Benefits also include:

• Job training and certification
• Family atmosphere with one-on-one support
• Career and college counseling
• Earning a $1,800 AmeriCorps award for continued education

Eligibility:

• At least 18 years old, but not older than 20 on the first day of enrollment, September 6, 2011
• Resident of Philadelphia
• Formally dropped out of public high school (transfer students and post-graduates are not eligible for the program).

All applicants must also successfully complete the four-stage enrollment process (outlined below) to demonstrate motivation.

Click here for a brief description of our enrollment procedures.

Enrollment Process
Stage 1 - Request/Complete a Program Application
Interested individuals are encouraged to complete an application in person at our Broad Street location between February and July of each year.

Applications for the school year beginning September 2011 are due by July 2011.

Stage 2 - Orientation
Each applicant that meets the minimum eligibility requirements is invited to an initial orientation, during which staff members describe YouthBuild Philadelphia's admission and graduation requirements, and various program components. Applicants must be on time for the Orientation session.

The school contacts each applicant that does not meet the minimum prerequisites with a reason for his/her ineligibility.

Stage 3 - Interview
Applicants are scheduled for an individual interview with a panel of staff members. During this interview, YouthBuild determines a potential fit between the applicant and the school. Applicants must be on time for the Interview.

Stage 4 - Mental Toughness Training (MTT)
YouthBuild invites the highest scoring applicants to return in mid-August for "Mental Toughness Training," an intensive, two-week selection process (broken into eight half-day sessions) designed to introduce individuals to the YouthBuild model of learning (and prepare them to step back into the classroom).

Preparation is achieved through a series of workshops, leadership exercises and team building activities. During MTT, students must adhere to a series of rules and guidelines to complete the training. Applicants must be on time each day of MTT.

Permissible Screening Criteria
While YouthBuild Philadelphia does not discriminate against otherwise eligible applicants, the school's charter does permit it to reject the application of any applicant who fails to demonstrate punctuality and motivation to attend the school.

Required Documentation
All applicants will be required to provide the following personal documentation prior to enrollment (in addition to other required paperwork):

Proof of Age - Any of the following is acceptable to document proof of age: birth certificate; notarized copy of birth certificate; baptismal certificate, copy of record of baptism, notarized or duly certified and showing the date of birth; valid passport; prior school record indicating the date of birth; or, a notarized statement from parents or another relative indicating the date of birth.

Proof of Residency - Any of the following is acceptable to document proof of residency: driver's license, PENNDOT identification card, current utility bill, deed, lease, current credit card bill, property tax bill, or vehicle registration.

Completed Home Language Survey (Provided by YouthBuild Philadelphia)

Parent Registration Statement - (Provided by YouthBuild Philadelphia) A sworn statement attesting to whether the student has been or is suspended or expelled for offenses involving drugs, weapons, infliction of injury, or violence on school property.

Immunizations - Documentation that the applicant has received all of the childhood vaccinations that are required by law.

For more detailed information about where to acquire some of the above documentation, click here (information is in PDF format).

Immigration status
An applicant's right to be admitted to YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School may not be conditioned on the applicant's immigration status, and YouthBuild Philadelphia may not ask about the immigration status of an applicant as part of the admission process.

Enrollment Lottery
Typically, all applicants who have successfully completed the school's four-stage admissions process are enrolled in YouthBuild Philadelphia. However, from time to time, there are more applicants who have successfully completed the school's four-stage admissions process than there are openings available in the school. In those cases, YouthBuild Philadelphia uses a lottery to determine which of those successful applicants are enrolled as students.