What Makes LVI Special? 

While there are other youth environmental programs around the country, there is not one that exposes disconnected youth to the variety of environmental issues faced by Louisiana, particularly in the New Orleans area. The training provides students with exposure to the various career possibilities in different environmental fields, which include but are not limited to the following: Phase I and II assessments, compliance audits, wastewater treatment, water supply, solid waste management and recycling, hazardous waste management, and natural resource protection.

Work in both environmental assessment and facility-auditing areas rely heavily on the use of checklist and visual cues, knowledge, which is easily transferable. It is our belief that this target group lends itself well to this type of training because of the real world hands on nature of the field. The majority of sites, which require extensive assessment, include fuel stations, auto repair shops, junkyards, paint shops, and other commercial and industrial establishments. These facilities predominate in inner city areas and are often the source of dead end employment for the target individuals.

This program is truly unique because it involves end users and community stakeholders at every step along the way to help ensure that the trainees receive the needed soft skills and placement support.