About YouthBuild DC Public Charter School

Preparing students for postsecondary education and the workplace

About Our School Community

Respect, Community, Responsibility, Dignity

 

  • YouthBuild Public Charter School (YBPCS) is an alternative high school for young people seeking to transform their lives by re-engaging in their education in a non-traditional school environment.

    YBPCS prepares students for postsecondary education and the workplace by offering, in English and Spanish, academic, vocational and workforce development programs. YBPCS believes that service to the community is an essential part of the transformative process. Therefore, students serve their community through volunteer projects and by creating housing for low-income residents in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

  • Statistics show that students who drop out of high school are more likely to live in poverty and suffer from unemployment, poor health, substance abuse, and/or violence. Young people with troubled histories benefit from an alternative learning environment that is rigorous and relevant, where they can develop relationships with caring adults and develop respect for themselves and others.

    YouthBuild PCS gives young adults an opportunity to establish stable and productive adult lives filled with dignity and respect. Students are encouraged to pursue post-secondary education and/or to enter the workforce upon graduation. The YouthBuild PCS experience reflects real life, giving students a sense of community, belonging, and responsibility.

  • At YouthBuild PCS, individual learning needs are balanced with the needs of a strong united school community that is safe and learner-focused. YouthBuild PCS differs from a traditional high school by offering intentionally small class sizes, a personalized instructional model, and work-based learning to ensure more meaningful student participation and growth.

    Students at YouthBuild PCS help create and sign a code of conduct. The code of conduct fosters personal responsibility and establishes positive group norms. Students also participate in community meetings, join in community service activities, and provide input to school staff through a Student Leadership Council.

    YouthBuild PCS students attend school 5 days a week, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, rotating between the academic classroom and construction training worksite. As a way to ensure that YouthBuild PCS students are able to stay in school throughout the course of the school year, YouthBuild PCS provides students with a bi-weekly stipend for time spent on the construction site and in the classroom, to assist with the cost of transportation, breakfast, and lunch. Though not a livable monthly wage, the stipend removes some economic pressures for students.

 

Meet Our Staff

Claire Libert

  • HEAD OF SCHOOL

    Claire Libert joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as Director of Operations in July 2018 and became Head of School in the 2019-2020 school year. Prior to joining YouthBuild, she served as Charter Systems Manager at Democracy Prep Congress Heights Public Charter School, where she helped strengthen operations. Previously, she worked as a consultant with Boston Public Schools’ Office of School Turnaround, as the DC Reads Program Director with Georgetown University's Center for Social Justice, as a special education teacher at Ballou Senior High School, and as a Menino Fellow with the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families. Claire earned a Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master's Degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University.

Academic Team

  • CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER

    Beatriz Vargas joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as the Academic Dean in July 2019. Prior to joining YouthBuild, she served as the ELL Specialist at Capital City Public Charter School and as the Team Lead for the Spanish GED Program at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. She has vast experience working with at-risk children and youth in the District of Columbia. Her background includes working for the Mayor’s Services Liaison’s Office, CASA for Children DC, and the DC Office of Aging. Beatriz holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University.

  • SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER

    Kimberly Holloway joined YouthBuild DC PCS as a long term substitute for the special education department during the 2021-2022 school year before taking on the position full time. Prior to joining Youthbuild, she worked as a New Leader for New Schools principal of a DC Public Charter school, served as a Literacy Coach for the DC Reading First Initiative and Apple Tree, and was the Educational Facilitator at an African Centered School. She is a graduate of Hampton University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business. She also holds a Masters of Science in Administration and Supervision from Trinity Washington University. She absolutely loves the community here and sees herself uplifting and empowering youth!

  • MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHER

    Ligia Arreaga joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as a GED Instructor in December 2000. Previously, she taught at the YouthBuild program of the Latin American Youth Center. She has experience teaching students from kindergarten through high school in both Guatemala and the United States. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a law degree in Education from the University of San Carlos, Guatemala.

  • GED INSTRUCTOR

    Charles Sullivan joined YouthBuild PCS as a GED and ESL Instructor in August of 2023. Charles is an Arlington native and Georgetown University graduate. He has taught English in classrooms around the region for 15 years.

  • GED INSTRUCTOR

    Velmar Coleman joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School in August 2023. Prior to joining YouthBuild, Coleman worked at the Seed School of Maryland teaching 12th grade social studies. Coleman earned his degree at Towson University and has 10 years of teaching experience.

  • GED Instructor

    James Mosby joined YouthBuild Public Charter School in December 2023. Prior to joining YouthBuild, James worked as an ELA teacher and reading specialist in grades 6-12 in public/private and charter schools across the Baltimore/D.C region. James obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Clark Atlanta University and Masters of Education degree from Johns Hopkins University,

  • MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHER

    Etienne Marcoux joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as a GED Instructor in December 2019. He came to us with more than four years experience as a special educator, most recently at Richard Wright PCS. Prior to joining the Baltimore Teaching Fellows in 2015, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Gambia. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of California - Santa Cruz and a Master’s of Science in Secondary Education from Johns Hopkins School of Education.

  • GED INSTRUCTOR

    Brittany Anderson joined YouthBuild Public Charter School in August 2024 with 13 years of experience in education. Brittany has worked as a math teacher in K-12, an instructional coach and as an administrator in public/private and charter schools in New Orleans, Louisiana and across the Baltimore/ D.C region. Brittany obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in elementary education, Masters of Education in Educational Leadership degree from Concordia University of Nebraska, and an Administrator I (Assistant Principal) certification from Coppin State University.

  • LANGUAGE ARTS AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

    Amorita Proctor Patterson joined YouthBuild Public Charter School in August 2022. Prior to joining YouthBuild, Amorita worked as an educator, teaching grades 2-12 and beyond in public and charter schools across D.C. She has also worked as an instructional coach, job coach, reading specialist, and remedial instructor. Amorita obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Virginia State University and is currently working towards a Master's of Education in Adult Education and Training at University of Phoenix.

Construction Team

  • DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION

    Kerry Harrington joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as the Construction Manager in August 2019. Kerry has worked in the construction industry for more than 40 years. Before coming to YouthBuild, he spent 25 years as the owner of a DC-area construction company. He is a journeyman carpenter, an OSHA-10 and 30 trainer, and an HBI-certified Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) instructor.

  • CONSTRUCTION INSTRUCTOR

    Antione Clipper joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as a Construction Instructor in October 2011. Antione combines classroom instruction with hands-on construction skills. Antione graduated from the YouthBuild Program of the Latin American Youth Center.

  • CONSTRUCTION INSTRUCTOR

    John Bonner joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School in 2018 as a Construction Instructor and returned in 2022. While working, he completed his Masters in Education, and then went to DCPS, where he taught both theater and P.E. Previous to YouthBuild, he taught theater and physical education for DC Public Schools. He also worked in construction and started an installation company in Pittsburgh. He has worked in construction in New York, California, Illinois, and North Carolina. He also spent two seasons working as a wildland firefighter in Colorado. He graduated from UVA with a Bachelor's in Anthropology.

  • CONSTRUCTION INSTRUCTOR

    Janaina Rocha joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School in September 2023. Roche has been worked in the renovations and building construction field since 2001. Roche has years of experience preparing workers for career advancement and training young adults. Personally, Roche is a mother of four and grandmother of three. In her off time, she loves to spend time with her grandkids and plays many sports, especially aquatics ones.

 

School Culture and Student Success Team

  • DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL CULTURE AND STUDENT SUCCESS

    Kristina Newland joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as a Student Success Coach in January 2022. Previously, she served as Chief of Staff for Monument Academy PCS, and before that as a Case Manager for The Urban League of Westchester. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland Global Campus.

  • STUDENT SUCCESS COACH

    Corinn Gales joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as a Student Success Coach in August 2024. Previously, she served as an Operations Coordinator for One Common Unity. Corinn earned a degree in Organizational Dynamics from Wilmington University.

  • DEAN OF STUDENTS

    Marcus Clark joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School in November as the Dean of Students. Mr. Clark brings over 20 years of educational experience, along with a personal objective to change the world, one student at a time. Prior to joining the YouthBuild, Mr. Clark served as a language arts teacher, a case management specialist for the MD Department of Juvenile Services, and a Youth Development Representative for the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Mr. Clark is a proud graduate of Bowie State University (BA-English/Creative Writing) and Loyola University-MD (M.Ed. Educational Leadership)


  • STUDENT SUCCESS COUNSELOR

    Ellen Mahoney joined Youthbuild DC Public Charter School as a Student Success Counselor in August 2024. Previously she worked as a Life Coach for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Georgia and Master of Social Work at the University of Central Florida. Ellen is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker. 

  • ASSISTANT DEAN OF STUDENTS

    Adaobi Ezeani joined the Youthbuild DC Public Charter School community as the Assistant Dean of School Culture in August 2023. Adaobi joins the community after spending 10 years as a Student Life Counselor with the SEED School of Maryland in Baltimore. She also holds a multitude of experience in the human service field as she worked briefly as a Case Manager for the DC residents and a caregiver for the elderly Adaobi holds a Bachelor in Liberal Studies and two Masters, one in the Administration of Human Services and the other in the Marriage and Family Therapy.

  • STUDENT SUCCESS COUNSELOR

    Jackie Ruoff joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as a school counselor August 2023. Prior to joining YouthBuild, she was a Site Coordinator for Communities in Schools in Virginia, where she developed evidence-based programming and conducted one-on-one counseling. Previously, she was a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. Jackie earned her Bachelor's Degree in psychology from CUNY Hunter and a Master's Degree in School Counseling from CUNY Queens.

College and Career Readiness Team

  • DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

    Autumn Thomas joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as the Transitions Specialist in January 2022. Previously she served as the Director of Family Engagement at GOODProjects, a Student Advocate for Maya Angelou Academy, and a Community Support Worker for First Home Care. Autumn earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida A&M University, and she earned her Masters in Community Based Education & Leadership from Stevenson University.

  • COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS SPECIALIST

    LeQuisha Parker joined YouthBuild Public Charter School as a College and Career Readiness Specailist in August 2024. Prior to YouthBuild, she served with Americorp, where she supported youth in Little Rock, Arkansas. Le'Quisha earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Hampton University.

 
 

Operations Team

  • CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

    Keisha Morris joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as Director of Operations in July 2021. Prior to joining YouthBuild, she founded KRH Consultants, LLC a consulting firm that contracts with start-ups, nonprofits, and education organizations supporting their human resources and administrative and operations efforts. Previously, she served as Chief Operating Officer at Monument Academy Public Charter School, Human Resources Specialist at EdOps, and Assistant Director for Bank Street Head Start in New York City. Keisha earned a Bachelor's Degree in marketing and finance from Fordham University.

  • DATA AND POLICY MANAGER

    Morgan Wolf joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as Data Manager in October 2022. Previously, she served as Data Analyst at Friendship Public Charter School. Morgan earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from James Madison University with concentrations in Secondary Education and Special Education.

  • OPERATIONS MANAGER

    Maria Sanchez joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as the Operations Associate in June 2006. She manages student attendance, stipends, and the front reception area. Maria graduated from the YouthBuild program of the Latin American Youth Center and served on the LAYC AmeriCorps team, performing community service in the local area. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice at the University of the District of Columbia.

  • REGISTRAR and OFFICE MANAGER

    Bianca joined YouthBuild DC Public Charter School as the Registrar and Office Manager in July 2023. She has many years of experience in office management and enrollment. Previously, she served as the enrollment coordinator at Hope Community PCS. She is happy to be a part of the YouthBuild team!

  • PORTER

YBPCS Policies & Information

YBPCS Board Meeting Schedule

 

July 12, 2024 - Board Retreat - 12:00 pm - Agenda - Minutes

October 17, 2024 – Board Meeting (Annual Meeting) - 5:30 pm - Agenda - Minutes

November 27, 2024 — Board Meeting - 1:00pm - Agenda - Minutes

December 12, 2024 –  Board Meeting - 6:00 pm - Agenda - Minutes

February 27, 2025 — Board Meeting - 5:30 pm - Agenda - Minutes

May 22, 2025  – Board Meeting (Budget Approval) -  5:30 pm - Agenda - Minutes

YouthBuild DC Public Charter School values its place in the community and in the lives of its students and staff. Board meetings are open to the public, with meeting times and dates available on the YBPCS website. Please be advised that certain matters, such as personnel discussions, confidential student information, and other specific business matters will be handled in closed session as permitted by D.C. law. Please email us at boardchair@youthbuildpcs.org at least 2 business days in advance if you would like to attend or speak at a board meeting so that we can ensure adequate time and materials for public attendees.