Over the next ten months, approximately 120
Youthbuild Philadelphia students will transform two vacant homes in Nicetown into models of sustainable living. The homes, located at 2006 and 2008 West Wingohocking Street, are the latest projects in a neighborhood experiencing a swell of investment.
The homes sit directly across the street from Wayne Junction Station, where SEPTA is investing $18 million in intermodal improvements. Down the street is Nicetown Court I, a mixed-use mixed-income project completed in 2011; Nicetown Court II, a 50-unit mixed-use development, is currently under construction.
Youthbuild Philadelphia, an offshoot of YouthBuild USA, is a charter school that gives students the opportunity to earn high school diplomas or GEDs while exposing them to real world trades such as construction.
For these homes, Youthbuild has partnered with the
Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation, an arm of the world’s largest building materials company (their North American operations are based in Valley Forge), to ensure the structures are built with a sustainable, energy-efficient ethos.
"This project gives us the chance to pair young adults side-by-side with top-notch building scientists and experts," says Carmen Ferrigno, Saint-Gobain's vice president of communications. "It is a great opportunity for the kids to see people with careers in this field and see what it is like to have this type of job."
The Nicetown project will be the second completed by YouthBuild and Saint-Gobain as part of a three-year partnership. Accoding to Ferrigno, the first project -- located on Greene Street in Germantown -- "really surprised" his company with the impact it had on the young adults.
"We saw it was a very important experience for them to learn a new trade," says Ferrigno. "One student latched on to welding and has now earned an apprenticeship with a local union."
And ultimately, those stories are what the partnership is all about.
"These students go through a transformation," adds Ferrigno. "Using top-of-the-line building materials, we're pairing kids with experts to learn not just a new trade but the latest innovations in our industry."
Source: Carmen Ferrigno, VP of communications, Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation
Writer:
Greg Meckstroth