“Helping people help themselves,” is the resonating theme of Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE), Inc.’s mission.
MACE YouthBuild is one of the many ways in which the organization is perpetually carrying out that mission.
The MACE YouthBuild team is seeking to add disadvantaged Greenville area youth — aged 16 to 24, who are looking to improve upon their current situation.
“This program assists with the process of bettering the individual who participates and helps that person to refine their job skills, as well as develop the academic areas that focus on obtaining a GED or high school diploma,” GED instructor Dr. Leeson Taylor said.
Taylor explained that while the COVID-19 pandemic will change how the program is delivered, it will not necessarily change the program itself.
As it pertains to applicants, Taylor said, “YouthBuild has room to grow…even if we get more than 61 applicants, we can add a cohort at a later date.”
About MACE YouthBuild
The YouthBuild program began Oct. 1, 2009, with the goal of serving 61 young people here in Greenville.
The program provides out-of-school youth with a broad range of foundational tools, supports and opportunities to become responsible, productive self-sufficient citizens in the community.
YouthBuild participants can earn their GED while learning valuable job skills and a marketable trade in construction. YouthBuild participants engage in community service projects, inspire hope, and impact our communities.
The MACE YouthBuild program lasts roughly eight months per cohort of participants.
The program provides construction training, individualized education, individual counseling, peer leadership and support group opportunities, and recreational and cultural activities. Specific trainings help participants explore and increase employability skills and participants receive monthly educational stipends during the program. Doris Benford is the executive director of the program.
If interested, applications can be found at the Win Job Center, online at MACE YouthBuild’s Facebook page, or an application can be requested via e-mail from ApplicationsYB@deltamace.org.
All applications are due by July 31, 2020.
