Who we are

The YouthBuild Florida Coalition was formed in 2018 to act as a resource for member programs and to more effectively advocate for their students.There are ten active YouthBuild programs in the coalition, hosted by various organizations, united by common purpose.

 

Read about the members here.

We can do this

YouthBuild programs across the state of Florida work in rural and urban areas with opportunity youth, helping them complete high school diplomas or its equivalent, get vocational training, and build better futures for economically distressed communities.  The American Community Survey indicates the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds is 17.6% statewide.  This rate is even higher in economically disadvantaged communities. YouthBuild is an evidence-based approach to serve this vulnerable population.

Roots

YouthBuild Florida Coalition members are proud to be part of the YouthBuild USA Affiliated Network.  Dorothy Stoneman, founder of YouthBuild, started her work in 1978 with a handful of East Harlem teenagers and an abandoned tenement building.  Today, YouthBuild has broad bipartisan support at the federal level, where appropriations have been administered by the Department of Labor since 2006.  There are now over 260 locally operated YouthBuild programs in 44 states and 100 programs in 22 other countries. While the contexts vary, the philosophical heart remains the same: a commitment to developing the amazing potential of opportunity youth.

Florida Graduation Rate

Statewide graduation rate is 86.1%

The graduation rate among economically disadvantaged students is 82%

 

Florida Youth Unemployment

In Florida, 17.6 % of 16-24 year olds are out-of-school and out-of-work

 

Florida Corrections Spending

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice spent over $238 million in 2017 juvenile justice

The Florida Department of Corrections spent nearly $2.95 billion on adult incarceration in 2017