(Work in progress at the Sisters Habitat home build | Photo courtesy of YouthBuild)
Young people in Central Oregon facing barriers such as generational poverty, substance abuse, homelessness, court involvement, and/or lack of parental support have a path to “unlock their potential and build meaningful careers,” as Kara Johnson, deputy director of the Heart of Oregon Corps, knows from her 14 years with the nonprofit organization.
And as she tells those just getting started in its core YouthBuild program (which lasts nine-12 months, with 12 months of follow-up services), “We are not going to waste your time,” which is quite an understatement.
Designed to empower young people aged 16-24 by re-engaging them in school to earn their high school diploma or GED, while learning job skills that prepare them for the workplace, YouthBuild “is about changing lives,” Johnson said. “The program demonstrates how the trajectory leading to success and a living wage is not as burdensome as they imagined.”
Looking back to Oregon’s “Great Recession” some 15 years ago, “youth employment rates topped 40 percent,” Johnson noted, lending an urgency to the nonprofit’s goals. “Since that time, nearly 475 youth have come through the YouthBuild program, which is now divided into two tracks: construction and child and youth development.” (The latter includes teaching and counseling at local pre-schools, park & recreation districts, and summer day camps.) Both options provide a small living stipend, scholarship opportunities, and industry-recognized certification.”
“One young man, who went through the YouthBuild program in 2013, is now a construction manager,” Johnson said. “Others, upon discovering that construction is undeniably hard work, initially vowed that ‘I’m never doing this’ — only to tell me later that they have chosen construction as their profession.”
Johnson is acutely aware that “our already-underserved target group has changed over the years, as we see an increase in their mental health needs, higher rates of houselessness (she cites sleeping on park benches or in their cars), and a significant percentage of high school drop-outs. We aim to find those young people, and get them back on track.”
This entails, in addition to education, job-skills training, and leadership development, “teaching a work ethic to those who may lack a role model, and — basic as it sounds — just showing up.”
YouthBuild “allows participants to experience failures and learn from these failures,” according to Johnson. “As an example, we’ll say that ‘you screwed up’ if their attendance has been subpar. Yet interestingly, while some young people admit that their attendance in school has been bad, by allowing them to do something they enjoy, attendance is no longer an issue. This makes sense.”
Johnson added that “we also offer an experiential type of learning, so that, for example, youth learn math concepts by seeing and applying them during construction jobs. This hands-on application makes the concepts more real.”
Another part of the construction-track curriculum, Johnson said, “involves showing young people how building affordable housing impacts their communities, affirming how they can personally make a difference.”
Not surprisingly, “word of mouth is a really big recruitment tool for Heart of Oregon’s YouthBuild — whether it’s parents, aunts and uncles, or friends — especially those who have already completed our program. They know that we teach with caring, kindness, and love.”
Accolades at a recent YouthBuild job fair testify to the program’s value. “These young people demonstrate grit and leadership beyond measure,” said Employer Advisory Council members Ryan Eckman of Mike’s Fence Center and Gary North of R&H Construction. “When they reach their full potential as working citizens, all of us benefit. Our neighborhoods flourish with refreshed housing, public service projects, and young leaders who are equipped with the tools they need to thrive.”
