YouthBuild
YouthBuild Montgomery is a comprehensive youth and community development program that simultaneously addresses several problems facing communities: education, housing, jobs, and leadership development. Low-income young people ages 18-24 work toward their GED while learning job skills, leadership development, and community service. Participants spend full-time in the program, dividing their time between the construction site and the classroom. After completing the full-time component, participants continue to receive services in a year-long follow-up support program.
The YouthBuild Montgomery program consists of five components that comprehensively address the livelihood needs and aspirations of participants while addressing critical community development challenges. These five components, though distinct in their focus and outcomes, are experienced by participants as tightly integrated, and working in unison to support each participant's continual progress and eventual success. The five components are 1) Education: Participants of YouthBuild Montgomery pursue academic studies and recognized credentials in formal and non-formal education settings. Participants enhance basic skills (reading, language, and math) for school, work and life. It is the goal of YouthBuild Montgomery for participants with basic skills deficiencies to increase his/her basic skills level by one or more educational functioning levels while in the program. This component is intended to provide a solid foundation for the participant to obtain a GED and continue to pursue academic achievement; 2) Construction: The construction component of YouthBuild Montgomery provides the participant with a marketable set of skills that the participants can utilize for success in the work place. Technical skills training is combined with job readiness training to prepare participants for jobs or self employment. This program element enables participants to acquire basic skills for employment and links graduates to existing public and private systems that provide advanced training. The training unfolds on fully operational work sites where teams of young people build permanent community assets, such as housing and an array of green infrastructure projects; 3) Leadership Development: Opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills as engaged members of the community are integrated into all aspects of the YouthBuild Montgomery program. Leadership competencies are a part of the academic and construction training curricula, as well as each student's Individual Development Plans (IDPs). The entire model aims to inspire participants to take greater responsibility in their personal lives, the life of the program, their families and in their communities. Participants practice leadership, team work, project management, communication and conflict resolution skills, while studying the wider political and economic forces at work in society affecting their lives and their families. Participants' efforts generate social capital by bringing them in direct contact with beneficiaries of their work, local leaders, employers and other important contacts; 4) Basic Problem-solving services:
Basic problem-solving and other services are provided to participants to stabilize them as they take on the challenge of YouthBuild Montgomery and set their goals for the future. Participants create Individual Development Plans at the start of the program to guide their efforts in all aspects of the program. Students are provided with services that help them overcome barriers to their development, including substance abuse prevention, trauma and family counseling referrals, and rigorous life skills training. The YouthBuild Montgomery program culture reflects a coherent, cohesive, family-like environment; and 5) Exit Opportunities and Follow-up Support: After successfully exiting from a YouthBuild Montgomery program, participants may go into a job, enter the military, enter an internship or apprenticeship training program, Americorps, or continue their education. This program element emphasizes a focus on placement preparation and placement opportunities from day one, by providing participants with the skills they will need to navigate employment and educational opportunities. Also, the program exposes participants to the range of placement options that might be available to them. The program guides participants to jobs and provides follow up support and guidance.