Supported by AmeriCorps National and AmeriCorps State Direct (PennSERVE), YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, has been impacting the lives of thousands of disadvantaged young people for nearly the past twenty years.

In the effort to provide economic opportunity for young people in its community, the school’s unique, one year program provides high school dropouts with a chance to earn their diplomas while learning vital job skills and providing valuable community services.

During the year, all students engage in community service learning and participate as reduced half-time members of AmeriCorps. The community service component is a way to reconnect youth to their communities through "doing." Through the construction of low-income housing, refurbishment of computers to bridge the digital divide, or providing health care services, YouthBuild Philadelphia AmeriCorps members are inspired to help their community and to better their lives through the power of service.  In the process of changing their own lives, students knock down barriers to their development and remove negative stereotypes about out-of-school youth.

In addition, the school provides students with resources and support systems to maneuver the program, develop a sense of empowerment, and transition to full-time jobs and post-secondary educational and training programs. This is what makes YouthBuild Philadelphia stand apart from other programs that provide economic opportunity for young people.

Recently, the Sundance Institute and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation presented a collaborative project designed to harness the power of film to create communities and inspire action.  Six films were commissioned by the Documentary Film Program dealing with issues related to global health, poverty and education.  YouthBuild Philadelphia’s work to help its youth successfully transition from being out-of-school and out-of-work into post-secondary opportunities was the focus to one of these films.