ReSOURCE’s YouthBuild

Current YouthBuild students putting the finishing touches on their picnic table. Small build projects help develop and hone the students’ hand and power tool skills.

I had the opportunity to visit the YouthBuild Barre program recently and I arrived just as the day was ending for the students. At circle up everyone shared a “rose and a thorn”; a good thing that happened that day as well as a challenge they faced. Many “thorns” circled around how hard it was to wake up that morning (not atypical for high schoolers), but what was more surprising were the “roses”. Almost half the students shared that the best thing they did that day was learning construction math techniques in class. Some shared it was the first time in seven months that they learned new math concepts. The excitement was palpable.

This cohort of YouthBuild (YB) students have been in the program less than a month and are almost ready to complete what’s known as “Mental Toughness”. This is a trial period where each student must meet the high expectations of attendance and attitude that the program requires. It’s also a time for students to get a sense of the program and decide if it is truly for them. Usually there is some attrition during this time, ending in a cohort of about six, but all 8 students in this group are committed and look like they’ll make it through.

YouthBuild is a year-long global program that works with high-school aged youth who are struggling to be successful at a traditional high school. Alternating weekly, students spend half their time on small-group academics and the other half on construction-based learning and service. The program works with students’ sending school to help them complete their HS diploma through a flexible pathways route. If the student has dropped out, Central Vermont Adult Education helps them achieve a GED instead. At the end of the year, students will have their academic credential as well as construction credentials like OSHA-10 and NCCER.

In their construction weeks, students learn how to handle hand and power tools and apply their new skills to projects ranging from small builds to flood recovery to major building projects. YB works with Downstreet Housing, Habitat for Humanity, and many other affordable housing partners. Over the last couple years, YB Barre has been an integral part of the flood recovery efforts led by Barre Up and Hope Coalition.

The last cohort to graduation from YB Barre had a 100% completion rate with all six students entering full-time employment including in jobs in landscaping, construction, retail, and car mechanic work.

YouthBuild works with schools in the Central Vermont area including U-32, Montpelier, Williamston, and Twinfield. In the last three years, not a single student who has completed Mental Toughness has dropped out of the program. When asked to explain this success, YB Barre Manager Jesse Greig spoke of the importance of culture and that student success is due to “a foundation of love”. That love was clearly evident during closing circle.

ReSOURCE runs another YouthBuild program in Burlington. To find out more about both YouthBuild sites visit YouthBuild - ReSOURCE.