Tomberg, Kathleen A. (2013). Youth Development Through Service: A Quality Assessment of the YouthBuild AmeriCorps Program. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.

The YouthBuild AmeriCorps program serves youth facing a multitude of challenges, including a lack of education and job skills, community disengagement, and economic disadvantage. This assessment of the program found that after engaging with the YouthBuild AmeriCorps model, participants made significant, positive changes in their outlook on service, personal responsibility, and community orientation. More specifically, after participating in the program, they deepened their personal commitments to service, began to develop a sense of personal worth and reliability, became more connected with their communities, and started to develop more trust in larger social institutions. These encouraging findings suggest that YouthBuild AmeriCorps is succeeding in the development of service commitment, a sense of community engagement, and personal satisfaction within students who participate in their construction service, education, and leadership development program.