Newburgh YouthBuild

It is with a heavy heart, but also an incredible sense of pride and gratitude, that we share that Newburgh YouthBuild will officially close its doors as of September 30, 2026.

This was not the outcome we hoped for. Due to funding decisions, we will not be continuing into another program year. While this chapter of Newburgh YouthBuild is coming to an end, the impact of this program, and the relationships built along the way, will continue.

Over the course of our program, we had the privilege of serving over 100 young people in our community. Approximately 70% of our participants left YouthBuild with a credential, whether through earning their GED or completing a trade certification. But beyond the numbers, we are most proud of every young person who walked through our doors and left better than when they arrived, whether that meant leaving with a job, a credential, greater confidence, a new outlook on life, or simply the belief that they were capable of more.

We are especially proud to celebrate our first Local 17 Laborer’s Union apprentice, Avante, whose journey represents exactly what we hoped YouthBuild could make possible for young people in our community. We are also incredibly proud of Kenyatta, a YouthBuild alum who went on to become a RUPCO employee. Their stories, and the stories of so many others, will remain part of the legacy of this program.

None of this would have been possible without the people and organizations who stood beside us.

To every community partner, employer, educator, nonprofit, mentor, donor, volunteer, and supporter, thank you. Thank you for every referral, every opportunity, every resource, every conversation, every word of encouragement, and every time you simply showed up for our young people. Some contributions were large and visible, while others may have seemed small at the time, but each one mattered.

You helped us create opportunities, open doors, and remind young people that their community believes in them.

While our doors may be closing, we hope this is not goodbye, but simply the closing of one chapter. The relationships, lessons, successes, and connections created through Newburgh YouthBuild will continue to live on through the young people we served and through the incredible network of community partners who continue to believe in them.

Thank you for allowing Newburgh YouthBuild to be part of this community and for helping us make a difference in the lives of 100 young people.