“A Chance to Grow”: How YouthBuild gives young people hope for the future
“The woman I am today and the education I have is due to Mile High Youth Corps YouthBuild, ”says 23-year-old Naja. Naja discovered the program after being incarcerated at a correctional facility. Back then, she was uncertain about her future and unsure about the options open to her.
Naja says YouthBuild gave her a “chance to grow.” There, she served served over 300 hours of service in her community, earned a construction certificate in Pre-Apprenticeship Certification Training (PACT), got her high school equivalency (GED) and learned leadership and life skills including budgeting and interviewing. And because she was surrounded by supportive staff and peers, Naja says she was able to develop confidence in herself. Now she is proud to be a strong role model for her daughter.
Naja currently works in the foodservice industry and has big plans for her future. Those plans include one day starting her own nonprofit organization focused on creating a safe and happy place for toddlers to take classes like music, dance and art.
The program at Mile High Youth Corps YouthBuild in Colorado lasts ten months. Corps members spend about half their time in the classroom, where they study subjects related to the GED. They also gain valuable job skills and hands-on experience: either in construction, by building affordable housing in their community, or in healthcare.
“Prior to this program, YouthBuild Corps members face many stereotypes,” says Xavier Jennings, himself an alumnus and now associate director of YouthBuild at Mile High Youth Corps. “Every day they show up to the program, they are consistently challenging the labels placed upon them, starting with ‘high school dropout.” Xavier says the program “doesn’t change young people per se; our goal is to provide a structure that is tailored to empowering youth who have the power to change their own lives and communities for the better.”
Take Jordan, a YouthBuilder in the Health & Wellness track. Prior to discovering YouthBuild, Jordan says she lacked direction. Now she’s inspired to further her education with the goal of becoming an X-ray technician.
“The difference between this and a day-to-day job is that you get hands-on training,” says Jordan, “you get career readiness training. They teach you how to prepare for an interview and how to be involved in the community through community service and they also teach you how to better yourself.”
Photo by Mile High Youth Corps YouthBuild
Naja and Jordan are among the more than 180,000 young people worldwide who have been supported by YouthBuild. Their impact is far-reaching: to date, young people at over 275 YouthBuild programs across the U.S. and around the world have contributed over 50 million hours of service benefiting urban, rural, and tribal communities. YouthBuild strives to create a world where all young people are seen for their potential, and power to transform themselves and their communities.
Ultimately, Mile High Youth Corps YouthBuild gives young people hope, says Xavier. “It’s the first step for many in creating a fruitful future.” And the support doesn’t just end when the program does. As Xavier says, “Once in YouthBuild, always in YouthBuild!”
YouthBuild USA is the nonprofit support center for a global network of more than 275 local YouthBuild programs across the country and around the world. Mile High Youth Corps YouthBuild has been an engaged member of the YouthBuild USA Affiliated Network since 2006, offering its leadership and collaboration to maintain a strong YouthBuild movement.
For more information about the YouthBuild movement, visit https://YouthBuild.org/.
