YouthWorks
Grants Awarded
YouthWorks (YW) enhances the lives of New Mexico youth ages 14-24 by providing paid training and education in practical skills through hands-on projects in environmental restoration, wildland firefighting, and community improvement. This program empowers participants to develop social, leadership, and workforce skills, ultimately positioning them for job placements, trade certifications, or college enrollment. By fostering a supportive environment, YW not only prepares youth for personal success but also addresses local climate and poverty challenges, contributing to healthier communities.
In its’ 21st year of operations, YouthWorks continues to provide culturally competent facilitation in the delivery of positive youth development and navigation programs to re-engage disconnected, Opportunity Youth ages 14-24 into productivity and self-sufficiency. YouthWorks engages youth who are marginalized and who reach the organization seeking assistance to overcome numerous life obstacles and circumstances that disrupted traditional pathways. YouthWorks programs are structured to support youth to develop social, leadership and workforce skills, and to expand educational opportunities, with combined wrap around services and necessary resources so that youth can achieve their goals and become productive members of their community.
YouthWorks aims to empower up to 40 Opportunity Youth, ages 14-24, through paid outdoor training and hands-on projects that enhance their skills and experiences. Participants will engage in river and trail restoration, tree canopy installation, and agricultural initiatives, fostering personal growth while positively impacting the local community's environment and food supply.
Since 2001, YouthWorks (YW) has provided programs for youths aged 14-24 that enhance cultural understanding, develop leadership, foster environmental stewardship, and provide practical, paid training. The program uses hands-on activities in areas such as environmental restoration and land management, which serve the dual purpose of creating tangible community improvements while cultivating necessary life competencies among participants. This combined job-skills training and education system links students to employment or further educational opportunities, while the organization’s partnerships foster a series of successful community projects in areas such as housing development beautification and agricultural operations.
YouthWorks is a nonprofit formed in 2001 to address the gaps in services in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico for alternative education, job skills training and certification programs for youth and young adults seeking access to opportunity, academic completion, community connection and relevant workforce skills. YouthWorks has served thousands youth since its grassroots beginning-leveraging positive results for Opportunity Youth through innovative social justice initiatives, community-benefitting projects and youth-driven social enterprises. YouthWorks culturally relevant alternative education programs, paid work-based learning opportunities, social enterprises, environmental restoration/conservation training programs, green-jobs in the trades, direct employment placement and experiences are an impactful catalyst for transformation. YouthWorks engages youth ages 14-25 in northern New Mexico who experience marginalization as a result of social, economic, family, school, legal or housing issues. YouthWorks serves over 1,000 youth each year. YouthWorks serves a 94% low-income population, with 74% Hispanic, 6% Native American, 64% male, 35% female, 1% other, and over 36% presenting as housing insecure. 85% of YouthWorks participants are non-traditional learners who have experienced considerable educational and societal setbacks, and 25% have been involved with juvenile justice and foster care systems. YouthWorks model is designed to positively impact youth through mentoring and experiential learning to promote practical skills attainment. YouthWorks imparts social skills; fosters leadership development and community engagement; increases interpersonal and communication skills and develops leadership and responsibility through classroom-based and hands-on education leading to meaningful employment, higher education, and career trajectories. Our young adult engagement model links a combination of youth-centered and client-driven programming in a strategic wrap-around system of services that includes the support of case managers and counselors for navigation toward health, stability, and wellness. YouthWorks array of programs, trainings and paid work opportunities strengthen youth abilities to achieve their educational and employment goals and secure positive outcomes for success, community attachment and elevated socioeconomic futures. In the past year, YouthWorks was integral in collaboration with the regional Work Based Learning Task Force to promote the exact style and model of our own work to other institutions and organizations. YouthWorks acted in the capacity of Steering Committee Member for the year-long preparation for a regional Work Based Learning (WBL) conference. In this role YouthWorks assisted to design and conduct a regional two-day WBL conference that registered over 250 partners including Los Alamos National Labs Foundation, Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico College, Regional Economic Development District, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, schools/educators, nonprofits, and employers/businesses and trades unions. YouthWorks has partnered with the City, conservation trainers, colleges and nonprofits to secure and advance additional solar and water conservation paid certification training and experiential work opportunities for youth with the potential for full employment with trainer/employers. YouthWorks has sought and won five separate U.S. Department of Labor (DOL-ETA) YouthBuild contracts to engage, educate, train and credential young people ages 16-24 in the construction trades in partnership with Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity and the culinary/hospitality industry fields in key partnership with the NM and Santa Fe Restaurant Association.