Young Detroit Builders

Young Detroit Builders and Chili’s Grill & Bar are teaming up to raise funds for our program.  Please join us for dinner on Thursday, December 3rd, between 6 and 9 P.M., and Chili’s will donate 10% of your check to YDB.  Please download and print the flyer!

Where:  Chili’s Grill & Bar

402 West 14 Mile Road

(In front of Oakland Mall)

Troy, MI  48083

When:  December 3, 2009

Click here for a map

Click here to check out Chili’s menu

It’s a great time and place to meet friends, family, or that special someone after work or Christmas shopping for a casual meal AND give back to your community during this holiday season!

We are currently accepting applications for two full-time AmeriCorps members.  Please click here for the job description and contact information.

On Monday, October 26, four YDB students – Rhonda Ellington, Danyel Hudson, Sherrell Hunter, and Fatima Todd – had the opportunity to attend the Project Voice Youth Conference in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  The conference was organized by Michigan’s Children and the School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan and featured two guest speakers from the original Freedom Writers, Tony Becerra and Darrius Garrett, as well as workshops focusing on community advocacy.  Click the photo for more highlights and some student comments on the conference.

YDB students (from left) Sherrell Hunter, Rhonda Ellington, Fatima Todd, and Danyel Hudson with their signed copies of The Freedom Writers Diary.

In partnership with the Corktown Residents’ Council, Young Detroit Builders students and staff have been cleaning and boarding up abandoned property in the Corktown neighborhood through grant funding from Community Legal Resources.  We are cleaning Spaulding Courts apartment building and will also be patrolling that area during next week’s Angels’ Night.

Students cleaned out debris from the apartments before boarding up each unit.

Students from our newest cycle, 14B, receive instruction before beginning their first community service project.

New students, Kadeem Pruitt (left) and Alan Graves (right), remove debris from one unit that had been damaged by fire.

The project has also been written up by Model D, click here for the story.

Young Detroit Builders was recently highlighted for their work done through a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation.  Follow this link to read about it in the Detroit Free Press or click here for the Fox 2 News article.

On Monday, October 12th, a new group of students began their Mental Toughness Orientation.  We are very excited to start another group and are looking forward to working together over the next few months.  Stay tuned for photos of our new team members and their activities.

Xiqution Dance Crew

The Young Detroit Builders Showdown in Motown, held September 18, was a great success.  There were twelve acts ranging from music to dance to comedy.  Click the photos to see some of the high-flying highlights from the show!

YDB is a movie star! Click here or the link to the right to see a documentary featuring some of our staff and students talking about the program.

The 6th Annual Showdown in Motown is almost here, so we hope everyone has marked his or her calendar for Friday, September 18!

Bring your friends and join us for an evening of entertainment to support a worthy cause!  There will be music, dance, comedy – something for everyone!  Come out and cheer on your favorite performance!

Tickets are currently on sale and may be purchased at our Learning Center, through staff, or at the Majestic.  If you purchase ahead of time, they are $10.  Tickets will be $15 at the door.

Doors open at 6:30 and the show will begin at 7:00.  The Majestic Theater is located at 4140 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI.