About This Program
Target Population:
Low-income young people who need assistance obtaining their high school diploma or equivalency credentials and job skills
Program Overview
YouthBuild programs give low-income young people who have fallen off the edges of society the opportunity to transform their own lives, get back on track to adult responsibility, and give back to their communities. Each year about 10,000 low-income young people who have left high school without a diploma enroll full-time in YouthBuild programs for about 10 months. They spend at least 50% of their time, usually alternate weeks, in caring academic classrooms, and at least 40% in hands-on job training building affordable housing or other community assets. A strong emphasis is placed on creating a safe and caring community of adults and peers committed to each other's success.
In the course of their full-time enrollment, they:
- Achieve their high school equivalency credentials or high school diplomas in a caring individualized context
- Obtain job skills and earn a stipend, wage, or living allowance by working on building affordable, increasingly green housing for homeless and low income people in their communities
- Gain industry-recognized certifications in preparation for productive careers (in addition to construction, some train for jobs in healthcare, technology, or customer service)
- Solve personal problems with counseling support such as addressing urgent needs for housing or child care, working to have their juvenile justice records expunged, or other concerns
- Give back and lead through participation in community service and advocating for their communities on the local and national levels
- Transition into postprogram placements such as college, registered apprenticeships, other postsecondary opportunities, and employment, with support of a transition coordinator and mentors
Logic Model
The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for YouthBuild.
Manuals and Training
Publicly available information indicates there is a manual that describes how to deliver this program, and there is some training available for this program.
See contact info below.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for YouthBuild.
Additional References
Ferguson, R. F., Clay, P. L., Snipes, J. C., & Roaf, P. (1996). YouthBuild in developmental perspective. A formative evaluation of the YouthBuild Demonstration Project. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED413381
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: June 2016
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: August 2016
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: August 2016
