Philly charter school celebrates new space for vocational training: ‘It’s only up from here’

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YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School finally has a home of its own, more than 30 years after it was founded.

Students and staff moved into the neoclassical building in North Philadelphia last month after roughly 18 months of renovations.

For CEO Le’Yondo Dunn, the moment was a dream come true.

“When you look at the significant capital investment, there is no question, when our students walk in this building each and every day, how committed we are to them — what we think they’re capable of achieving,” said Dunn.

YouthBuild serves students who have completed some but not all of the credits needed to graduate high school. They range in age from 17 1/2 to 21, and come from neighborhoods where poverty and violent crime are common.

At YouthBuild, students complete a one-year program that gives them a competency-based diploma and a vocational training certificate. The school offers workforce training in building trades and construction, business administration and customer service, health care, child and youth care, and the culinary arts.

The school was launched out of a church and then rented for decades before securing the century-old space near North Broad and Dauphin Streets, a former showroom and district office for PECO Energy. The property has also housed the Kingdom Hall of Jevohah’s Witnesses and the Manna Bible Institute.

Before the pandemic, a developer purchased the building for a residential project that never materialized, opening the door for YouthBuild to acquire and revamp the property with the help of private donations. The $26 million project was financed with a mix of private donations, federal tax credits, and a loan from the Reinvestment Fund, among other investors.

“This building was a conversation about four or five years ago. And to think that today we’re in this space, fully moved in and a vision was realized, it’s pretty remarkable,” said Dunn.

When YouthBuild bought the building in 2021, it was just a shell — a large open space without walls and a dirt floor.

The property is now a state-of-the-art school with offices, classrooms, and lab spaces dedicated to the school’s vocational offerings. For example, the school is equipped with a professional kitchen to better serve its culinary arts students.

The building, which has a green roof and is fully powered by solar panels, spans nearly 35,000 square feet across four stories, including the basement. The school serves nearly 280 students — the school’s largest enrollment to date.

“For the first time in 32 years, to be in a space that is our own, and we don’t have to seek permission to program and service our students, it feels truly freeing,” said Dunn.

The project also gave one former student the opportunity to help with the construction of the school’s new building.

Amir Scales graduated from YouthBuild last year with a training certificate in carpentry. He then became an intern and is now completing an apprenticeship with Local 158 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.

The full-circle moment brings a smile to Scales’ face.

“It’s only up from here,” said Scales.

“They’re not used to having their own building, so the potential of what they could be doing, they didn’t even reach half of it yet. So I just know that it’s just a great opportunity for the students who are currently enrolled and the students to come,” he said.