YouthBuild Charter School of California

YouthBuild Charter School of California We are a free project-based high school for students ages 16-24+. It's not too late to graduate!

YouthBuild Charter School of California is a unique charter school model that provides young adults at YouthBuild programs with an authentic alternative to traditional school environments. Launched with support from YouthBuild USA in 2008, YCSC provides a project-based high school curriculum that relies on authentic assessment to fulfill credits towards a high school diploma. Young people between the ages of 16-24 enroll at YCSC after having dropped out, aged out, or been otherwise failed by the traditional school system. Here they find an education that is more relevant to their goals, talents, and daily lives. Unlike traditional schools that employ standardized curriculum and classroom practices, which can often disempower and alienate marginalized students, YCSC’s project-based approach allows young adults to take ownership of their education. It offers them the means to pursue meaningful academic and professional success and gain the skills necessary to realize their personal dreams and goals. Our vision is that all young people, regardless of their circumstances, have access to an education that will prepare them to counter social inequities and realize their full potential. Our school empowers young people to transform themselves and become leaders in their communities. Our school is haven of trust and respect, where students can prepare for success in careers, post-secondary education and life.

🗓️ Save the Date: We will be hosting “Create Without Limits,” an art show, auction and open house at our school headquar...
09/09/2026

🗓️ Save the Date: We will be hosting “Create Without Limits,” an art show, auction and open house at our school headquarters in downtown LA on October 16th. We hope you can join us! Create Without Limits will be a public art showcase featuring student work from across our 16 campuses, and will include interactive art activities, a short student film, and food prepared by our culinary arts students. We will also host a silent auction; all proceeds will benefit the Janis Matero Arts Fund, named after Founder Phil Matero’s late sister, a young artist. Contributions will support classroom art materials, computers and software; teacher training, and student scholarships. This will also serve as an Open House for our new HQ! Our new offices, on the 3rd and 14th floors, will be in the same 611 Wilshire building. The event will be held in Suite 1416. More details to follow!



📢 Calling all YouthBuild Charter School of California student artists! We invite you to submit your artwork— whether it’s a painting, digital design, animation, poetry, illustration or print— to be featured in our upcoming “Create Without Limits” art show!

This week, Independent Study students from our satellite site at the Owens Valley Career Development Center gathered to...
09/03/2026

This week, Independent Study students from our satellite site at the Owens Valley Career Development Center gathered together to create personal collages featuring things that represent who they are, their interests, and their goals. The activity gave students an opportunity to be creative, learn more about one another, and build connections as a class community. Shoutout to their teacher Mr. Perez for sharing these photos with us and for always making learning fun!

We are so happy to be back to school for the 2026-27 school year! For most of our 16 school sites, this week was the sta...
08/28/2026

We are so happy to be back to school for the 2026-27 school year! For most of our 16 school sites, this week was the start of the YouthBuild orientation period now known as RISE (previously called Mental Toughness), which serves as both a rigorous and intentional orientation process for the YouthBuild model as well as the final step in the enrollment process at YouthBuild Charter School of California. It’s an opportunity for culture and team building between the young people and staff and establishes a process for selecting and enrolling young people into the program. It sets the tone for the entire school year to come.

RISE stands for Resilience, Identity, Strength, and Endurance— the core values required to succeed in the YouthBuild program. During RISE, young people are exposed to the YouthBuild model - encountering high expectations combined with love, support, and a culture of respect and belonging. This orientation period also serves as a reference for staff to confirm the cohort and the program’s capacity to provide the support needed to aid the young person’s success in the program.

We want to welcome back all of our returning students and give a warm welcome to all the new students who made it through YouthBuild orientation/RISE! We are so glad you’re here!

And don’t worry if you haven’t enrolled yet and were hoping to join this school year. We offer open enrollment with an ongoing orientation process all year long, so please feel to call or text us at 213-741-2600 or go online to www.youthbuildcharter.org to fill out an enrollment interest form whenever you’re ready to start your YouthBuild journey.

Welcome Back to School!A new school year means new opportunities, new goals, and new achievements ready to happen. At SG...
08/24/2026

Welcome Back to School!

A new school year means new opportunities, new goals, and new achievements ready to happen. At SGVCC/YouthBuild Charter School of California we are excited to welcome our students back and support them on their journey toward education, career readiness, and personal growth.

Whether you're returning to continue your path or joining us for the first time, we are here to help you succeed every step of the way. Let's make this school year one of learning, perseverance, and accomplishment!

Here's to a great year ahead! We can't wait to see what you'll achieve.

Today we are officially BACK TO SCHOOL at all of our 16 school sites! Here are some shots from the first week of school ...
08/24/2026

Today we are officially BACK TO SCHOOL at all of our 16 school sites! Here are some shots from the first week of school at our Fresno site (Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps), which started school earlier this month.

We want to wish a warm welcome to all of our new and returning YouthBuild Charter School of California students! If you’ve been thinking about enrolling but haven’t done so yet, there’s still time. We offer open enrollment all year long, so give us a call or text at 213-741-2600 or go to the link in our bio to complete an enrollment interest form on our website.

In today’s we are recognizing Renee Estrada, a June 2026 graduate from our El Monte site at San Gabriel Valley Conserv...
08/19/2026

In today’s we are recognizing Renee Estrada, a June 2026 graduate from our El Monte site at San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps. She credits her kids and family for motivating her to come back to school and graduate with her diploma. Now that she’s graduated, Renee plans to go to college to study nursing, cosmetology or child development. Congratulations, Renee!! 🎓🎉🙌🏽

In today's , we're shining a light on Raymond Sosa, a June 2026 graduate from our Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps s...
08/14/2026

In today's , we're shining a light on Raymond Sosa, a June 2026 graduate from our Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps site at Owens Valley. "[I'd] been going to YouthBuild Charter School for about 5-6 years on and off," Raymond said about his journey to graduation, "but I finally committed to finishing." When he first enrolled with us, Raymond needed to complete almost 200 credits in order to graduate. "By just showing up every week and doing my homework, it felt good watching my credits go down and down," Raymond shared. "I felt like I was part of a team with the other students in my class."

Raymond plans to attend Fresno City College and take mechanic classes. We are so proud of all Raymond achieved at YouthBuild, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors! 🎓🙌🎉

If you're wondering if it's too late or too much work to go back to school to finish your diploma, just take Raymond's advice: "I did it and you can too!"

In case you haven't heard, we are still enrolling for the 2026-27 school year! Classes for most of our 16 school sites s...
08/14/2026

In case you haven't heard, we are still enrolling for the 2026-27 school year! Classes for most of our 16 school sites start August 24th.

With 16 YouthBuild Charter School of California sites colocated at YouthBuild, Conservation Corps, and workforce development programs across Southern California, there's bound to be a location near you!

If you're between 16-24 years old and looking for a second chance to earn your diploma while preparing for college or a career, don't hesitate. Give us a call/text at 213-741-2600 or go to youthbuildcharter.org and fill out an enrollment interest form today to get started! 🎓🎒🏫

In today's , we are celebrating Roxie Duran, a June 2026 graduate from our Fresno - Owens Valley site at Fresno EOC Loc...
08/11/2026

In today's , we are celebrating Roxie Duran, a June 2026 graduate from our Fresno - Owens Valley site at Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps . Roxie credits her teacher Mr. Perez for motivating her to become a better person and graduate. "He helped me overcome so many challenges and obstacles and made sure I was always on track with my school work. He is truly one of the best teachers I've ever had." We couldn't agree more, Roxie!

It's not too late to graduate! Congratulations to the 2026 graduates from our El Monte site at San Gabriel Valley Conser...
08/10/2026

It's not too late to graduate! Congratulations to the 2026 graduates from our El Monte site at San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps and our Pomona site at CORE a Community Collaboration. We are so proud of you!

If you know someone between the ages of 16-24+ living in the Greater Los Angeles area who needs to earn a high school diploma, have them give us a call at 213-741-2600 or visit us at youthbuildcharter.org to complete an enrollment interest form. It's never too late to achieve your dreams.

Address

611 Wilshire Boulevard , Ste. 303
Los Angeles, CA
90017

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12137412600

Website

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