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News Release
US Department of Labor awards $80.3M in grants to provide at-risk youth in 35 states a second chance at education, career training
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the award of $80.3 million in YouthBuild grants to non-profit organizations in 35 states to help young people struggling to reach key educational and career milestones and to equip themselves to be successful in the workforce and engaged in their communities.
YouthBuild is a community-based, alternative education program that provides job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth, ages 16-24. The grants announced today range from approximately $700,000 to $1.1 million each and will fund 77 YouthBuild programs.
“All young people are gifted and talented, and it is everyone’s responsibility to help draw out those gifts and talents,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said. “YouthBuild provides young people with an important opportunity to gain the education and skills they need for good-paying jobs, while also helping them become more engaged members of their communities. That can mean everything to a young person who didn’t get the easiest start in life.”
The grants announced today will help approximately 5,000 at-risk youth complete high school or state equivalency degree programs; earn industry-recognized certifications within in-demand occupations; and gain construction skills training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.
To ensure that the nation’s most disadvantaged communities have access to funding – for the first time in the program’s history – priority consideration was given to organizations serving localities designated as Promise Zones. The department is awarding grants today to eight organizations specifically targeting seven Promise Zones: Camden, New Jersey; El Paso and San Antonio, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; two communities within Los Angeles; San Diego; and St. Paul, Minnesota.
YouthBuild’s mission aligns closely with the goals of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which seeks to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color, and ensure that all young people can realize their full potential.
A list of this year’s YouthBuild funding participants follows this release.
Grant Recipient |
City |
State |
Amount |
Pickens County Community Action Committee and Development |
Carrollton |
Ala. |
$1,100,000 |
Friendly House, Inc. |
Phoenix |
Ariz. |
$911,494 |
Little Rock Workforce Development Board |
Little Rock |
Ark. |
$900,000 |
Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc. |
San Diego |
Calif. |
$1,100,000 |
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. |
Los Angeles |
Calif. |
$1,100,000 |
Coalition for Responsible Community Development |
Los Angeles |
Calif. |
$1,100,000 |
Foundation for Second Chances |
Los Angeles |
Calif. |
$1,100,000 |
Heartland Coalition |
Lakeside |
Calif. |
$1,100,000 |
Venice Community Housing Corporation |
Venice |
Calif. |
$1,100,000 |
Capital Workforce Partners |
Hartford |
Conn. |
$1,099,680 |
Community Renewal Team, Inc. |
Hartford |
Conn. |
$1,099,997 |
EMERGE Connecticut, Inc. |
New Haven |
Conn. |
$960,976 |
The WorkPlace |
Bridgeport |
Conn. |
$1,098,026 |
Florida Institute for Workforce Innovation |
Gainesville |
Fla. |
$1,100,000 |
Greater Miami Service Corps |
Miami |
Fla. |
$1,100,000 |
Housing Authority of the City of Lakeland |
Lakeland |
Fla. |
$990,024 |
Valencia College-Osceola Campus |
Kissimmee |
Fla. |
$1,093,940 |
WorkNet Pinellas, Inc. (dba CareerSource Pinellas) |
Clearwater |
Fla. |
$1,100,000 |
CHRIS Kids |
Atlanta |
Ga. |
$960,495 |
City of Atlanta |
Atlanta |
Ga. |
$1,100,000 |
City of Savannah |
Savannah |
Ga. |
$936,000 |
Future Seekers Incorporated |
East Point |
Ga. |
$989,284 |
Homework Hangout Club, Inc. |
Decatur |
Ill. |
$1,100,000 |
Metropolitan Family Services |
Chicago |
Ill. |
$1,059,339 |
United Methodist Children`s Home |
Mt. Vernon |
Ill. |
$1,100,000 |
Northshore Technical Community College |
Bogalusa |
La. |
$921,893 |
Southern University at Shreveport |
Shreveport |
La. |
$989,579 |
Goodwill Industries of Northern New England |
Portland |
Maine |
$1,066,519 |
Civic Works, Inc. |
Baltimore |
Md. |
$1,100,000 |
Just-A-Start Corporation |
Cambridge |
Mass. |
$1,100,000 |
North Shore Community Development Coalition |
Salem |
Mass. |
$1,100,000 |
Old Colony YMCA |
Brockton |
Mass. |
$1,100,000 |
Training Resources of America, Inc. |
Worcester |
Mass. |
$986,585 |
Metro Community Development, Inc. |
Flint |
Mich. |
$1,100,000 |
Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services |
St. Paul |
Minn. |
$1,050,000 |
Goodwill Industries, Inc. (dba Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota) |
Saint Paul |
Minn. |
$707,514 |
CLIMB Community Development Corporation |
Gulfport |
Miss. |
$1,098,940 |
Housing Authority of Kansas City Missouri |
Kansas City |
Mo. |
$1,100,000 |
Job Point |
Columbia |
Mo. |
$1,100,000 |
Housing Authority of the City of Camden |
Camden |
N.J. |
$1,100,000 |
Isles, Inc. |
Trenton |
N.J. |
$866,709 |
New Jersey Community Development Corporation |
Paterson |
N.J. |
$1,100,000 |
Capacity Builders, Inc. |
Farmington |
N.M. |
$1,099,978 |
HELP-New Mexico, Inc. |
Albuquerque |
N.M. |
$1,021,800 |
Commission on Economic Opportunity for the Greater Capital Region |
Troy |
N.Y. |
$972,000 |
South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation |
Bronx |
N.Y. |
$1,100,000 |
The Crenulated Company Ltd. (dba New Settlement Apartments) |
New York |
N.Y. |
$1,100,000 |
United Way of Long Island, Inc. |
Deer Park |
N.Y. |
$1,100,000 |
Workforce Development Board - Oneida County |
Utica |
N.Y. |
$1,089,807 |
Youth Action Program and Homes, Inc. |
New York |
N.Y. |
$1,100,000 |
Goodwill Industries, Inc.-Omaha |
Omaha |
Neb. |
$1,004,800 |
The Children`s Cabinet, Inc. |
Reno |
Nev. |
$1,080,000 |
Telamon Corporation |
Raleigh |
N.C. |
$1,100,000 |
Triangle Literacy Council |
Raleigh |
N.C. |
$821,301 |
Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency |
Cincinnati |
Ohio |
$1,096,704 |
County Corp |
Dayton |
Ohio |
$1,100,000 |
Project REBUILD Inc. |
Canton |
Ohio |
$957,754 |
Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority |
Warren |
Ohio |
$1,072,500 |
Community Development Support Association, Inc. |
Enid |
Okla. |
$933,829 |
Heart of Oregon Corps, Inc. |
Bend |
Ore. |
$1,100,000 |
Crispus Attucks Association of York Pennsylvania |
York |
Pa. |
$1,100,000 |
Garfield Jubilee Association, Inc. |
Pittsburgh |
Pa. |
$1,077,345 |
Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc. |
Johnstown |
Pa. |
$720,000 |
Benedict-Allen Community Development Corporation |
Columbia |
S.C. |
$1,067,997 |
Knoxville Leadership Foundation |
Knoxville |
Tenn. |
$1,100,000 |
American YouthWorks |
Austin |
Texas |
$1,099,969 |
George Gervin Youth Center, Inc. |
San Antonio |
Texas |
$1,100,000 |
Workforce Solutions Borderplex, Inc. |
El Paso |
Texas |
$609,928 |
Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College |
Ogden |
Utah |
$1,100,000 |
Pathways-VA Inc. |
Petersburg |
Va. |
$1,100,000 |
ReSOURCE A Nonprofit Community Enterprise Inc. |
Burlington |
Vt. |
$900,000 |
Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington |
Yakima |
Wash. |
$1,100,000 |
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic |
Toppenish |
Wash. |
$1,098,944 |
Randolph County Housing Authority |
Elkins |
W.Va. |
$1,091,330 |
Community Action, Inc. of Rock and Walworth Counties |
Beloit |
Wis. |
$1,100,000 |
Employ Milwaukee, Inc. |
Milwaukee |
Wis. |
$1,100,000 |
Western Technical College |
La Crosse |
Wis. |
$1,004,320 |