Our Program ModelThe YouthBuild model was developed in 1978 by Dorothy Stoneman, who served as the CEO of YouthBuild USA from 1990 until January of 2017. Dorothy has retired, but is succeeded by John Valverde, a dynamic leader and inspiration to the students. While the eleven MYBC programs vary slightly in their operation, career track options, certification offerings, and degree possibilities, they all share the core components of a YouthBuild program:
CONSTRUCTION + OTHER CAREER PATHWAYS On the job site and in the workshop, our students learn the hands-on skills needed to be successful in today's evolving construction field, as well as the soft skills that any employer looks for in a candidate. Through training opportunities that yield certifications in the following areas - HBI PACT, NCCER, CPR/First Aid, OSHA, BPI, CNA and other health related, LIUNA or Community College Weatherization, Lead Abatement, Microsoft Digital Literacy and Culinary Arts - YB students are able to gain the knowledge it takes to compete with other job seekers looking for positions in the green building trades, health serves, digital technology and the culinary field. While in the program in the construction portion, they put these skills to good use by building affordable, sustainable housing for low-income families in their communities, earning themselves a stipend in the process. The projects they work on help to revitalize communities and allow for real-world practice on what they've learned in the workshop. Construction stats from the past 13 years of data ('08-'20):
EDUCATION Our teachers are trained professionals whose curriculum is geared toward helping our students earn their HiSET or high school diploma. Areas of instruction include: history, math, English/language arts, science -- typically the same subjects you'll see in any public school. The only difference is, we teach them using different tools and philosophies. Our lessons emphasize student engagement, and often times involve learning that takes place during collaborative projects, on field trips, and in group discussion. Between '08 and '20:
SUPPORT SERVICES Many of the young people who enroll in YouthBuild have a troubled history and are usually dealing with a number of complicated issues. While in the program, each student is assigned a caseworker responsible for guiding them through problems they may be facing inside and outside of it. Our goal is to surround our youth with positive role models who will help them grow individually, and give them advisers to whom they can turn for support. Between '08 and '20:
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT To revitalize our communities, we do more than build and renovate housing. Between 2008 and 2020, MYBC students and staff collectively completed 1,230 service projects in addition to the construction projects in their communities around Massachusetts. These service projects are ones in which YB members assist other organizations accomplish their missions. For the YB sites funded by AmeriCorps, volunteering benefits not only the organizations we collaborate with, but our students as well. Upon graduation, students who have completed the goal number of AmeriCorps community service hours set by the agency receive an education award that is proportional to their volunteerism. ALUMNI SUCCESS The MYBC transitional staff is responsible for helping the students move on to careers, post-secondary institutions and apprenticeships once they exit the program. During the program, students receive among other instruction: resume-building lessons, college application assistance, and career guidance even after graduation. Each program follows their students for a minimum of one year after graduation Some highlights from our programs between '08 and '20:
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