YouthBuild Louisville is an education, job training, and leadership program that provides low-income young adults, ages 18-24, opportunities to realize their potential as active community leaders and an educated workforce for Louisville.
Our mission is to champion young adults to be great citizens who build productive lives and sustainable communities.
Our vision is that through the development of life and job skills, students are inspired to reach lifelong success as they become strong, confident young adults with a commitment to work, education, family and community.
YouthBuild Louisville is primarily funded by the Department of Labor and Louisville Metro Government.
————————————-
The Louisville connection:
In 2000, Lynn Rippy recognized a need in the community and learned about YouthBuild USA. With a grant from Louisville Metro Government, Lynn and Marsha Weinstein drafted a program for youth called Young Adult Development In Action in Marsha’s living room. The program then gained affiliate status to become a YouthBuild program and began its first class in 2001.
For the first 9 years, YouthBuild Louisville was housed at Jefferson Community & Technical College. In 2011, YBL moved to its current location in Smoketown and has been developing the YouthBuild Louisville Green Campus to better equip YBL to educate, train, and provide a hands-on experience so students can pursue their dreams. Having already made an investment of $2.8 million into the campus, YBL has become an anchor for the Smoketown community.