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A central question tugged at the leaders of the Civilian Conservation Corps: what would the enrollees do once they left the camps? How would they be equipped to seek employment and enter the workforce? The CCC was meant to act as short-term relief, so how could it ensure that men were prepared for the long-term?

From the CCC’s beginning in 1933, education programs were implemented as a central feature in the camps. Classes included general school topics such as those found in elementary or secondary education, like English and math. Vocational classes were also offered, including carpentry, metal working, leather working, and more. Topics even covered skills such as safety and first-aid. After the workday and dinner, enrollees could attend classes in the evening as a way to gain valuable skills and supplement their CCC experience. Classes were held in buildings specified for this very purpose.

Fredericksburg had camps divided by race: the white camp, camp MP-4, and the black camp, camp MP-3. Camp MP-4 had five nights a week devoted to education, while camp MP-3 offered four nights for two hours a night. Although the program was highly encouraged, it was voluntary, so not all men participated. One statistic from camp MP-4 stated that, on average, 45 men out of 154 attended classes regularly. The exception to this voluntary rule was that illiterate men were required to attend classes.

Educational advisors were assigned to each camp. Camp MP-4’s advisor was John T. Webner, who also served as the advisor for the veteran’s camp. In 1936, camp MP-3’s advisor was C. Portfield Harris, a colored man. This position was one of the few in which a black man could be in a role of power. Inspection reports said he was doing a “splendid” job. In general, both camps offered the same types of classes. Common classes included reading, writing, arithmetic, cooking, leadership training, and truck operation. They also kept up with changing times, offering classes in motion pictures and typing, and showed educational pictures to supplement regular classes. Permanent and traveling libraries were in place, including circulations of several newspapers and magazines. Occasionally lecturers came to the camp to talk about special topics. The classes were led by forestry personnel, officers, and sometimes enrollees themselves.

Across the CCC, several men earned high school diplomas, and some even obtained college degrees. Some men used the CCC as an opportunity to learn how to read, or gain skills that they could use in the workforce later in life. The education program emphasized employability, in the hopes that the relief offered by the CCC lasted beyond the boundaries of the camp and the Great Depression.

Sources:

Battlefield News. Volume 2, No. 3. September, 1938. Accessed April 20, 2018. https://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=BNE19380901&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------.

CCC Inspection Reports, 1933-1942, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Parks.

Salmond, John A. The Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942: A New Deal Case Study. Durham: Duke University Press, 1967.