By Gia Myers • Posted August 13, 2024

Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS) has launched a new after-school ministry in South Philadelphia to offer a trade education program for youth ages 13-18 from neighborhoods heavily impacted by poverty and violence.

The Youth Skills Building Program (YSBP) is designed to equip teens with essential life skills, practical knowledge, and emotional intelligence through a series of structured workshops and hands-on activities.

Funded by the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services (DHS), YSBP provides students with the opportunity to acquire new job skills in the areas of carpentry and home repair, as well as learn financial literacy and social-emotional learning.

Fostering a holistic approach to youth development is the goal of the YSBP program, which has adopted “Guns Down, Tools Up” as its motto.

The program makes its home in the former St. Gabriel Parish Elementary School building in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry section, which closed in 2021. The school building was rehabilitated and finds new life housing YSBP.

James J. Black, Ph.D., director of the Youth Services Division of CSS, calls the Youth Skills Building Program “a beautiful example of collaboration among CSS, DHS, and St. Gabriel’s Parish.”

The program’s director is Alan Speed, a native of West Philadelphia who earned his Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pennsylvania.

An active member of the Black Men at Penn School of Social Work Inc. and long engaged in mentorship, Speed gladly accepted the opportunity from Dr. Black to initiate the YSBP program last February. Its first cohort of seven students started on May 20.

The program was blessed on June 24 by Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre, who oversees the Secretariat for Catholic Human Services.

Nazjai, 18, a student in the program, says he’s enjoyed learning about construction, including sheetrock, electricity, and plumbing. Cutting wood with the band saw and table saw are among his favorite activities.

With the skills he’s learned in the program after only two months, Najay has been able to make gifts for his family – a birdhouse and candleholder for his aunt, and a candleholder for his grandfather.

Chloe, 17, currently the only female student in the cohort, says she and the other students enjoy “doing everything for ourselves with our own hands.” She says they also “learn empathy and patience” for how to deal with difficult situations in life.

“We love it here,” Chloe said of the YSBP program.

The program runs weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in summer months and will shift to an after-school program, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., during the school year.

Participating students receive van transportation, meals, and a weekly stipend of $15 per hour during the 26-week program.

Speed says he’s continually impressed by how quickly the first cohort is learning and comprehending job skills at only two months into the program.

“They come in every day, and they love going to the shop and putting on their aprons,” he said.

“They’ve already built a shed. They’re building tables,” he said. “With the workload that’s been given to them, it’s nothing short of amazing.”

Tools used by the students at the program come from the former St. Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon which closed in 2020.

An hour of social-emotional learning (SEL) is integrated daily, led by a social worker who teaches students “soft skills” and “getting in touch with their emotions and anxieties,” Speed said.

“A safe space” is created where students can “learn how to react to tough situations,” including incidents at school, death, and personal tragedies, “which unfortunately many of them have already experienced,” he said.

YSBP is also preparing students to enter the workforce after they complete the program. Students will learn job interview skills and participate in mock interviews, which will be recorded and reviewed to provide constructive feedback. A partner organization will provide free suits to help make a good first impression with an employer.

Another partnership is with the City’s Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), which ensures all building projects in Philadelphia meet construction and fire codes.

The L&I partnership teaches students about the tests required for licensed contractors to work in construction using requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

This September, the first cohort will use their newly acquired skills to provide free repairs to vandalized homes throughout the city. Students will paint houses and repair windows and doors for homeowners including the elderly and those who have suffered domestic violence.

“Hopefully, we’ll help a lot of kids and the community in the process,” said Black.

“We’re taking a holistic approach,” Speed said. Students are learning skills for employment, practical living, and managing emotions so they can “de-escalate a situation when it comes to violence.”

For more information on the YSBP program, visit the website at https://youthskillsphilly.org/