During the COVID-19 pandemic the Parks Department leaned on its team on the frontlines extra hard to keep parks clean and green for the public to enjoy. This is a good opportunity to learn more about the agency’s workforce, in particular to shine a light on the Parks Opportunity Program. This gives entry-level workers jobs, as well opportunities for education, personal growth, and advancement in the workforce.
Today our guests are Parkies who have personal experience with our important workforce development program:
- Wanda Heath, Parks Opportunity Program Worker
- Michelle Broady, City Seasonal Aide
- Jessenea Rivero, City Seasonal Aide
- Elvin Torro Lobo, former City Park Worker
- Bernard Maguire, City Park Worker
- Elizabeth Ehrlich, former Chief of Workforce Development
We record our shows in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at McCarren Park Play Center in the Media Education Lab. Our team is using the Media Lab and Parks volunteers to share our history with listeners, presenting some of the more than 100 oral history interviews conducted with Parkies.
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