Old Colony YMCA's YouthBuild Fall River is a ten-month community-based program serving young men and women, 16- 24 years of age.
Students alternate weeks between an academic setting and on-the-job vocational training.
08/14/2023
We are gearing up for our 2024 YouthBuild Fall River program! If you or someone you know is out of school and looking for their HiSET and vocational training - we might be able to help! Scan the code or call the program at (508)678-1975 to learn more today!
03/23/2021
Check out our work with our newest partner, The Healing Path! Our Brockton team recently built the goat structure, a bench, and an animal hutch - and there's more to come!
02/11/2021
Great work, everyone!
YouthBuild students have provided the grunt work to build Winterbridge, a six-week pilot initiative offering events and activities in Gromada Plaza.
04/23/2020
Hey Everyone! Join us for a live Zoom call check in!
Every Thursday at 10:00am
Just click the link :)
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03/24/2020
To Our Students, Alumni, and Community,
We know this is an especially uncertain and difficult time for everyone.
Youthbuild Fall River staff is still committed to making sure that everyone has the resources they need to thrive, every day.
We will be posting resources and activities to keep your mind working and your spirit happy in the coming weeks!
If you have a particular need or resource you would like to share, please send us a message.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when YouthBuild Fall River posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
“Where you’ve been and what you’ve been through doesn’t define where you’re going.” That’s a message Kamren learned early on during her days at YouthBuild Fall River, and a message she wants to share with future students in the program.
Kamren – or Kam for short – moved around quite a bit as a kid. She moved to Fall River with her family at age 7, but was quickly put into foster homes due to her mother’s struggle with addiction. Two months into 6th grade, she dropped out of school and ran away from a group home at age 12. Back in foster care at age 17, she entered a GED program with high hopes, but it wasn’t the right fit. She was back on the street, and was arrested soon after.
In 2016, Kam’s sister and her friend Lashon, two former YouthBuild graduates, convinced her to visit the program. “This was the beginning of my rebirth.” While she was waiting for a spot to open up in the program, Kam was working at a local nursing home, saving money, and waiting for a call. When a spot opened, her employer gave her an ultimatum: Continue to work full-time, or leave altogether for YouthBuild.
“Should I really take this leap?” she remembers thinking. She leapt.
Earlier this year, Kam received her HiSET – or high school equivalency – at the age of 23, and joined the Carpenter’s Union in the fall. “We’re all just a family,” she explained. “They (staff) all do whatever they can to make sure we stay on the right track.”
Kam plans to return to YouthBuild in the coming months to speak to the next cohort of students about her story and her success. “They brought out the leader in me, and I hope my story helps the next person in my seat.”
Walking past the program staff on her way to leave after sharing her story, she knocked on the office window and said, “love you guys,” just as she had hundreds of times before.