Jose Sanchez, 21, fell a few classes short of graduating high school in 2007. Then things got worse.
The Barrio Logan resident didn't return to school. He didn't do much of anything until he saw a flier for a second-chance program called YouthBuild.
"I was being lame and not doing anything til I came here and got myself together," Sanchez said.
YouthBuild is a national program with nearly 300 sites that specializes in helping young dropouts complete their high school education and learn construction skills. Participants, who often come from troubled backgrounds, are paid modest stipends.
In San Diego, the YouthBuild program run by the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee Project (MAAC) targets 16- to 24-year-olds from Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights and Logan Heights.
The program is up for federal funding renewal this year.
Students are based in a rent-free converted warehouse building owned by the San Diego Unified School District at 22nd and Commercial streets .
Many come with low levels of education and attend classes in the building provided by teachers from MAAC's charter school in Chula Vista. The rest of the building is used for training in construction trades, including plumbing and electrical. Students get to apply what they're learning doing repairs and upgrades at the Mayberry Townhomes, which MAAC owns in the San Diego neighborhood of Southcrest.
YouthBuild students receive a stipend of up to $450 a month based on attendance, performance and other factors.
The program's director in San Diego, Craig Frederickson, said it challenges students to stay focused and earn as much as they can. "We call it character development. We do a lot of things to prepare them for employment."
The program has been successful, he said, because it provides discipline and direction to young people who have had problems. About 40 percent of the students have been in the juvenile justice system, he said.
MAAC has operated YouthBuild for nearly 20 years though funding had been sporadic until recently.
In 2009, the nonprofit received a $1.1 million, two-year federal grant to expand the program.
It's seeking the same amount this year from the Department of Labor.
Most of the 30 students who participated last year obtained their high school diploma or equivalent or a vocational certificate. Some went on to enroll in community college. A few remained to continue working on their high school education.
"I hate giving up on kids," Frederickson said.
The current class of 30 YouthBuild students returned from winter break this week.
YouthBuild has not announced when it will sign up new students.
Jose Sanchez completed the program last year, missing only one day, and was hired as a part-time youth leader who helps supervise new students.
"I motivate," he said. "I've been through all the struggles."
[sidebar]YouthBuild information
Statewide information: youthbuildca.org
MAAC Project program: (619) 426-3595, ext. 1805; maacproject.org[/sidebar]
