Tessa Formby crawled out from under the 20-year-old modular home on Mountain View Drive in Albany, shut off her headlamp and stripped off the coveralls and face mask that protected her from the insulation she had been installing for Ed Davisson and Betty Armus.

Formby, 18, is one of 11 individual ages 18-24 who will soon complete an eight-week training program funded by federal stimulus money and administered through the Community Services Consortium.

"I've been working for the CSC for a year and I wanted to show the guys how it is done," Formby said of her decision to enroll in the class. "I've learned that the underside of houses isn't pretty and that teamwork comes in many forms. It's not just working together, it's sharing knowledge."

She said she's also polished her math skills due to job demands.

Program leader Jerry McGuire said previous homeowners had cats that destroyed the underbelly of the home.

"We took out at least 16 bags of torn-up insulation," McGuire said. "Now, we're reinstalling insulation and weather-proofing openings throughout the house."

Davisson and Armus bought the home about 3½ years ago and soon after applied to be considered for the CSC weatherization program.

"This program not only helps the elderly and the handicapped, but it's also helping the kids learn to work with the public and to work as a team," Davisson said. "I think it's wonderful. It's getting them started on the right track."

Students come from Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home and Corvallis. Only a week of training remains, McGuire said. The students have mixed classroom training with several on-site projects.

"There is a future in green jobs like this," McGuire said. "They have worked in our simulated workshop in Corvallis and on the job. We've brought in speakers to talk about ambient solar energy, home rehabilitation and energy education. They now understand the what and why of weatherization."

The crew also sealed cracks in the home's floors and reworked air ducts.

"We've already noticed the improvements," Davisson said.

In addition to gaining marketable job skills, the students were paid about $250 per week, McGuire said.

Travis Upmeyer, 19, a 2009 Lebanon High School graduate, said he was looking for a summer job when he learned about the weatherization project.

"I've enjoyed meeting new people and learning new things," said Upmeyer, who plans to join the military. "I like working with my hands and have liked the project work more than the classroom work."