Two local youth joined movement of motivated young people in Washington D.C. at Annual YouthBuild AmeriCorps Conference of Young Leaders

Miles Rosales and Nolan Wolfe, students at Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild, were elected to join more than 40 other young leaders in Washington, D.C. at the 36th Annual YouthBuild AmeriCorps Conference of Young Leaders (CoYL) recently.

Through CoYL, YouthBuild AmeriCorps students are brought together to fully experience the breadth and impact of YouthBuild’s global movement rooted in leadership, service, education and job skills training. Participants further develop their leadership skills and network with current and former students from YouthBuild programs across the country. Heart of Oregon YouthBuild is one of 247 local programs across the U.S. that partner with opportunity youth—young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed—to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood and leadership. Outside of the U.S., there are 80 local programs in eight other countries that serve opportunity youth.

Throughout the three-day conference, participants explored this year’s theme, “Lead Well. Be Well.”, as they broadened their skills and deepened their knowledge to create positive change in their communities. The young people shared their experiences with each other and participated in collaborative, interactive workshops on financial capability, creativity, leadership and wellness, and asset-based storytelling. By building connections with each other and YouthBuild alumni, participants realized the critical role they play in the extensive, global YouthBuild network and brainstormed concrete actions they can take to change their communities for the better. Participants like Rosales and Wolfe are chosen to attend by their fellow students and local YouthBuild program staff.

“When YouthBuild students experience the breadth and depth of the entire YouthBuild movement outside of their individual local programs, they see yet another example of their collective strength and potential to change the world,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global. “By making these connections during our Conference of Young Leaders, context is gathered and lifelong friendships are made. These young leaders bring a larger worldview, and even greater purpose, back to their communities.”

“The Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild program connects local Opportunity Youth ages 16-24 to education and employment as they learn construction or child and youth development skills and serve their communities,” said Shelley Aube, YouthBuild Program Director at Heart of Oregon Corps.

“I felt honored to be part of CoYL. Seeing other young leaders and learning more about them was amazing, knowing that we may come from different walks of life but we are working toward the same goals of helping our people, families, friends, and our community.” said Rosales.

“CoYL was a good experience and I’m glad I got to go and learn new leadership skills and learn about how YouthBuild was founded. It was cool getting to meet people from other YouthBuild programs and the staff at CoYL were very loving, caring, kind, and helpful. I feel very grateful and lucky to have gotten to go.” said Wolfe.

YouthBuild champions opportunity youth as they achieve their ambitions and reach their full potential. In YouthBuild programs around the world, young people who are out of school and out of work reclaim their education, gain job skills, and become leaders in their communities through service and civic engagement. These young people are in greatest need of our support, and they are our greatest source of untapped potential to create more equitable economic growth and transform the world. In YouthBuild’s environment of love, respect, high expectations, belonging, and agency, young people overcome barriers and build long-term professional and personal success.