TranslateFletch's Perspective September 2026 - Friends & Neighbors of Martin County
Keith Fletcher
Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County, President & CEO
Everyone benefits from structure and consistency. Fundamentally, that’s what Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County provides for our more than a thousand members as it’s what’s missing in many of their lives.
This is particularly true of the most vulnerable, which the social services industry sometimes refers to as “the disconnected.”
“Disconnected” describes young people—aged 16 to 24—who in many cases endured the difficulties of the foster system, come from low-income households, dropped out of school, and got in skirmishes with the law.
Introducing them to structure is the beginning of sparing them a spot among society’s most depressing statistics; in fact, it’s often lifesaving. That’s why we’re particularly proud to have obtained a highly sought-after federal grant to launch a program uniquely aimed at permanently and positively altering the trajectory of their lives.
YouthBuild, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and Employment and Training Administration, is the latest BGCMC initiative and among our most important. Created with a comprehensive, phased-in approach, YouthBuild serves a total of 66 young people over the course of 40 months.
The participants dedicate 40 hours per week to the program. Half of that time goes to their academic education, with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma or equivalent. Our education partners in the process are Indian River State College and Martin County School District’s Stuart Adult Learning Center.
Knowing how critical it is for the participants to clear this hurdle, we do everything possible to position them for success. Using our Greater Stuart Club as the meeting place and BGCMC certified teachers as additional support, IRSC Remedial GED instructors will provide lessons as needed. They’ll help participants improve their literacy and math skills, providing small-group academic support and individualized planning so they’re more confident in the classroom.
Forty percent of the YouthBuild program is reserved for hands-on construction skills training. This includes up to 150 hours of the National Center for Construction Education and Research’s Introduction to Basic Construction curriculum. Participants can get credentials on aerial lift and forklift operations. In addition to pre-apprenticeship certifications, they can work toward a registered apprenticeship and get experience on active residential construction projects through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Martin County.
Finally, 10 percent of the program emphasizes leadership development and community service. Many of these young people are natural leaders. Their circumstances and choices may have obscured or distorted this fact, but once invested in and equipped to succeed, they can really shine.
The program provides, as needed, additional support services for participants. This included assistance with daycare, transportation, drug or mental health services, mentoring, financial literacy, digital literacy, and more.
The structure of YouthBuild continues beyond the active-programming period. There’s a 12-month follow-up phase that assists with employment, apprenticeships and postsecondary job placement. A member of our team will maintain contact with frequent touchpoints, tracking and measuring progress and assisting as needed.
BGCMC is honored for the opportunity to deliver to local young people the benefits of this program. Through thoughtful effort and investment, we can all help reengage, reenergize and remake the futures of the once disconnected.
That’s how YouthBuild truly lives up to its name: Creating the next generation of builders by first building them up to overcome the obstacles what once held them back.
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