A YouthBuild team and visiting dignitaries in Gulfport, Mississippi, earlier this year, celebrating the completion of the 100th home built since Hurricane Katrina. Photo by Ellen Azslaw.

YouthBuild USA, which aims to break the cycle of poverty by channeling the positive energy and intelligence of low-income youths, has openings around the country for dozens of experienced adults excited about the opportunity to expand its award-winning social innovations.

The application deadline has been extended until July 20 for one-year positions as green project leaders, resource developers, mentoring coordinators and special project coordinators - jobs that can serve as transitional opportunities for those interested in longer-term encore careers in youth development, green building, anti-poverty efforts and nonprofit management. YouthBuild is working with the Encore Careers campaign and Civic Ventures to make the program an intergenerational win-win.

>>Immediate openings! Apply here by July 20.

The positions are funded by AmeriCorps VISTA to expand YouthBuild's capacity to help high-school dropouts gain job skills, earn diplomas and become leaders while building green low-income housing.

YouthBuild was founded by Dorothy Stoneman, a civil rights organizer, who asked youths in East Harlem, “What would you want to do if you had adult support?” The answer: Take back abandoned buildings from drug dealers, rebuild them and give them to homeless families. In the past 30 years, more than 84,000 students have built at least 18,000 units of affordable housing.

Now, YouthBuild is growing fast. The organization received extensive funding as part of the federal economic recovery package. President Obama’s proposed 2010 budget would expand the program's reach from 8,000 to 50,000 young people each year. And the organization is “going green.” By 2013, the organization plans that three out of every four YouthBuild homes will be certified as “green.”

To support such growth, the Corporation for National and Community Service has awarded YouthBuild 100 one-year positions through AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). VISTA, which is sometimes referred to as the “domestic Peace Corps,” is specifically intended to strengthen organizations working to combat the root causes of poverty. Rather than doing themselves, VISTA members work to build organizational capacity for long-term growth.

"We are excited to work with Civic Ventures in bringing the talents and skills of boomers into the YouthBuild network as VISTA volunteers who can strengthen the capacity of community-based programs to diminish poverty all across America," Stoneman said.

VISTA positions provide the kind of experiential education that can serve as a bridge to an encore career. Such skills are in increasing demand, especially as the federal recovery act and the pending American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) expand green-building and job-training efforts.

For example, Gary Maxworthy, a 2007 Purpose Prize winner, had three decades of experience in the food distribution business when he began one-year stint as a VISTA volunteer at the San Francisco Food Bank. Frustrated that food banks provided only processed food, he created Farm to Family to connect fruit and vegetable growers to food banks and distribute fresh produce to the poor. Last year Farm to Family distributed 63 million pounds of produce to food banks across California.

Fair warning: The pay is modest. AmeriCorps VISTA members receive approximately $800 monthly for living expenses, along with basic health care and prescription drug coverage. At the end of the year of service, VISTA members receive an education award in the amount of $4,750 that can be used for paying off student loans, graduate school tuition or continuing professional development at an accredited university. Members may also choose a $1,200 cash stipend in lieu of the education award.

To apply:

All applicants must apply online using the AmeriCorps VISTA Web site. The easiest way to apply is to follow the link for the position you are interested in. In addition, please send a note to info@encore.org letting us know you have applied.

The YouthBuild Green Project Leader will position the local YouthBuild program to increase green construction, gain job placements for graduates in green industries, create a job-creating, revenue-creating green non-profit enterprise and help to create young leaders on green issues.

There are 33 Green Project Leader positions in: California (Chula Vista, Gardena, Los Angeles, Stockton and Venice), Georgia (Forest Park), Illinois (Bloomington, North Chicago, Rockford and Waukegan), Maine (Portland), Massachusetts (Cambridge, Fall River and Lowell), Mississippi (Gulfport), New Jersey (Newark and Paterson), New York (Schenectady), Ohio (Columbus and Dayton), Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), Oregon (Portland), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), South Carolina (Kingstree and Lancaster), Texas (Brownsville), Vermont (Burlington) and West Virginia (Kincaid).

>>Click here to find more information or to apply.

The YouthBuild Mentoring Coordinator will assist local programs to identify mentors, train and match mentors with students, and manage the mentorship partnership. In some locations this position will develop systems to deliver resources to alumni.

YouthBuild Mentoring Coordinator Positions are available in: California (San Diego and Stockton), Massachusetts (Quincy and Worcester), New Jersey (Paterson), New York (Schenectady), Oregon (Portland), Rhode Island (Providence) and Wisconsin (Madison).

>>Click here to find more information or to apply.

The YouthBuild Resource Developer will strengthen and increase the capacity of local YouthBuild programs by doing one or more of the following: accessing public and private funding, strengthening local and national partnerships and coalitions, and managing programs to increase volunteers and materials of local sites.

YouthBuild Resource Developer positions are available in California (Los Angeles and Venice), Georgia (Forest Park and Marietta), Illinois (Bloomington, Chicago and Rockford), Kentucky (Jackson), Louisiana (Bogalusa), Massachusetts (Brockton and Lowell), Minnesota (St. Paul), Mississippi (Gulfport), New York (Poughkeepsie), North Carolina (Elizabeth City), Ohio (Columbus and Dayton), Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), Oregon (Lebanon and Portland), Rhode Island (Providence), South Carolina (Kingstree and Lancaster), Vermont (Burlington), West Virginia (Kincaid), Wisconsin (Madison) and Wyoming (Elkins).

>>Click here for more information or to apply.

The YouthBuild State Coalition Resource Developer will assist state coalitions to build partnerships with public and private organizations that support the goals of YouthBuild statewide to enroll maximum numbers of low-income youth and court-involved youth. There are five positions in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

>>Click here for more information or to apply.

YouthBuild USA National Resource Developers and Special Projects Managers will work in Somerville, Mass., doing research, building partnerships, accessing resources, organizing volunteers and managing communications with the field. Among the areas where specialists are needed are:

• Quality of education programming
• Rural and Native American programming
• Green resources and partners
• Criminal justice issues for programs serving many court-involved youth
• Training and leadership development opportunities for staff and graduates
• Resource development with special attention to Web-based systems
• Special projects in communication, new program development and service event creation
• Program evaluation and building field capacity to manage data systems
• Membership and accreditation processes for affiliates

>>Click here for more information or to apply.

These opportunities can also be found by going to www.americorps.gov. Use the "advanced opportunity search" and search by Program Type: AmeriCorps VISTA; Program Name: YouthBuild

For questions, please contact Steve Dosch at sdosch@youthbuild.org or call (617) 741-1271.