The Hoffman Family Foundation Provides Major Support to LearningWork’s New YBA Bridge Program

LearningWorks’ Youth Building Alternatives (YBA) program provides transformative opportunities for teens and young adults aged 16-24 who have struggled to find their way in the traditional educational system. The Hoffman Family Foundation has expanded its support of LearningWorks by providing major funding to launch YBA Bridge, a new program that adds a three month internship for each student, strengthens connections between YBA and local businesses and colleges, and paves the way for sustained, long-term impact for our graduates.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

A YBA student poses for a photo at one of our construction worksites. 
Photography by Molly Haley | mollyhaley.com

A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

For over 20 years, LearningWorks has proudly offered a YouthBuild program to the Greater Portland community. Our program, Youth Building Alternatives (YBA), provides transformative opportunities for teens and young adults aged 16-24 who have struggled to find their way in the traditional educational system.

I am so pleased to announce that, with major support from local philanthropist Jean Hoffman, we are launching a new program component  –YBA Bridge – that adds a three month internship for each student, strengthens connections between YBA and local businesses and colleges, and paves the way for sustained, long-term impact for our graduates.

Crossing the threshold into adulthood by going to college for the first time or entering the workforce is an exciting challenge for any young person. But the challenges for graduates of YBA are exponentially greater than those of their better resourced peers. Our students deal not only with all of the emotional, logistical, and financial ups and downs this transition normally entails – many also face poverty, homelessness, mental health and substance abuse issues at the same time.

Building on two decades of programmatic success in, YBA Bridge will radically change the way our graduates take their next steps by providing the right balance of support, structure, and independence to ensure our graduates achieve sustained success.

Support from The Hoffman Family Foundation will allow us to hire a new youth development professional dedicated to students’ transition from the program. Our student development team will gain critical capacity to ensure students succeed in the workforce and college, provide year-round support to our graduates, and allow us to do whatever it takes to make sure our students succeed.

We look forward to sharing updates and successes from this exciting new initiative in the coming years!

Sincerely,

Heather Davis

Executive Director, LearningWorks