Mississippi Action for Community Education, Inc. is a non-profit, minority rural development organization created by community leaders in 1967 to stimulate physical, social, and economic development in the rural Mississippi Delta. Very early in its history, MACE learned that beyond the problems of race and poverty, there exists in southern, rural communities the broader, structural problem of underdevelopment; that for genuine community development to occur, the prerequisite human and organizational capacities must first be developed, the basic community social and political structures must first be created.
What is YouthBuild
A school, in which young people attend a YouthBuild class full-time on alternate weeks, studying for their GEDs. Classes are small, allowing one-on-one attention to students
A Community Service Program, in which young people build housing for homeless and other low-income people, providing a valuable and visible commodity for their hard-pressed communities.
A Job Training and Pre-Apprenticeship Program, young people get close supervision and training in construction skills full-time on alternate weeks from qualified instructors.
Leadership Development and Civic Engagement Program young people share in the governance of their own program through an elected policy committee and participate actively in community affairs, learning the values and the life-long commitment needed to be effective and ethical community leaders. We help young people recognize patterns in their lives that have held them back, and encourage them to take responsibility for making things.
Youth Development Program young people participate in personal counseling, peer support groups, and life planning processes that assist them in healing from past hurts, overcoming negative habits and attitudes, and pursuing achievable goals that will establish a productive life. We are committed to changing the way others look at young people and how young people view themselves.
A long-Term Mini-Community young people make new friends committed to a positive lifestyle, pursue cultural and recreational activities together, and can continue to participate for years through the YouthBuild Alumni Association.
National Movement: We are part of a larger social movement dedicated to redefining the perception of youth in America. There are 165 operating Youth Build’s nationwide, four in the state of Mississippi. We serve 5,500 young people across the nation each year. www.youthbuild.org
