YouthBuild Grand Rapids

Serving our students aged 17-24 is something we look forward to every cohort. As we look forward, we're beginning to wrap up yet another successful class and are excited to see what they do with their experience here at YouthBuild Grand Rapids after their time in programming. 🧡

To learn more about or sign up for YouthBuild GR, click the link below:
https://www.grcct.com/opportunities

37...37 individuals had the courage to step outside of their comfort zone, many never having the opportunity or have taken the leap to explore certain chambers of their potential. Since the start of the year we've had the pleasure of guiding 37 of our 47 total students through the completion of their pre-apprenticeship certification.

Help us celebrate these talented, hardworking individuals. Drop a heart or leave a kind word of encouragement! 🧡

To learn more about YouthBuild GR, click the link below:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62cc95a45e185e687b714c10/t/668c2d9d804b3b4dc17776dc/1720462755340/YB+Program+Info+Flyer.pdf

To sign up for YouthBuild GR, click the link below:
https://fs12.formsite.com/fp21pf/sipmgvtpjz/index.html

Happy Independence Day! In observance of the holiday, our offices will be CLOSED. We hope you have a fun, safe holiday and look forward to serving you again Friday, July 5.

Chris is one of our YB Grand Rapids National Retail Federation Customer Service vocational students. He is an active participant in our cohort 17 class.

Here’s a few words from Chris hisself about the program:

“Working in the kitchen, I’ve learned has been more than I thought it would. It’s made me more comfortable as a man. I’ve never had a consistent father figure in my life before. Darrin taking on that role, showing me things that I’ve never had a male figure there to show me.”

Looks forward to most each day: “My boss has something he calls ‘Way of Life’. Even though he needs us in here working doing hard work. He wants us to be doing well in life too.”

Willingness to recommend the program to others: 9.5/10 - “You gotta be able to do it, if you’re not ready to do hard work or not used to it, it can be really hard.”

Cookouts are always on the menu at YouthBuild Grand Rapids! Hard work pays off in the form of full stomachs and good times. 🧡

YouthBuild Grand Rapids own, Todd Pueler had the gracious opportunity to accept a donation of $10,000 for programming from the Home Builders Association of Greater Grand Rapids.
From all of our YB staff, students, and Madison Square community; we thank you! 🧡

To learn more about YouthBuild GR, click the link below:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62cc95a45e185e687b714c10/t/6643d034c3c52621272940d9/1715720253210/YB+Program+Info+Flyer.pdf

May recap of a couple great experiences YouthBuild Grand Rapids had the opportunity to be a part of.

First, thank you to the West Michigan Whitecaps for selecting our program to highlight and sponsor for the 50/50 raffle. Our staff, students, and our Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation family had the humble opportunity to educate about YouthBuild and raise money for our program. In the ballpark of $604!

Second, our YouthBuild staff and students got to enjoy a fun day of team building and learning outdoor survival skills at Camp Roger.

We have more exciting updates coming your way, so don't forget to follow us for more YB fun! 🧡

Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) is required as part of our construction training track here at YouthBuild GR. We pride ourselves on offering programming that not only provides education completion courses, but trade skills and certifications to take our students to the next level after their time with us. 🧡

Swipe for more information and to see our current cohort hard at work with their site supervisor.

Congratulations are in order for our intern, Joel. 🎉
Yesterday we said farewell (more like see you later) as his time with us came to a close. From your YouthBuild family, thank you so much for your hard work and unwavering dedication.

Joel is graduating from college this spring, so let’s all wish him well!

Follow us for more program updates. 🧡

Cohort 17 is fully underway! In the spirit of education and awareness, we want to share a few facts about our YouthBuild GR Program.

For more information, contact us at 616-558-8127.

Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation offers unhindered opportunities for all Great things are happening at the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation, including workforce development, social innovation and enterprise, to name a few! Learn about Bethany Christian S…

At YouthBuild, we’re not just job training "Construction and Customer Service". We’re a supportive and caring community!
We help you earn your GED. We help build your confidence so you can thrive as a leader. Success is possible when you have people who believe in you. Our staff and mentors have your back. The people you’ll meet through YouthBuild will lift you up for the rest of your life.
We know it can be tough to imagine your life for the next few weeks or months, much less figuring out your career for the next 5 to 10 years. And that is okay.
We are here to help make the most of your talent and to prioritize what matters most to you and your goals—not just for today, but for 5, 10, 20 years from now.
Learn more about everything YouthBuild has to offer https://www.grcct.com/opportunities

EARN WHILE YOU LEARN!!!!!!

Teamwork and collaboration is something we strive to implement into our student's lives, both in and out of the classroom.

El trabajo en equipo y la colaboración es algo que nos esforzamos por implementar en la vida de nuestros estudiantes, tanto dentro como fuera del aula.

We are midweek and hanging on tight!

Our GED program is Monday-Thursday and lasts for 6 months allowing for a much more flexible schedule for our students.

¡Estamos a mitad de semana y aguantamos fuerte!

Nuestro programa GED es de lunes a jueves y tiene una duración de 6 meses, lo que permite un horario mucho más flexible para nuestros estudiantes.

Mentoring is such a blessing in the lives of those being mentored. If you or someone you know is interested in mentoring a YouthBuild student, reach out to [email protected] for more information!

La tutoría es una gran bendición en la vida de quienes reciben tutoría. Si usted o alguien que conoce está interesado en ser mentor de un estudiante de YouthBuild, comuníquese con [email protected] para obtener más información.

That Friday feeling! 😎

¡Ese sentimiento de viernes! 😎

Getting to go and interact with partners in our community is one thing we LOVE! We recently were able to go and tour Fishbeck and learn all about what they're working on.

By visiting local companies, it allows our students the opportunity to begin thinking about what they want to do next after receiving their GED. If you are interested in having our group come and tour your company and explain the different roles needed to succeed, please reach out to [email protected] for more information!

¡Poder ir e interactuar con socios de nuestra comunidad es algo que AMAMOS! Recientemente pudimos visitar Fishbeck y aprender todo sobre en qué están trabajando.
Al visitar empresas locales, nuestros estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de comenzar a pensar en lo que quieren hacer a continuación después de recibir su GED. Si está interesado en que nuestro grupo venga a recorrer su empresa y le explique los diferentes roles necesarios para tener éxito, comuníquese con [email protected] para obtener más información.

As we are gearing up for Cohort 16, we are beginning the search for folks to volunteer some time with tutoring and GED Prep! If you are interested in becoming a tutor or wanting to learn more, please reach out to [email protected] for more information!

Mientras nos preparamos para la cohorte 16, ¡estamos comenzando a buscar personas que se ofrezcan como voluntarias durante algún tiempo con tutoría y preparación para el GED! Si está interesado en convertirse en tutor o desea obtener más información, comuníquese con [email protected] para obtener más información.

We love taking our groups out of the classroom and immerse them in opportunities to learn about next steps once they obtain their GED! College tours are just one of many trips we will include in the day-to-day schedule here at YouthBuild GR.

¡Nos encanta sacar a nuestros grupos del aula y sumergirlos en oportunidades para aprender sobre los próximos pasos una vez que obtengan su GED! Los recorridos universitarios son solo uno de los muchos viajes que incluiremos en el programa diario aquí en YouthBuild GR.

We are about to start our 16th Cohort! That means we have seen hundreds of young people come through our doors to earn their GED, to gain construction skills, to better their futures!

If you were unable to make it to our Open House last night, but are interested in being apart of this Cohort, don't hesitate, reach out today!

¡Estamos a punto de comenzar nuestra cohorte número 16! ¡Eso significa que hemos visto a cientos de jóvenes entrar por nuestras puertas para obtener su GED, adquirir habilidades de construcción y mejorar su futuro!
Si no pudo asistir a nuestra jornada de puertas abiertas anoche, pero está interesado en ser parte de esta cohorte, no lo dude, ¡comuníquese hoy!

Meet Todd, our YouthBuild Program Coordinator! Todd wears a few different hats here at YouthBuild, but his main focus is on “Career Readiness and Career Pathways” for current YouthBuild students. Todd is also responsible for recruitment and follow-up as well as showcasing the YouthBuild program to the community and our partners.

When asked why YouthBuild and what he enjoys doing outside of the classroom, Todd stated, “I love working for YouthBuild because I can make a positive difference in the lives of young people helping them better their lives. I also love to travel with friends and family. Next trip is Italy!”

¡Conozca a Todd, nuestro coordinador del programa YouthBuild! Todd desempeña diferentes roles aquí en YouthBuild, pero su enfoque principal es la “preparación y trayectorias profesionales” para los estudiantes actuales de YouthBuild. Todd también es responsable del reclutamiento y el seguimiento, así como de presentar el programa YouthBuild a la comunidad y a nuestros socios.

Cuando se le preguntó por qué YouthBuild y qué le gusta hacer fuera del aula, Todd afirmó: “Me encanta trabajar para YouthBuild porque puedo marcar una diferencia positiva en las vidas de los jóvenes ayudándolos a mejorar sus vidas. También me encanta viajar con amigos y familiares. ¡El próximo viaje es Italia!”

Calling all youth 14-24!!

Are you looking to earn $$ while learning?
Have you not received your GED and are looking to get it?

Come on by next week Tuesday to learn more, get signed up and more!

¡¡Llamando a todos los jóvenes de 14 a 24 años!!

¿Estás buscando ganar $$ mientras aprendes?
¿No ha recibido su GED y está buscando obtenerlo?

¡Ven el martes de la próxima semana para obtener más información, registrarte y más!

Reminder about our current YouthBuild Cohort's Graduation, happening TOMORROW here at GRCCT! Come on out and show your support to these hardworking individuals and the team that has been working with them over the past 6 months!

¡Recordatorio sobre la graduación actual de nuestra cohorte de YouthBuild, que tendrá lugar MAÑANA aquí en GRCCT! ¡Venga y muestre su apoyo a estas personas trabajadoras y al equipo que ha estado trabajando con ellos durante los últimos 7 meses!

At YouthBuild, young adults spend roughly half of their time advancing their formal education goals. These can include: working toward their high school diploma or its equivalent, numeracy and literacy skill-building, and hands-on learning, focused on livelihood preparation. In supportive, individualized learning environments, they gain the skills and obtain the certifications or credentials needed to pursue a diverse range of careers and livelihoods, apprenticeships, and postsecondary education.

En YouthBuild, los adultos jóvenes pasan aproximadamente la mitad de su tiempo avanzando en sus objetivos de educación formal. Estos pueden incluir: trabajar para obtener su diploma de escuela secundaria o su equivalente, desarrollo de habilidades de aritmética y alfabetización, y aprendizaje práctico, centrado en la preparación para la subsistencia. En entornos de aprendizaje individualizados y de apoyo, adquieren las habilidades y obtienen las certificaciones o credenciales necesarias para seguir una amplia gama de carreras y medios de vida, aprendizajes y educación postsecundaria.