YouthBuild is an...

Education Assistance 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 its foundation in 1994, YouthBuild Mclean County has built 100 houses.

Job Training Program: We educate and train young people on the wants and needs of employers to help make them better employees. This includes work such as mock interviews and assistance with job applications.

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 and each member has a goal of completing over 450 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 273 YouthBuild programs nationwide - eleven in the state of Illinois - which serve thousands of young people across the nation each year. You can learn more about the YouthBuild USA movement at  http://www.youthbuild.org/.