LC Sabrina Davis Receives YouthBuild USA Innovator of the Year Award

Sabrina Davis holding the YouthBuild USA Innovator of the Year award. Photo by Jan Dona, L&C Marketing/PR.

GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College Adult Education Director of Career Pathways Sabrina Davis was announced as YouthBuild USA's Innovator of the Year at the National Directors Association meeting in Washington D.C for her work with Building Futures YouthBuild AmeriCorps.

The Innovator of the Year award recognizes a director who has shown innovation in new program approaches in areas such as green building, partnerships in higher education, employment and apprenticeship partners, leadership development, and developing new and robust career pathways that broaden service opportunities for youth.

"Sabrina Davis is one of the most respected leaders in the YouthBuild network," YouthBuild USA Senior Director of Network Engagement Steve Dosch said. "She believes in young people and their capacity to be leaders in their community. This award is a well-deserved recognition of Sabrina's vision to collaborate with other YouthBuild programs to identify an unmet community need, manage a service project and reflect together."

Since 2018, Davis and her program have visited other YouthBuild programs to facilitate special exchanges for staff and members to share their best program and service practices and experience the true meaning of the movement's global scope. Davis's program focuses on a shared service project between the YouthBuild programs.

Participants use the 5 Steps of Service-Learning framework to identify an unmet community need, assist in planning the project, and have time to reflect on and digest what they learned during their time together. This is a priority to YouthBuild AmeriCorps and embodies the founding spirit of YouthBuild service to the community and respecting young people's voices and perspectives.

"Director Davis has long been a groundbreaker in our work," YouthBuild USA Associate Director of New Site Development Matt Clerico said. "She has been at the forefront of a number of different network initiatives: Civic Reflection, Mental Toughness 2, Disaster Relief efforts and Service-Learning Exchanges, to name a few. Under her leadership, Building Futures YouthBuild has modeled "Next Practices" that have made our movement better. This recognition is well-deserved."

YouthBuild AmeriCorps brought the prototype of Davis' vision to life with some reallocated resources and replicated Davis' templates to make these exchanges possible for over 150 YouthBuild AmeriCorps members and staff. Because of the trailblazing effort of Davis and her staff, 14 YouthBuild AmeriCorps programs (47 staff and 120 members) were able to travel to visit a sister program, with these numbers expanding this year.

Learn more about L&C's YouthBuild AmeriCorps program at https://www.lc.edu/academic-programs/high-school-diploma/youthbuild.html or call (618) 468-4141.

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