ATLANTA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY HELPS TROUBLED YOUTH REBUILD THEIR LIVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES

The Atlanta Workforce Development Agency has partnered with Cobb Housing, Inc. to work with 60 low-income youth from the city of Atlanta and Cobb County as they rebuild their communities and their lives through YouthBuild USA. YouthBuild is a program for youth, ages 16 to 24, who have either dropped out of high school or have been referred by the justice system. Participants work towards completing their GED or high school diploma and develop their leadership and job skills. They spend ten months dividing their time between class work covering GED Prep and construction basics at the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency and onsite training at a construction site. The program concludes with the participants building affordable housing for homeless and low-income people in their communities.

All YouthBuild students are from low-income homes and many have had experiences with foster care, juvenile justice, welfare, and homelessness. One participant, recently featured in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, said “The tragic loss of my brother in 2004 when I was in the 10th grade made me lose focus on what was important in my life. Although I made it to the 12th grade, school was not my priority, so I dropped out.”

Joy Hill, a 20 year old city of Atlanta resident, stayed out of school for months before realizing she needed to finish. She enrolled in the YouthBuild program at the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency and began taking GED preparation classes and learning the basics of construction. “Although I’m excited about getting my diploma later this year, my favorite part of the program is learning construction. It reminds me of my grandfather, who used to be a carpenter,” Joy said. “I really enjoy building. So far, we have learned how to frame walls and windows. We have also learned some electrical wiring and plumbing.”

Joy is continuing to study for the GED, taking classes in English, Math, Reading, and Social Studies. She is also receiving career mentoring from AWDA counselors. Joy’s goal is to join the Navy after completing the program in June. “The experience and exposure I have gotten in the YouthBuild AmeriCorps program will help me be successful in the Navy, where I hope to be an officer.” Participants in the YouthBuild program also participate in AmeriCorps, a U.S. federal government program partnering with non-profit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations. Upon completion of one term of community service (at least 900 hours over two years or less), the participants can be eligible for an education award of $2,362.50 which can be used at most post-secondary institutions, as well as some vocational schools.

Service projects that participants have completed include Hands on Atlanta Day, where participants made rain barrels and cleaned up Utoy Creek in the Cascade community, and Martin Luther King Service Day, when participants painted a local middle school and cleaned up the surrounding community. Participants also cleaned and set up the day care at Atlanta Workforce Development Agency that is used to provide childcare to customers who are interviewing for jobs, but was damaged during a flood in 2008.

YouthBuild participants recently wrote letters to President Barack Obama, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Senator John Isakson and Congressman John Lewis providing updates the their success in the program and asking for more funding so that other youth in their communities could prosper from the program they way they have.

One participant wrote, “I dropped out of school during my 11th grade year. I was hanging with the wrong crowd, skipping school, and had teachers that didn’t care if I passed or failed. It didn’t help my situation when I became a single parent without an education, not being employed, and staying with my mother. Now I am one of 60 students in the Atlanta Youth Build program and I am thankful. Before now, I didn’t have goals in life and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to become. Now that I have the opportunity to receive my GED by the end of February I am looking forward to my future.” - Sierra Jordan

“ I would first like to say thank you for what you have done so far, for me and my fellow students. For helping me start over and get my life on the right track toward having a better future. Before I started this program my future didn’t look very bright. Now after getting my G.E.D I have goals I’m reaching toward and I have a new head on my shoulder to help me make better decisions with my life. For the first time in my life, I believe I can go to college.” – Bryson May

The YouthBuild program is creating opportunities for youth to become positive contributors to their communities by literally re-building from the ground up. The Atlanta Workforce Development Agency is very proud to share in the development of these participants and looks forward to the many wonderful results that will stem from this partnership.