YouthBuild Newsletter Summer 2012

Issue #6

Green-Building: Students complete and celebrate an energy-efficient home in Germantown.

On August 31st, YouthBuild Philadelphia held a commencement ceremony for its 20th class of graduates at Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia. Friends, family, and other YouthBuild supporters packed the church to watch 109 members of the Class of 2012 receive their diplomas.

The honorable Mayer Michael A. Nutter delivered the keynote address, and counseled students to persist in their education and become “life-long learners.” Twelve graduates received scholarships from the Scholarship Fund, which is generously supported by individual donors and members of YouthBuild’s Board of Trustees.

Student speakers at the event included Class of 2012 Valedictorian Anthony Keys, Salutatorian Tahir Ingram, Staff Award Presenters Jasmin Holloway, Danielle Downing and Porche Faulkner, and Excellence Award winner Chandell Marshall, who congratulated her classmates and urged them to build on their success:

“Class of 2012, the excellence we have shown throughout the year should not stop here. This is only the beginning of the bright and beautiful future we have paved together.”

Alumni Updates: Recent graduates find exciting new employment opportunities and thrive in colleges and trade schools.

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1231 N. Broad St., 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19122

REBUILDING LIVES AND COMMUNITIES SINCE 1992

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Students Cross “Summer Bridge” into CCP and Thaddeus Stevens College

I 1231 N. Broad St., 3rd Fl. Philadelphia, PA 19122 215.627.8671 215.763.5774 (fax) info@youthbuildphilly.org

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n the summer months leading up to their August graduation, forty students in YouthBuild’s Class of 2012 enrolled in postsecondary classes at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, PA. This “summer bridge” option is offered to students who have completed their academic graduation requirements ahead of schedule, and allows them to experience college-level instruction and standards while still connected to YouthBuild staff and supports.

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tudents in the college bridge programs worked hard all year to meet YouthBuild’s rigorous academic standards – which are designed to equip students with the academic and personal skills necessary for success in college as well as careers – and thrived in the new educational settings. Thirteen men and women spent the summer at Thaddeus Stevens, living in dorms and taking classes. Upon completion of the 10 week program, eleven applied and were accepted to enroll as fulltime students in the fall to study plumbing, architecture, and other trades. Meanwhile, students at CCP passed into higher-level courses for the fall, and the students who had taken Education courses earned 3 college credits. A total of 20 YouthBuild students from the summer bridge program (in addition to an estimated 5 more, who spent the summer at internships) will enroll at CCP in the fall.

W STAY CONNECTED:

hile students rose to the challenges presented by a new learning envi-

Staff continued to work with students who enrolled at Community College of Philadelphia, emphasizing advanced study skills and facilitating their transition into a new academic setting.

ronment and new academic expectations, YouthBuild staff and partners also went above and beyond to ensure the success of the program. Some staff took turns living in a dorm at Thaddeus Stevens with the summer bridge students. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, several teachers and YouthBuild Transitions Department staff moved their base of operations from YouthBuild to CCP for the summer.

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he goal of the summer bridge programs is to ensure not only that YouthBuild students go on to enroll in postsecondary institutions, but also that they thrive in those settings through the completion of a degree. A successful summer bridge requires a postsecondary partner – like CCP or Thaddeus – that is truly invested in supporting and creating opportunities for YouthBuild students. In recognition of their dedication to YouthBuild students and their efforts in support of the bridge programs, YouthBuild gave awards to Chris Metzler (Thaddeus Stevens) and Abbey Wexler (CCP) at the Class of 2012 August 31st graduation (see p. 4 for more about graduation).

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hanks to hard work by our staff and and a network of exceptional partners, the bridge programs stand out among the life-changing opportunities offered to students at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, and will continue to improve and grow in the years to come.

YouthBuild students traveled to Lancaster, PA to live in dorms and take classes at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology this summer.

EXCELLENCE * RESPECT * PERSEVERANCE

Summer Bridge: YouthBuild students enroll in summer classes at partnering colleges.

Congratulations to the Class of 2012!

SUMMER 2012 NEWSLETTER

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SUMMER 2012 NEWSLETTER

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I AM FROM...

by Marilynn Boyer Class of 2013

I am from pain I am from the home where I’m always to blame I am from the mother who to the streets was a slave And a father who forced me to be brave I am from knowledge Yet I am from a city where no one goes to college Potential is wasted because life has denied it As a victim to the streets, all there is is hiding Still I am from freedom My history is stronger than me settling for being dumb Once I find my path, my family, I will lead them I will give others hope; something to believe in I am from pain But one day these streets will know my name Preventing the slain, giving life back to the estranged And finding a way to keep the hate refrained

Where I’m From

by Lori Brown Class of 2013

I am from a place of love and hate.

I am from a place where you must finish your plate.

I am from a place of joy.

I am from a place where the girls are outnumbered by the boys.

I am from a place where you are taught to obey.

I am from a place where you must say yes and not okay.

I am from a place of many colors.

I am from a place where you only worry about yourself and not others.

I am from a place of happiness.

I am from a city that shows no love.

I am from the city of brotherly love.

I am from a mother that tells me to live for the day.

I am from a father that tells me to mean what I say.

I am from an environment that is negative.

I am from an environment that can be positive.

I am from that man above.

I am from a couple that fell in love.

I am from an education system that won’t give help.

I am from the big blue sky.

I am from a world of lies.

I am from a big universe.

I am from a place that can not be rehearsed.

I am from a very confused place.

ALUMNI UPDATES: Amika Miller ‘11 is pursuing an Associate’s degree in Human Services at CCP and intends to transfer to Temple University to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. In addition to being a full-time mom and part-time home health aide, Amika is also a part-time AmeriCorps Alumni member for YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School.

Jasmine Myers ‘11 is in her second year at CCP and applying to the college’s Dual Admissions Program to transfer to a fouryear college and obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Registered Nursing. She participated in YouthBuild’s summer bridge program and has continuously attended CCP since then.

Jamal Dempsey’11 maintained two parttime jobs for a year after graduating, while applying to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. He is now currently completing his first semester at Thaddeus and hopes to graduate in two years with his Associate’s degree.

Tyrik Gass ‘10 – attended Johnson College immediately upon completing YouthBuild’s program and graduated with his Associate’s degree in May 2012. After graduating, he obtained a full-time job at a juvenile detention center and will attend Wilmington University in the Spring of 2013 to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management.

Ayesha Hayes ‘10 has worked full-time as a Certified Nursing Assistant since graduating from YouthBuild. In addition, she has successfully completed the Medical Assistance program at the Pennsylvania Institute for Technology. Ayesha is now pursuing her Associate’s degree for Registered Nursing at CCP. Antonio Cruz ‘10– has worked full-time at Walmart since graduating from YouthBuild.

During his time at Walmart, Antonio has been promoted twice and is now working in the Loss Prevention department. Antonio is also interested in pursuing a career as a fire fighter.

Programs and Partnerships

Student Submissions

Student & Alumni Spotlight

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A Green Ribbon-Cutting on Greene Street

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outhBuild students and staff joined with project partners and Germantown residents on Greene Street on the afternoon of August 3rd to celebrate the completion of YouthBuild’s latest building rehabilitation project. Not long ago, the house at 4620 Greene St. was an abandoned structure and an eyesore lamented by neighbors who passed by the corner of Greene and Sylvania. But in 18 months and with terrific support from the Saint-Gobain Corporation, YouthBuild USA, Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and Philadelphia Neighborhood Housing Services, YouthBuild students rebuilt the property into a energy-efficient and sustainable property to be sold to a low-income, first-time homebuyer.

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he house was built using construction products made from recycled materials and engineered to promote energy efficiency and reduce its environmental impact. The house has been submitted to the Green Building Council to be certified for LEED Platinum certification! This is the first house to be completed under YouthBuild USA and SaintGobain’s Building Our Future Together partnership. Approximately 125 students in the building trades program at YouthBuild worked on this house over the course of its renovation; additionally, students in our Information Technology training program refurbished a PC which was donated to the house for the future homeowner to use.

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hile rehabilitating the house, building trade students have learned advanced construction and green-building skills, and learned about themselves. Student speaker Ciera Russum worked on the house as part of the Advanced Construction team and is now enrolled at Thaddeus Stevens

Executive Director Simran Sidhu, Director of Building Trades Don Pinkney, Student speaker Ciera Russum ‘12, and YouthBuild USA Founder/CEO Dorothy Stoneman pose with project partners and community leaders at the ribbon-cutting event.

College of Technology. In her remarks she noted that there are connections – both metaphorical and literal – between building renovation and personal growth. See below for an excerpt from her speech!

Refurbishing Homes - and Our Lives

by Student Speaker Ciera Russum, YouthBuild Class of 2012 In the past year, this house was completely transformed.

So was my life. When I first saw the house, there were holes in the floor and the wallpaper was peeling all the way down to the brick. It was literally an abandoned house. I had a lot of doubts about whether I could complete the program, and a lot of doubts about whether a group of inexperienced students could rebuild the home.

Thanks to our instructors, the Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation and the building scientists at CertainTeed, we’ve learned new building skills that have opened my eyes to what I can do with my life. Sometimes this year I would come home from working on the house and try out things I’d learned on my mom’s house – like fixing a hole in her ceiling! Before YouthBuild I’d never even picked up a piece of pipe in my life; now I will be attending Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in the fall to study plumbing.

While we’ve refurbished the house on Greene Street, we’ve also refurbished our lives at YouthBuild. I’ve learned important life skills like teamwork, time management, and being able to trust others. I have learned how to take criticism, and how to be a leader who is responsible for the success of a project.

Working on the Greene Street Project has given me so much confidence. I had doubted that we could succeed in rebuilding this house, but we did it and it looks amazing. This makes me imagine all the things I used to doubt, that I actually can do. This house makes me feel like I can do just about anything.