PP-2} Interest Group or Issue

Interest Group 

What is YouthBuild?

Outline

YouthBuild was founded in 1978 by Dorothy Stoneman in East Harlem, New York. The movement has grown to impact thousands of young people around the world with positive youth development, education, career training, and workforce readiness. 

In 1984, Stoneman and a coalition of other youth-serving programs in NYC orchestrated YouthBuild's expansion citywide. In 1988, YouthBuild began to spread nationally, and in 1990, YouthBuild USA was formed as a support center for the movement with Stoneman as its CEO. 

By 2001, the program laid the groundwork for its international expansion, starting in South Africa eventually expanding to several more countries. In 2007, Youthbuild international was created to respond to the growing need to champion opportunity for youth around the world. 

Their Partners

This program partners with companies, government, national and international nonprofit organizations and development finance institutions across sectors to mentor, train, educate, and hire YouthBuild students and Alumni. The partners associated with YouthBuild provides students, graduate essentials, and Youth Build programs technical know-how access to networks and livelihood opportunities, inspiration and financial support. 

The Inspiration 

Dorothy Stoneman asked the youth she worked with as a teacher and an organizer in East Harlem, New York, how would they change their community if they had adult support. The younger people responded with, "We'd rebuild the houses. We'd take empty buildings back from the drug dealers and eliminate crime." Now many different people have the opportunity to help change and rebuild their communities. 

YouthBuild Programs 

YouthBuild Global is a non-profit organization that serves as headquarters for a network of more than 320 local YouthBuild programs around the world. YouthBuild has many different titles such as YouthBuild Global, YouthBuild International, YouthBuild USA and so on as a viewpoint of what is currently occurring with that program. 

The Purpose 

The program focuses on promoting and ensuring young people's democratic and social rights. It encourages their social and political participation at all levels in their community. The program offers opportunities for personal and social development through leisure activities, voluntary engagement and non-formal preparations.