Dee Goins, Executive Director, at CORE a Community Collaboration and Site Coordinator for YouthBuild Charter School of California YBIE site, joined 19 of her peers in Boston, MA last month for the first in-person meeting of the YouthBuild USA 2024-2026 cohort of Leadership Fellows.

Dee Goins was selected to join this first-ever global cohort of 20 dedicated international leaders from across the YouthBuild movement for their commitment to the growth and success of opportunity youth — young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed. They embody the principles of service and transformation at the heart of the YouthBuild mission.

CORE a Community Collaboration will start their first cohort in August in the Inland Empire region under the leadership of Dee Goins. Dee has been with the YouthBuild movement for over 7 years serving as Executive Director for the San Bernardino site YouthBuild inland Empire. In addition, Ms. Goins was elected to the chairperson position for the YouthBuild Collaborative of Southern California where she took office July 1. Both roles, in partnership with YouthBuild Charter School of California, will support CORE at equipping students with a high school diploma along with critical skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Participants will engage in hands-on projects, interactive workshops, and real-world simulations, all designed to prepare them for successful careers and active citizenship.

CORE a Community Collaboration joins over 280 local programs around the world that partner with opportunity youth to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood and leadership. In YouthBuild programs, opportunity youth pursue their education, prepare for future careers and grow into community leaders, building brighter futures for themselves and their neighborhoods. Responding to the urgent need for knowledge, training, and opportunity, YouthBuild primarily serves young people who lack a high school diploma and financial resources.

“We are excited to launch this program as part of our ongoing commitment to empowering young adults,” said Ms. Goins, Executive Director of CORE. “By providing targeted workforce training and leadership development, we are not only enhancing our participants’ employability but also fostering a new generation of leaders who will make significant contributions to their communities.”

The two-year fellowship is designed to support the leadership of local YouthBuild program directors around the world, providing opportunities to strengthen their leadership and organizational development skills, build community, and work together to strengthen collective efforts in support of opportunity youth. It offers an immersive learning experience with three key components: Leadership and Professional Development; Self-Care; and Peer Support and Community Building. Fellows work together on practices to inform the entire network about positive youth development and program sustainability, influencing the future of policies and practices at all YouthBuild programs. This framework is grounded in YouthBuild’s core values of love, collaboration, accountability, diversity, and leadership.

The YouthBuild Leadership Fellows includes at least four in-person gatherings and multiple virtual sessions across two years, guided by a blend of peer insights, YouthBuild USA staff, and external experts. Last month’s event in Boston included sessions on burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue; developing a personal leadership brand; self-care and self-reflection; and personal visioning and action planning. Fellows also had intentional time for networking with their peers, YouthBuild USA staff, and local Boston-based leaders.

“Our Leadership Fellows hold immense talent and vision for the YouthBuild movement. We’re excited to support them in their professional and personal growth trajectories,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild USA. “We aim to cultivate a fellowship experience that isn’t just an accolade, but a transformative period for each leader and, by extension, the communities they serve. It’s a recognition of their immense potential to influence change and propel YouthBuild toward new heights.”

For more information, visit coreacommunitycollaboration.org or contact CORE Support at info@corecollaboration.org or 951-651-4769.