How YouthBuild AmeriCorps Transforms Homes and the Lives of Opportunity Youth

We found two great stories that highlight the YouthBuild program and how it is providing hope to opportunity youth in St. Louis and Los Angeles. (YouthBuild is a grantee of the Corporation for National and Community Service.)

In YouthBuild AmeriCorps programs, low-income young people ages 16 to 24 work full-time for 6 to 24 months toward their GEDs or high school diplomas while learning job skills by building affordable housing in their communities. Their service often transforms the lives of the members participating, helping them learn new skills and giving them hope for a brighter future. At the end of their term, they are placed in college, jobs, or both; and they become eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to help them continue their education. 

Read the article about St. Louis YouthBuild

Read the Huffington Post blog about R.U.T.H. YouthBuild in Los Angeles

AmeriCorps NCCC team members build a Habitat for Humanity house in Bay St. Louis, MS. Begun in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland has engaged hundreds of AmeriCorps members and 5,000 volunteers to build more than 155 homes.  The affiliate has emphasized green construction, building the first house in Mississippi to receive a LEED Platinum green building certification, the highest level conferred by the U.S. Green Building Council.  One of Bay-Waveland Habitat’s houses was awarded the 2011 Green Affordable Project of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders.  AmeriCorps members serving with Habitat for Humanity, YouthBuild, and other organizations are helping build sustainable homes that conserve resources and reduce energy costs for homeowners.