TACOMA – Eighteen area youth will graduate April 11 from Tacoma Goodwill’s YouthBuild program, providing educational opportunities for at-risk young adults ages 18-24 who also build homes for those in need.
The ceremony will include a performance of the graduates and take place at Stadium High School, 111 N. E St., from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Motivational speaker Paris Mullen, president and founder of Life Changers, will address the graduates, who will also offer personal expressions about what they have learned. Those interested in attending are asked to contact Leigh Ann Myhre at (253) 284.3358 oro lmyhre@tacomagodwill.org.
“These at-risk young adults have learned about leadership and community service that will help them fulfill their potential,” said Terry A. Hayes, Goodwill CEO. “They’ve received real-world skills that will lead them toward a brighter future.”
Goodwill has been working with at-risk young adults for more than a dozen years. Goodwill’s STEPS program was already in place to help youth ages 16-21 complete their education and gain exposure to the workplace.
Mullen focuses on energizing youth to make positive changes in their lives, a topic on which he has spoken extensively. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University and has worked as a family therapist and youth program director, giving him a perspective on issues today’s at-risk youth face.
Creating success
Tacoma Goodwill received a $400,000 grant last year from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department to create YouthBuild. Goodwill plans to continue the program next year.
YouthBuild began with a rigorous “Mental Toughness” training to winnow the more than 100 applicants to the program. Once selected, a total of 32 participants received training for the high- school equivalency exam and participated in building low-income housing.
Twenty-two participants spent at least six months with the program. Of that group, 20 entered unemployed; 19 had dropped out of high school; 17 spent time in jail or had an appearance in court; and nine are parents.
Among the successes of the YouthBuild graduates:
- All 18 improved math and reading by at least one grade level; nine have attained a GED while four more are on track to obtain the high-school equivalency certificate this summer; six have plans to start college next fall;
- They have given more than 800 hours in volunteer service to better the community, including work on 10 homes that were either built, went through rehabilitation, had a wheelchair ramp installed or were cleared to make way for two new homes with the Tacoma Housing Authority;
- 12 have gotten jobs with salaries ranging from $8.50 to $14.33 per hour, all above the minimum wage, at companies like Safeway, Starbucks. Seven students have plans to pursue careers in the trades through apprenticeships (three in carpentry, one each in sheet metal, welding, electrician and heavy equipment operations).
“The participants have overcome tremendous obstacles to complete the program,” said Layci Nelson, Goodwill Youth Services director. “They should be commended for their achievement.”
Nelson credited key sponsors for the success of the program. The list includes: Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters; Carpenters Local 470; LADS Local 1144; Pierce County Building Trades Council; and Starbucks.
Other key partners include: Bates Technical College, Habitat for Humanity, Tacoma Housing Authority, WALSH Construction, Sound Youth Counseling, Tacoma Community College, the R. Merle Palmer Minority Scholarship Foundation, World Vision, TPCETC Construction Partnership and YouthBuild USA.
