Connecting Youth, Work and Community
Harrisburg, PA
An American Youth Policy Forum Field Trip — July 26, 1996
Visions Youthworks
The Youthworks program, according to John Briscoe, Executive Director, is "a hands-on ‘work-to-school' program" that acts as a "community and a family" to help young people develop academic, civic, and personal life skills that will help them advance their academic and professional careers. In operation since August of 1994, Youthworks enrolls approximately 30 corpsmembers each year--all of whom have either dropped out of high school or left the education system after earning their high school diploma. In addition, many of these young people have a history of family problems, poor housing conditions and substance abuse.
Youthworks staff try to get to the root causes of why corpsmembers were unsuccessful in school, and develop strategies to build self esteem and confidence so that they can achieve success in all areas of life. At Youthworks, a typical day runs from 7:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., and consists of 50 percent construction work and 50 percent educational activities. Additional services include preparation for internships, job placement, higher education and personal counseling. Sixty percent of the corpsmembers are young women, and the majority of young males are enrolled in the Youthworks residential program, living and learning together in a shared community. Plans are underway to open a house that will provide similar residential opportunities for young women.
The high percentage of young women sets Youthworks apart from other youth corps, where the percentage of females is closer to 33 percent. Although recruitment efforts have not specifically targeted this population, Youthworks has welcomed the opportunity to train women in this non-traditional field of employment. Key to the success of young women in Youthworks is that they learn the same skills and undertake the same experiences as young males. Word of mouth and other informal methods of recruitment have helped to ensure that young women continue to enroll in Youthworks in large numbers.
Early results indicate that Youthworks has made a difference for Harrisburg's youth. Six months after completing the Youthworks program, 26 percent of participants were enrolled in higher education, 58 percent were employed full-time, with the rest unemployed or unlocated. In Harrisburg, this unemployed or "missing" category typically includes 50 percent of at-risk youth.
Funding for Youthworks comes from a variety of sources:
- 20% -- Corporation for National Service (as part of the AmeriCorps program)
- 25% -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development/YouthBuild
- 10% -- Job Training Partnership Act
- 6% -- City of Harrisburg
- 10% -- County government
- 29% -- grants, local businesses, private donations and other sources
Tour of Construction Sites
Following the opening presentation, Forum participants visited the houses that corpsmembers are rehabilitating in their neighborhood. There are over 400 abandoned houses in Harrisburg. The city essentially "donates" a number of these houses to Youthworks, with the program paying the minimum amount for each house allowed by law. Youthworks has also operated joint renovation projects with other local groups, such as Habitat for Humanity and the YWCA.
Once Youthworks obtains an abandoned house, corpsmembers completely restore the building. This, as Forum participants witnessed, includes the complete "gutting" of the house so that only an outside "shell" remains (the first site visited had just been "gutted" by three corpsmembers, who explained to Forum participants what they had done and why they had done it). Once taken down to the shell, the corpsmembers then "rebuild" the interior, which includes reinforcing the walls, placing new sheet rock walls, building exterior porches and patios, painting the interior and exterior and laying down new carpeting. Less intensive restoration projects involve simply restoring a house's facade, which can include placing new siding on a house or cleaning and painting the exterior.
Youthworks renovation projects contribute directly to local community development and restoration. Since a portion of the program's funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the houses that Youthworks renovates must be sold at a low price to low-income families. A typical Youthworks-restored house is two to three stories high, has three to four bedrooms, a porch and a small backyard, and is sold for $25,000. According to Briscoe, this further promotes the Youthworks mission, as "We want work for our young people and housing for the community." Not only has attractive and affordable housing resulted but crime and drug sales have decreased significantly in these neighborhoods.
Roundtable Discussion with Youthworks Corpsmembers and Community Leaders
Following lunch at the central Youthworks site, Forum participants attended a roundtable discussion with Youthworks corpsmembers, school administrators and representatives of businesses and other community-based organizations that have supported the Youthworks program. The corpsmembers present at the discussion strongly indicated their support of Youthworks. One young woman told participants that Youthworks is responsible for keeping many young people--including herself--off the street. In her case, she first heard about Youthworks while serving a nine month jail term, and determined that it offered her the best chance to turn her life around. Now a second year corpsmember, she has earned her GED and is planning to attend college to become an underwater welder.
Such stories are typical of Youthworks participants. Terence Jackson, Director of Men's Programs, attributes the program's success to the comprehensive approach it takes towards all aspects of youth development--academics, job training and personal growth and maturity. "It's really a commitment to the young people--you're talking about being involved 24 hours a day, 7 days a week--really being involved in these people's lives."
This view was also shared by the business and community leaders in attendance. Supporting Youthworks was "a no-brainer," according to a representative of Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL), one of the strongest supporters of the program. PPL provides funds to Youthworks through its Community Partnership Program, and has been extremely pleased that it is able to assist in the personal, academic and career growth of young people through the Youthworks outlet.
The director of a local community center which works with many Youthworks corpsmembers also emphasized the contribution that Youthworks has made to the community. Graduates of Youthworks, he noted, often volunteer at the community center, and serve as role models for young children. In this capacity, they have worked to either keep them in school or enroll them in Youthworks.
Conclusions
For a small program, Youthworks has made a significant contribution to the Harrisburg community. Young people who have either not succeeded in or grown disenchanted with the education system have been offered a second chance in their young lives and, more often than not, are thriving in this environment. In addition, Youthworks is fostering effective community development. Through the work of the corpsmembers, low-income families are able to afford good housing, neighborhoods are being revitalized and residents are growing concerned about their environment.
Finally, these positive affects have spread beyond the young people and neighborhoods being directly served by Youthworks. Schools are beginning to view the Youthworks model as an appropriate alternative method of education. Business recognize that these types of programs offer more sound community investment opportunities. And community organizations are recognizing that young people are valuable resources and should be active contributors to their community.
Contact Information
John Briscoe
Executive Director
Bruce Smith
Program Director
Visions Youthworks
1422 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17103
Phone: 717-233-6676
Fax: 717-233-7132