YouthBuild Rockford

Programs Offered

• YouthBuild Rockford: YouthBuild is a unique program serving out of school youth  ages 16-24 who are from low-income communities, have left school and are  unemployed. It provides academic education, vocational skills training, personal  counseling, positive peer support, leadership development, job placement and  follow-up support. Young people spend half their time in academic programming  and the other half learning skills in construction. Participants build or rehabilitate  housing for low-income families and have produced 45 units of affordable  housing in Rockford since the program began. Since 1994, YouthBuild Rockford  has seen over 6,000 youth apply, and has served more than 1,000 young people.  80% of program completers have been placed in jobs or educational programs,  and youth have completed over 510,000 hours of community service. YouthBuild.
• USA AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps is a national service movement that engages  Americans of all ages in a domestic “Peace Corps” to get things done in our  local communities. As part of a national service movement overseen by the  Corporation for National Service and YouthBuild USA, AmeriCorps members  commit to a term of community service and upon completion they earn an  education award which can be used to pay for college or vocational training.  CCS has operated this program since 1996, and since then member have  completed over 510,000 hours of community service.  
• YouthBuild USA Mentoring: YouthBuild USA Mentoring is a national movement  designed to get professional connected to YouthBuild participants to be career  coaches and advocates that help them stay focused and committed to their  goals. CCS has successfully operated this program since 2010.  
• RockForWork: The Illinois Youth Investment Program (IYIP), formerly known as  Community Youth Employment Program, is a multi-faceted approach to youth  employment that invests in the future of Illinois’ at-risk transition-age youth (16- 24).  This approach to youth employment accounts for the youth’s employment  barriers as well as the physical, emotional, social, and mental health needs while  helping them to secure and sustain long-term and/or career employment  thereby ensuring a greater likelihood of success and self-sufficiency. This program  was established in 2020 at CCS.  
• ALPHA: ALPHA is a youth development/violence prevention program that is  funded by the Illinois Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, which was  created as a key equity element of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA).  ALPHA aligns with the City of Rockford, Alignment Rockford, the Rockford Park  District, and Rockford Public Schools Live, Learn, Play Universal Goal number 4:  Increase the district graduation rate and freshman on-track rate to 75% by 2024.  This goal of ALPHA is achieved by helping youth graduate high school by  providing them with a safe and friendly learning environment that provides help  with tutoring and homework, builds character, enhances positive thinking and  self-respect while they learn discipline and dedication, self-control, problem  solving, strategic thinking, and proper exercise and nutrition to build a healthy  lifestyle and be excited about school. This program was established in 2021 at  CCS.