engaged.”

Dr. Gilmore is especially concerned that many kids in the public school system – particularly low-income children at inner-city schools like Deon and Rajon – are not being given sufficient opportunities to learn about math, science and technology. That’s why the Center for Urban Education Metro State brings professors and university students into urban schools in high-needs areas like Lake in order to provide low-income children with enriching afterschool programs focused on academic success, as well as math and science learning.

At the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center, Don supplied nine laptop computers equipped with Alice and has dedicated many hours of his own time and that of his team to supporting the children in their introduction to the world of computer science. He hopes it will be the beginning of a lifelong interest in technology that will propel the students to college and into successful careers. In the meantime, Dr. Gilmore will do his part to make sure that all children, no matter their background or socioeconomic status, have opportunities to learn about the technology that underpins our modern world, as well as the math concepts that underpin our technology.

FREE Computer Clean-Up June 26!

Does your computer run too slowly? Are you afraid it might be contaminated with malware?

Bring your desktop (tower only) or laptop to Mi Casa on June 26 and our Digital Connectors will clean it, improve the processing speed, and make sure it’s is safe and virus-free!

Saturday, June 26
11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
360 Acoma Street - Lab D
Call to make an appointment at 303-539-5619

There is no cost to have your computer cleaned, but donations are gratefully accepted!
Mi Casa’s Digital Connectors are a group of 20 youth participating a technology learning initiative that equips them with in-depth digital literacy skills and the know-how to put their technology savvy to work for the betterment of their community.

For more information about the Digital Connectors, visit Mi Casa's website

Mi Casa, MidChix, and The Latina Chamber invite you to an evening with Helen Thorpe, author of Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America.

Friday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Tattered Cover Bookstore - 1628 16th Street

Just Like Us is a well-timed and powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver—two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don’t — and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream.

Wine and cheese will be served, and all proceeds from the event will support Mi Casa’s mission to advance the economic success of Latino families.

Suggested donation: $40 per person

To RSVP contact Cheryl at 303-539-5609 or cbalchunas@MiCasaResourceCenter.org

MidChix.com is a social networking community for women 40+ featuring magazine–style content, a variety of flocks, member recommendations, as well as information on organizations that serve the greater good. www.MidChix.com

The mission of the Latina Chamber is to promote and advance the personal, professional, and business interests of Latinas, their families, and their communities. We believe in giving back to community and helping our people find their way in life. www.LatinaChamber.org

Bid for the Chance to Be Anything!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a zookeeper? How about an Olympic swim coach? A pastry chef? A crime reporter?

Well, now’s your chance to experience these dream jobs! Mi Casa’s Be Anything Luncheon on May 21 will include a unique silent auction featuring opportunities to hang out with fascinating professionals and “be anything” for the day!

Mi Casa's 2nd Annual BE ANYTHING Luncheon & Silent Auction
Friday, May 21 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Denver Athletic Club

Tickets are $50 each and selling out fast! Call or e-mail Cheryl 303-539-5609 or cbalchunas@MiCasaResourceCenter.org.

2010 Dream Jobs Up for Bid

Be an Olympic Swim Coach: spend the day with the head coach of the U.S. Swim Team and rub elbows with heroes from the 2008 Beijing games.

Be a Zookeeper: shadow a zookeeper at the Denver Zoo and learn about caring for the animals and the ins and outs of running a popular urban zoo.

Be a Race Car Driver: learn racing techniques while driving a real Porsche race car on a track outside Denver.

Be a TV Reporter: hang out with The Denver Channel’s weekend anchor/reporter Ana Cabrera and experience the newsroom, filming studio and even the chance to report on breaking news.

Be a Radio DJ: sit in the booth with DJ Mikey in the mornings from Alice 105.9 FM and participate in the live morning show!

Be a Denver Post Crime Reporter: shadow beat reporter Felisa Cardona and experience what its like to go to court, conduct an interview and produce a story on deadline.

Be a Pastry Chef: spend the day surrounded by sweet smells at Azucar Bakery and learn to make a wedding cake from start to finish, including decoration!

Be a Raging Rapids Fan: this is the perfect package for a soccer player! With the chance to take the field immediately before kick-off and get a jersey signed by the entire team, this is an experience your kiddo won’t soon forget.

Be a Queen and Princess: perfect for mother-daughter, this package includes hair styling and makeovers for two at Planet Labs Salon in Cherry Creek North.

Be a Roaring Rockies Fan: with four tickets (great seats!) to the home game of your choice and a signed piece of Rockies memorabilia, this is a great package for the boy (or girl) of summer in your life.