Intensive Training

All Cleanslate interns are first students of The Cara Program.  To learn how to be accepted into The Cara Program, please click here. 

Once in Cleanslate, our interns’ work experience is defined by the following key parameters:

• Training and Orientation: Before interns begin working on the streets, they attend an intensive full-week training on equipment, safety, recycling, standards of professionalism and overall education about the neighborhood we serve. 
• Weekly Debriefings: Every week, Cleanslate interns meet with their supervisor for one hour to debrief the week’s events, report successes, resolve conflicts within the community or within the team, and identify methods to improve efficiency. The Cara Program’s life-skills concepts serve as a compass for these sessions; and the supervisor reinforces these by applying them to real–life scenarios. 
• Work Ethic:  Work ethic is one of the most significant outcomes Cleanslate interns gain from this experience.  Cleanslate crews establish aggressive productivity goals – including number of recyclable and trash bags to be collected each day.  To achieve the day’s goals – despite the weather, despite any neighborhood conflict or possible distractions on the street, despite any workforce challenges within the crew – requires a relentless work ethic.  Developing this skill truly increases each intern’s capacity to be “ready to work”.
• Transferable Job Skills for Success in Any Position: The true results from Cleanslate translate far beyond the streets themselves.  Cleanslate Crew Chiefs teach interns the practical skills of cleaning; but they more importantly empower them with the professional skills of customer satisfaction, attention to detail and teamwork (for which they receive quantitative and qualitative evaluations each week).  Cleanslate interns are required to: (1) greet at least 100 customers on a daily basis; (2) teach residents and business leaders about the importance of recycling; (3) establish relationships with community members to contribute to a friendly, safe environment; and (4) model behavior for others to follow.