The Fall River YouthBuild program hosted a day-long workshop at their Bank Street headquarters on February 5, 2010, for the Brockton, Boston, New Bedford and Springfield programs. Entitled "Tomorrow's Leaders Today," the event brought program graduates back to talk to current students about how the program can offer the opportunity to make life changes. National YouthBuild founder Dorothy Stoneman opened the session and participated in the exercises that were often punctuated with honest exchanges among participants and staff designed to overcome attitudes that have held many participants back from success. The program, run by the Old Colony YMCA, offers a ten-month construction skills training curriculum for men and women ages 17-24 who have not completed high school and has been in operation in Fall River since August of 2006. Click here and here to see photos of the graduation ceremonies. Click here, here, here, and here to read more about the program. For more information, contact Director Terry Moran at 508-678-1975.
 

(Top row, left) YouthBuild USA Alumni Council staff trainer Beatrice Sweet of Gardena CA, confronts a participant during a discussion on letting go of the past in order to move into the future. (Middle row, right) Fall River YouthBuild participant Christian Berrios stands to make a point during the discussion. (Bottom row, left and right) YouthBuild vice president of training and leadership development John Bell and YouthBuild CEO and founder Dorothy Stoneman participate in the group exercises led by Julian Ramirez of the Chattanooga, TN, YouthBuild.