YouthBuild Allentown

Young people seeking to make positive change in their lives can earn education credentials and gain real-world experience in the construction trades by enrolling in HADC’s YouthBuild Allentown program.

Aimed at men and women, from 17 to 24 years of age, who left school without graduating, YouthBuild Allentown is a six-month program that includes GED instruction, certificate programs at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and on-the-job training at HADC project sites.

The program is four days per week and includes GED instruction, on-the-job construction training, classes at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, along with life skills guidance, leadership development and community service projects. The YouthBuild instructors along with the program and case managers form a team to guide the students as they work to achieve their benchmarks.

The on-the-job training involves the complete gutting and reconstruction of a blighted house in the Jordan Heights neighborhood of central Allentown. When the renovation work is complete, HADC will sell the house to an income-eligible buyer or add the dwelling to its inventory of rental properties.

Students are eligible to receive a weekly living allowance for their work and participation in the program.

YouthBuild Allentown is based on a national model that operates in 46 states and in 15 countries. It uses wrap-around services delivered in a family-like atmosphere to foster a team spirit as students move through the program.