INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy has opened its newly renovated 8,600-square-foot facility, a project its leaders describe as years in the making.
Executive Director Phil Barnes said the building, housed in the former county library, marks a major step forward for the organization’s career-readiness mission.
“This facility has been the culmination of years of hard work, aspirations from our board of directors, our staff and really our kids,” Barnes said. “It’s creating a state-of-the-art center for college and career preparation.”
Before the renovation, the building had been divided into multiple small offices, limiting its usefulness. Barnes said reclaiming and rebuilding the interior created significant space for instruction.
“There were a lot of different offices in this building and really not a lot of usable square footage,” he said. “We’ve probably netted around 3,000 to 4,000 square feet just by creating larger, more usable spaces, and we added a commercial kitchen.”
The new design allows Youth Guidance to expand its construction, culinary and job-prep programs. Barnes said the layout gives students access to training they cannot find elsewhere.
“This space has amenities that are not available in other areas, especially within our out-of-school time space,” he said. “We have a workshop for construction trades and pre-apprenticeship programs, and large multipurpose rooms for drone technology, basic manufacturing and career preparation activities.”
Students will also have more opportunities to connect with local post-secondary programs.
“We’re now strengthening our partnerships with institutions like Indian River State College, Treasure Coast Technical College and other community colleges that can offer the next step for students who want to take these job experiences further,” Barnes said.
Helping young people find direction, and stay in the community, remains central to Youth Guidance’s mission, he said.
“We’re hoping more students will be employed in our community, and fewer will finish high school without knowing what they want to do,” Barnes said. “Our goal is that when students walk through the doors, we’re offering what they need to find their passion and understand how to turn it into a meaningful career.”
The facility’s expanded footprint also means the organization can serve far more young people. “We’ll be able to more than double our capacity,” Barnes said. “We were working with max capacity around 60 students prior to this project. Now we’ll be able to serve anywhere from 120 to 140.”
Youth Guidance now operates two sites, including its location at St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Vero Beach, which focuses on younger children.
“That church building is for grades K-5,” Barnes said. “Having two facilities really allows us to max out and increase our capacity.”
Barnes said the organization is already looking ahead.
“The idea is grow into what we have and then look at possibly expanding into the North County area — Sebastian, Fellsmere,” he said. “What can we offer in that community that’s not being offered elsewhere and brings a benefit to those students? Right now, we’re really eyeing workforce development.”
The new campus opened Nov. 3, and classes are underway.
Youth Guidance, founded in 1973, serves young people ages 6 to 24 through mentoring and five core programs designed to help break the cycle of poverty. All programs are free to families through community support.