Young people in local YouthBuild programs to further serve their communities and neighbors
YouthBuild Global is proud to announce that it has received a $6.2 million grant from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, for the 2026–2029 program term, enabling 33 local YouthBuild programs and more than 1,000 young people across 20 states to serve their communities — building affordable housing, supporting disaster recovery and more — while they reclaim their education and build pathways to family-sustaining careers.
The grant renews a longstanding partnership that began when AmeriCorps was founded in 1994. For more than three decades, YouthBuild AmeriCorps members — economically disadvantaged young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are out of school and out of work — have demonstrated how service transforms neighborhoods and lives for the better. Since 1994, YouthBuild AmeriCorps members have completed more than 53,000 terms of service and delivered more than 22.8 million hours of service in communities across the country, building and rehabilitating thousands of units of affordable housing and earning educational awards that open doors to further education, workforce training and industry-recognized credentials.
“Service has always been at the heart of the YouthBuild mission, and we are honored to renew this longstanding partnership with AmeriCorps,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global. “This uplifting support will allow YouthBuild AmeriCorps members to address unmet needs in their neighborhoods, serve their neighbors and give back to their communities. These young people are building brighter futures in tangible ways, and we are immensely grateful to AmeriCorps and our federal partners for the ability to continue this work together.”
YouthBuild AmeriCorps members serve in a wide range of community roles: building and rehabilitating affordable housing for low-income families, supporting disaster recovery and conservation efforts, providing community healthcare support and addressing food insecurity. Through the grant, more than 375,000 direct service hours will be completed by the members, and at least 90 units of affordable housing will be made available for low-income individuals and families. In return for their service, members receive access to Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards and the support of the comprehensive YouthBuild model, which is built on a foundation of love, respect, high expectations and belonging that has enabled hundreds of thousands of young people to build lives on meaning and purpose, all while strengthening their neighborhoods and our country.
According to the AmeriCorps 2021 Return on Investment Study, 72.5 percent of YouthBuild AmeriCorps members who completed the YouthBuild AmeriCorps program were placed in a job after their service. Of YouthBuild AmeriCorps members who did not have a high school diploma or equivalency before their service and who completed the YouthBuild AmeriCorps program, 67.8 percent obtained one post-service.
For more information about YouthBuild Global and its AmeriCorps partnership, visit YouthBuild.org.
