Green Youth Education Program Launched in Northeast

PHILADELPHIA — CertainTeed, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, and YouthBuild USA announced that they will provide a three-year, $550,000 grant to YouthBuild’s Green Initiative program aimed at providing green education and job training to low-income youth.

 

The YouthBuild Philadelphia green home renovation project will renovate a dilapidated building that has stood vacant for two decades. The project, which will be undertaken by YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, Philadelphia Neighborhood Housing Services, Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed, will be seeking LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

 

The three-year partnership includes a commitment to provide energy-efficient products, building science and technical expertise and employee and volunteer support to the program. The program will focus on green home renovation projects in four communities where Saint-Gobain does business – YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, YouthBuild Akron Summit in Akron, Ohio, YouthBuild Schenectady in Schenectady, New York and Worcester YouthBuild in Worcester, Massachusetts.

 

Each of the YouthBuild programs will receive $100,000 in pass-through grants over the next three years to implement the Green Initiative program, which will also teach students how to build energy-efficient affordable homes and impart knowledge of green building techniques. Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed employees based in the four communities will assist YouthBuild students in renovating the units.

 

Ten thousand disadvantaged students aged 16 to 24 work toward their high school diplomas or GEDs through YouthBuild each year. Since 1994, approximately 100,000 YouthBuild students have helped build 20,000 homes across the country.

 

YouthBuild housing is increasingly earning high ratings from Energy Star Homes, the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Built, the National Association of Home Builders and other green building associations, according to the organization.