Dorothy Stoneman

She has been widely recognized for her contributions to the civil rights movements, poverty elimination efforts, and the emergence of the youth development field in the United States.

[6] Stoneman began her work in Harlem in 1964 by organizing summer preschool programs for children who were entering first grade with no early education.

[6] In 1978, Stoneman founded the Youth Action Program, under the aegis of the East Harlem Block Schools, when she organized groups of local teenagers to undertake a variety of community improvement projects of their own design.

[8] Stoneman worked with then-Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to develop legislation which would authorize YouthBuild as a federal program.

Students spend every other week on a job site, learning the construction trade by building affordable homes for their own communities, while working toward earning a GED or high school diploma.

[11] The program, provides both housing for low-income residents and gives students the opportunity to gain experience utilizing marketable job skills, while completing their high school education and preparing for college.

It addresses in one intervention the key issues facing low-income communities: Education, employment, violence, leadership development, and affordable housing.