ENROLL HERE
YouthBuild is a federally funded, community-based pre-apprenticeship program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. It serves opportunity youth aged 16 to 24 who have left school without a diploma, providing them with vocational training in fields such as construction, healthcare, and information technology. Participants split their time between the classroom—where they work toward earning a high school diploma or equivalency—and hands-on job sites, often rehabilitating affordable housing in their own neighborhoods. The program also emphasizes leadership development and community service, aiming to prepare young people for postsecondary education, apprenticeships, and employment.
In Birmingham, Alabama, BuildUp Community School operates as a YouthBuild site with a distinctive model that integrates academic achievement, workforce development, and community revitalization. Youth BuildUp Birmingham offers a six-month program beginning after eighth grade, during which students engage in paid apprenticeships in real estate and construction while completing high school and earning an associate degree. Students renovate blighted properties in their neighborhoods, gaining practical skills and contributing to community improvement. Upon graduation, they have the opportunity to become homeowners of the very properties they helped restore, fostering economic mobility and long-term investment in their communities.
BuildUp's approach addresses systemic issues such as poverty and urban blight by empowering youth with the skills and agency to lead community transformation. The program's emphasis on education, practical experience, and homeownership creates a pathway for students to become educated, credentialed, and engaged civic leaders. By focusing on long-term community revitalization driven by young leaders from within the community, BuildUp aims to create sustainable change and break the cycle of poverty.
In Birmingham, Alabama, BuildUp Community School operates as a YouthBuild site with a distinctive model that integrates academic achievement, workforce development, and community revitalization. Youth BuildUp Birmingham offers a six-month program beginning after eighth grade, during which students engage in paid apprenticeships in real estate and construction while completing high school and earning an associate degree. Students renovate blighted properties in their neighborhoods, gaining practical skills and contributing to community improvement. Upon graduation, they have the opportunity to become homeowners of the very properties they helped restore, fostering economic mobility and long-term investment in their communities.
BuildUp's approach addresses systemic issues such as poverty and urban blight by empowering youth with the skills and agency to lead community transformation. The program's emphasis on education, practical experience, and homeownership creates a pathway for students to become educated, credentialed, and engaged civic leaders. By focusing on long-term community revitalization driven by young leaders from within the community, BuildUp aims to create sustainable change and break the cycle of poverty.