Youthbuild

Purpose: Unleash the positive energy of young adults, helping them rebuild our community and their own lives with a commitment to work, education, responsibility, and family.

Summary: Youthbuild is a comprehensive 10 – 16 month program in which unemployed or under-employed individuals ages 16 – 24 build or rehabilitate housing for low to moderate-income level individuals and families. While participating in the program, students receive academic enhancement education, construction skills training, community leadership preparation and guidance/career counseling.
Components

Community Service: ARCH’s YouthBuild students learn construction skills in a practical setting, rehabilitating and building housing in their own community. In addition, our students volunteer once a month for community service projects that enhance the usage or beauty of public space in Southeast DC.

Education: ARCH’s YouthBuild students attend academic classes for 50% of their time at ARCH, giving them the ability to receive a GED, learn or enhance their computer skills, and increase their exposure to culture and knowledge.

Job Training: ARCH’s YouthBuild students receive practical experience through on-the-job training in construction skills, students are exposed to many aspects of construction and related career opportunities, including, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, project management and site supervising.

Leadership Development: ARCH’s YouthBuild students are encouraged to participate in their own governance and extending that participation into the community.

Youth Development: ARCH’s YouthBuild students participate in one-on-one and group/peer counseling sessions that discuss life-planning process that assist the in overcoming hurdles, understanding & accepting past injures, defeating negative behavior and attitudes and pursing achievable goals that will establish a productive life.

Career Counseling: ARCH’s staff assist’s students with decisions on pursing on-going education and apprenticeships, placement in full-time livable wage jobs, and ongoing encouragement for future aspirations.

Support: ARCH has a full-time staff of dedicated counselors and teachers that support our students on a daily basis with emphasis on overcoming social and emotional hurdles, and preparation for life as an adult with responsibilities to family, and community. Students past and present are welcome to utilize all of ARCH’s resources for the goals of their future.

Note Worthily:
- ARCH maintains an open door with all alumni.
- ARCH looks at the Youthbuild program as a stepping-stone to a career and a door to life-long education and training for graduates.
- Many of ARCH’s students have gone on to college or continued in trade schools.
- The Youthbuild program addresses the issues of youth unemployment, lack of secondary education degrees and homelessness due to inadequate stock of low cost housing in the inner cities of the country.
- In February 1999, ARCH was one of the first five Youthbuild programs in the country to pass a rigorous program audit to become certified as a full Youthbuild USA Affiliate. Since its Youthbuild Program began, ARCH has served more than 450 youth, aged 16 to 24.
- According to the Youthbuild USA program audit, 84% of the participants who graduated from ARCH Youthbuild were either placed in jobs or fulfilled their individual service strategy (such as placed in jobs, institutions of higher education or apprenticeships).