The Department of Labor recently announced the award of nearly $76 million in YouthBuild grants to support academic and occupational skills training across the nation.
United Way of Wyandotte County is one of 75 organizations that has been awarded and is the only program in Kansas to receive funds for this award cycle.
The YouthBuild Kansas City, Kan., program is facilitated by the United Way of Wyandotte County and the $1.1 million award will allow the program to continue to train and educate low-income young people in the Wyandotte County area.
“We received news the morning of a Board of Directors meeting that our YouthBuild program had been renewed at the amount of $1.1 million,” Wendell Maddox, president-CEO of United Way of Wyandotte County said. “The announcement at the meeting elicited cheers and applause from our board members and staff. We are thrilled because we believe this program is vital to our community, and most importantly our young people.”
YouthBuild KCK was established 16 years ago after the Kauffman Foundation approached United Way of Wyandotte County about bringing a YouthBuild affiliate program to the area. YouthBuild USA Inc. is a national organization founded by Dorothy Stoneman in 1978. The program seeks to teach low-income young people constructions skills to help build affordable housing and other community assets such as community centers and schools.
In the Kansas City, Kan., area, opportunities for low-income young people were sparse and job training along with GED programs, were a clear and desperate need. To address that need Kauffman Foundation provided $50,000 in start-up funds and a community coalition was assembled to start the planning process to implement a local YouthBuild program. After the program was established, United Way received its first grant in 2001 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to support the program at the amount of $700,000.
The YouthBuild KCK program quickly began to fill a void in its area of service to young people. Not only does the program provide occupation skills but it also provides education training so that young people can earn their GED while part of the program. The program is structured so that the participants receive a stipend, allowing them to support themselves as they work through the program.
Over the years YouthBuild KCK has built partnerships with many community organizations including the Kansas City, Kan., Housing Authority, which provides the office, classroom and workshop facility.
Kansas City Kansas Community College coordinates with the program to provide GED training.
YouthBuild KCK has built 11 houses through partnerships with the Kaw Valley Habitat for Humanity and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, along with providing numerous housing rehabs and building renovations for local nonprofit organizations.
“YouthBuild does more than provide training and education, it also instills leadership, service, and a community responsibility,” said Justin Mossman, executive director of YouthBuild KCK. “Our participants may have not had access to any of this without the YouthBuild program.”
That is true for one YouthBuild KCK participant, Caliph Brown, who stated, “After I get my GED I have plans to go to college to study construction management, or something along those lines. YouthBuild KCK is helping me not only get my GED, but pushing me to that secondary education. It’s helping me to expand my knowledge and share it with others to help them do better as well.”
YouthBuild KCK is accepting new applicants at all times. For more information visit www.unitedway-wyco.org or call 913-371-3770.
– Story from United Way of Wyandotte County
