YouthBuild Charter School of California, Fresno

YouthBuild Charter School of California (YCSC) is a public school, chartered by the Inyo County Superintendent of Schools, dedicated to providing an effective alternative education for youth who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Students come to YCSC to get a second chance to earn a high school diploma and to prove that they are competent and engaged learners. Our approach to education is competency-based; students are guided through a process that results in relevant demonstrations of learning through presentations and projects that demonstrate mastery of state standards. Our belief in the value of youth as leaders and agents of change in their communities are rooted in YouthBuild and our assessment system is based on the model created by Diploma Plus. Students at YCSC are 16-24 year-old participants in one of several local YouthBuild programs in California. Teachers at YCSC provide students with a classroom-based high school curriculum that values the culture and aspirations of youth while understanding the challenges that students face in under-resourced communities. Currently we have three sites in Los Angeles and are planning for significant expansion in the 2009-10 school year across California, including Fresno. We are looking for teachers who are creative, flexible, open to new approaches in education, and who truly care about youth who have not done well in traditional school settings.