Youth Build Program

YouthBuild is a youth and community development grant program that simultaneously addresses several core issues facing low-income communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. The YouthBuild model balances in-school learning, geared toward a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED), and construction skills training, geared toward a career placement for the youth. The in-school component is an alternative education program that assists youth who are often significantly behind in basic skills to obtain a high school diploma or GED credential. The primary target populations for YouthBuild are high school drop-outs, adjudicated youth, youth aging out of foster care, and other at-risk youth populations (ages 16-24). Under the Obama Administration, many YouthBuild participants are learning “green” building techniques, assisting with retrofitting existing homes, and discovering how to help make their communities sustainable and environmentally friendly.