YouthBuild St. Clair County

Established: 2011
Parent Organization: Teens Against Killing Everywhere
CEO: Vickie Jo Kimmel
2011 Enrollment: 39
Length of Program: 12-18 months
Recent/Current/Future Projects: LEED-certified Assisted living center, Driver’s Ed, AmeriCorps Week, White House roundtable discussions
2011: With 147 trainees in total, East St. Louis operates both a charter school and a YouthBuild program dedicated to helping students further their education and develop their construction skills. To qualify for either program, potential applicants must survive a five week long “boot camp”. Similar to “mental toughness—an all encompassing orientation period used by fellow YB initiatives—Emerson Park YB’s boot camp requires its students to, among other things, earn a variety of certifications necessary for success and sustainable building in the construction field. Boot camp graduation is a special event. Last year the mayor spoke as students gathered with family, friends, and staff in celebration.
No more carpooling for East St. Louis (well, maybe only for the environmental benefits): In November, the organization graduated its first class of drivers from its newly-formed Driver’s Ed program.
Parent Organization: Teens Against Killing Everywhere
CEO: Vickie Jo Kimmel
2011 Enrollment: 39
Length of Program: 12-18 months
Recent/Current/Future Projects: LEED-certified Assisted living center, Driver’s Ed, AmeriCorps Week, White House roundtable discussions
2011: With 147 trainees in total, East St. Louis operates both a charter school and a YouthBuild program dedicated to helping students further their education and develop their construction skills. To qualify for either program, potential applicants must survive a five week long “boot camp”. Similar to “mental toughness—an all encompassing orientation period used by fellow YB initiatives—Emerson Park YB’s boot camp requires its students to, among other things, earn a variety of certifications necessary for success and sustainable building in the construction field. Boot camp graduation is a special event. Last year the mayor spoke as students gathered with family, friends, and staff in celebration.
No more carpooling for East St. Louis (well, maybe only for the environmental benefits): In November, the organization graduated its first class of drivers from its newly-formed Driver’s Ed program.