YouthBuild USA works to build and sustain leadership pathways for young people whose experience and vision are critical to building a more equitable society. We partner with opportunity youth and program staff from YouthBuild programs around the country, as well as statewide and regional YouthBuild coalitions and collaboratives, to bring youth voices to federal, state, and local decision-makers.
With youth leaders at the forefront, we advocate for increasing federal appropriations for the U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild Programs, and for expanding national service funding for opportunity youth.
FY21 letters in support of YouthBuild from our bipartisan Congressional champions are here.
Congressional leaders hear firsthand how their actions impact the lives of opportunity youth and, critically, what Congress can do to better support the communities in which our young people live.
The late Congressman John Lewis, Congressman Scott Perry, Senator John Cornyn, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have championed YouthBuild through the FY21 appropriations process on both sides of the aisle in both Congressional chambers.
Through the annual Young Leaders Hill Day and the annual National Directors Association Hill Day, we hold hundreds of meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to advocate for greater funding, educate on the issues impacting young people and their communities, and advance legislation that supports opportunity youth.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual Hill Days took the place of in-person meetings and will remain another way for youth leaders to engage Congress.
We also believe in the importance of advocating for policy and systemic changes that improve the lives of opportunity youth. Our policy platform is informed by the daily, on-the-ground experience of YouthBuild program directors and the people they serve. We also advance policy by working with coalitions in the areas of workforce development, youth issues, national service, education, and criminal justice, including the Campaign to Invest In America’s Workforce, the Reconnecting Youth Campaign, Voices for National Service, America Forward, Serve America Forward, and Service Year Alliance.
If you would like additional information or are interested in joining our efforts to uplift youth voices, contact us at advocacy@youthbuild.org.
