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LA Conservation Corps Founding
The LA Conservation Corps is founded by Mickey Kantor on April 16, 1986, in a decommissioned fire station in South Los Angeles with 27 Corpsmembers. At this time, the Young Adult Corps program is established.
40th Anniversary
Four Decades of Building Stronger Communities
For 40 years, the LA Conservation Corps has been helping LA communities grow stronger. The LA Corps is the nation’s largest urban conservation corps with over 130 full-time staff serving approximately 5000 young people each year throughout the greater Los Angeles area. As the Corps enters its fourth decade, we are proud to carry on our legacy. Join us in celebrating the Corps as we reach this historic milestone and help us usher in the next 40 years.
40th anniversary
4 Decades of Legacy
1986–1996
1st Decade
1986
1988
Clean & Green Program Launches
The Clean & Green Program is created by then-Mayor Tom Bradley as a way to keep 14- to 17-year-old high school students busy during school breaks (which run on year-round tracks at the time). Clean & Green students provide community beautification and other support in every Council District across the City of LA. Today, our Clean & Green project lives in the Young Adult Corps and continues to ensure that all Council Districts regularly receive street and neighborhood clean-up services.
1993
Second Site Opens in East LA
The Corps’ second program site opens in East LA and later moves to a new site in Boyle Heights in 2013.
1995
Expanded Learning Programming Launches
Building Up Los Angeles (now our After School Program) is created as one of the nation’s first AmeriCorps programs and serves over 20 schools across LAUSD today. BULA is the first AmeriCorps-funded program and mobilizes 60 Community-Based Organizations to address critical health, housing, public safety, education, and environmental issues in our underserved communities.
1996–2006
2nd Decade
1997
SEA Lab Opens
The SEA Lab program opens in Redondo Beach to teach young people about coastal conservation.
1998
Vice President Al Gore Visits
Vice President Al Gore attends the LA Conservation Corps’ Annual Luncheon celebration.
2001
Expansion to the Commonwealth Nursery
The Young Adult Corps begins operations at the Commonwealth Nursery in Griffith Park.
2003
Northeast LA Site Opens (NELA)
The Corps opens its third site; it is later renamed the John Van de Kamp Center in memory of the Corps' Founding Board Member.
2006–2016
3rd Decade
2006
LA Education Corps Charter High School Founding
The LA Education Corps Charter School is founded to provide a tailor-fit educational program for Corpsmembers to earn a high school diploma; before then, a GED program ran out of the LA Conservation Corps.
2011
The Corps Celebrates 25 Years
The LA Conservation Corps receives a record breaking $1 million in support at its Annual Luncheon.
2015
Compton Creek Natural Park Opens
This park, which becomes home to the Corps’ fourth program site, is built by Corpsmembers in partnership with the Compton Unified School District and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA).
2016-2026
4th Decade
2017
East San Fernando Valley Site Opens
Program operations begin in the East Valley at borrowed space in Sunland-Tujunga formally serving as the Corps’ fifth program site.
2018
West San Fernando Valley Site Opens
Program operations expand into the western side of the San Fernando Valley with more borrowed space in Reseda formally rounding out the Corps’ footprint across Los Angeles and becoming the Corp's sixth site.
2024
Renaming South LA Flagship Site
The Corps' flagship site in South LA is renamed the Russell Kantor Center in honor and memory of the 1998 death of the son of Founder Mickey Kantor.
2025
Wildfire Response
The LA Conservation Corps steps up after the Palisades and Eaton Fires in January 2025, beginning with work as part of the Governor’s Watershed Protection Mission and continuing to help restore trails, parks, and natural landscapes throughout the burn zones.
40th Anniversary
A Legacy of Impact:
40 Years Strong
25,000
Young Adults and Teens Joined the Corps
150,000
Children Attended Our After School Programs
400,000
Trees Planted or Distributed to LA Residents
9,000
Acres of Habitat Restored
4,000
Tons of Beverage Containers Recycled
30,000,000
Square Feet of Graffiti Removed
40th Anniversary
40th Anniversary Events
The LA Conservation Corps is planning a series of events to highlight 40 years of impact. Stay tuned for updates and learn more about sponsorship opportunities below.
Volunteer Service Day
Help clean city streets and neighborhoods, plant trees, or participate in a beach clean-up in partnership with Corpsmembers, civic leaders, and other volunteers
2026 Luncheon
Join 400 community, business, and government leaders as we come together to celebrate 40 years of the Corps working to bring environmental and community resilience to Los Angeles.
VIP Reception
Celebrate four decades of impact at the Corps alongside 150 influential leaders, policymakers, and community champions
40th Anniversary
Support 40 Years of Impact
Consider making a donation or purchasing a few items from our 40th Anniversary merch page. All proceeds support the Corps, strengthen our community, and contribute to the Corps legacy!
Contact
Questions about the 40th anniversary?
For more information about becoming a sponsor to the Luncheon, or general inquiries, please contact donation@lacorps.org or 213-362-9000 ext. 267.
Contact & Locations
LA Conservation Corps Headquarters
1400 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Main: (213) 362-9000
LA Conservation Corps Headquarters
1400 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Main: (213) 362-9000
©2025 LA Conservation Corps. All Rights Reserved. Tax ID # 95-4002138