YouthBuild Mclean County

Description

Education Program: We help young people between the ages of 17-24 earn their High School Diploma or GED and pursue further education via college or vocational programs.

Affordable Housing Program: Young people build or renovate affordable housing for low-income families in our community. We train young people in the building trades -everything from framing to finishing. Since 1994 our trainees have built eight new homes for low-income families in the community, and have completed three major renovations, and four apartment renovations.

Job Training Program: We educate and train young people on the wants and needs of employers to help make them better employees.

AmeriCorps Program: We are a national-direct AmeriCorps site and all of our young people are members. We provide service to our local, state, and national communities. Each member has a goal of completing 900 hours of service by graduation.

Leadership and Empowerment Program: We are committed to changing the way others look at young people and how young people view themselves. We provide case management services to help access community resources and teach them to be self-sufficient. We help young people recognize patterns in their lives that have held them back, and encourage them to take responsibility for making things go right for themselves, their families, their program, and their community.

National Movement: We are part of a larger social movement dedicated to redefining the perception of youth in America. There are 165 operating YouthBuilds nationwide, five in the state of Illinois. We serve 5,500 young people across the nation each year.