(956) 548-2302
815 Arthur St, Brownsville, Texas 78521
Cognia Accredited Private School
AGES SERVED
16-24
FOUNDED
1994
STUDENTS SERVED
500+
About YouthBuild Brownsville
cdcb YouthBuild is a comprehensive program for 16-24 year olds that offers a high school diploma and/or GED instruction alongside in skilled trade certifications (CNC manufacturing, construction, welding, plumbing, electrical, hvac, carpentry etc) as well as leadership development and community service. Many of our graduates are eligible for a college scholarship and/or job placement upon program completion. Participants in the program receive a paid training stipend, an internship and/or apprenticeship, classroom uniforms, resume building, work gear, and a range of support services. The main focus of cdcb YouthBuild is to help students gain employment via real word work experience, job ready skills, and/or attend college within the community.
Dorene Fourar
Head of School
Dorene E. Fourar is the Director of cdcb YouthBuild. A proud first-generation college graduate from Brownsville, Texas, Dorene earned her B.A. in English with a concentration in Linguistics and her M.A. in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition, focusing on North African and Middle Eastern politics.
Her journey began abroad, teaching in China and Morocco, where she worked with diverse, multicultural audiences and discovered her vocation for building bridges across cultures. For more than 16 years, Dorene has mobilized over $25 million for initiatives in education, housing, public health, and infrastructure, advancing opportunity for communities that have long been overlooked.
At YouthBuild, she champions the movement’s global mission of solidarity, where young people are not only students but change agents, shaping communities, connecting across borders, and leading with love, accountability, and vision for a more just world.