Recent Updates

The 2014 Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneurs Challenge has ended. In just six weeks, thanks to your efforts, YouthBuild USA raised $43,855, not including bonus prize money and matching funds. 

The Challenge far exceeded the initial target of $4 million set by Skoll—final tally is more than $6.6 million raised, plus $3.25 million in matching funds and $1.2 million in prizes awarded for a grand total of 11 million dollars!

Thanks to Starbucks Coffee Company and the Schultz Family Foundation, three YouthBuild sites (in Gulfport, Seattle and New York City) have piloted the Customer Service Excellence Training Program. We are drawing upon Starbucks’ expertise and leveraging YouthBuild’s knowledge of young people’s needs to lay the groundwork for training in skills applicable to any retail or customer service role.

On a Tuesday night in September, I sat in a conference room at a juvenile detention facility here in Boston. I was scared a little overwhelmed, but not because I was being adjudicated.

As a single mother living in Israel without a high school diploma, Riki Perets found it a challenge to provide for her family. She decided to change her circumstances by completing her high school education through YouthBuild Israel in 2013. She now has a maintenance job and plans to pursue post-secondary coursework in accounting.

“YouthBuild helped me to realize I am worth something,” said Peretz in a Jewish Journal interview.

For the fifth consecutive year, YouthBuild USA’s Green Initiative hosted a booth at the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the world's largest gathering dedicated to green building. Joined by YouthBuild Bogalusa and six YouthBuild graduates who attended as scholars, the Green Initiative had a significant presence at the event, highlighting the importance of the YouthBuild mission and our role in the green movement.

August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. On this day, America recognizes the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Moreover, Women’s Equality Day calls to attention women’s continued struggle for full equality.

At YouthBuild, where 30% of our students are female, we believe in equality in the classroom, on the worksite, and as leaders. In recognition of Women’s Equality Day, we celebrate Gina Vongkaeo, YouthBuild San Joaquin graduate, who is succeeding in all three areas.

According to Kim Phinney, Director of YouthBuild USA’s Rural and Tribal Development, nearly half of all 16- to 19-year old disconnected teens in the US reside in rural and mixed-rural counties and are more likely to become engaged in damaging activities. But in 91 communities across the nation, YouthBuild’s Rural and Tribal Initiative supports their development in programs where they learn construction and leadership skills, earn their GEDs, and become active leaders in their communities.

As we work to build the just society we believe is possible, it’s important to pause and recognize leadership.

For years the Los Angeles Regional YouthBuild Collaborative (LARYBC) has served local communities by supporting the development of YouthBuild programs throughout Southern California. This spring, staff and graduates representing 20 YouthBuild programs gathered at the Jackie Robinson Community Center in Pasadena, CA to recognize local YouthBuild leaders at a luncheon aptly called “Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future.”