Jerrell and his predecessor, Gary Taylor, both won the same award for service and solidarity, ten years apart.
Local leader recognized for his passion and dedication to young people
WASHINGTON, D.C., — Jerrell Morton, director of Job Point’s YouthBuild in Columbia, Missouri, received two recent accolades from YouthBuild USA, the global nonprofit support center for a network of YouthBuild programs around the world.
On May 16, Morton was awarded the 2024 Service and Solidarity to the YouthBuild Network award at YouthBuild USA’s National Directors Association (NDA) meeting in Washington, D.C., and on June 13, he joined 19 of his peers in Boston, Massachusetts, for the first in-person meeting of the YouthBuild USA 2024-2026 cohort of YouthBuild Leadership Fellows.
Job Point’s YouthBuild is one more than 280 local programs around the world that partner with opportunity youth — young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed — to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood and leadership. In YouthBuild programs, opportunity youth pursue their education, prepare for future careers and grow into community leaders, building brighter futures for themselves and their neighborhoods. Responding to the urgent need for knowledge, training, and opportunity, YouthBuild primarily serves young people who lack a high school diploma and financial resources.
Each year, the global nonprofit’s six individual Directors Awards celebrate program leaders across the YouthBuild movement who demonstrate clear impact at their local program, support their students in achieving their ambitions, and provide leadership for the entire YouthBuild network. Morton and five program leaders in other categories were honored before a crowd of 148 of their peers. The Service and Solidarity to the YouthBuild Network award recognizes Morton for his consistent, steady, and meaningful contributions to the movement. Jerrell has volunteered to lead the nominating committee, serve on the Bridgespan steering committee, and participate in weekly meetings on the network affiliation process. His work exemplifies the YouthBuild values of lifting and centering youth voice, and will continue to shape the YouthBuild movement for generations to come.
Morton is a passionate advocate for opportunity-youth and the empowerment of marginalized individuals through education and gainful employment. He is deeply committed to creating positive change throughout the community. Morton is a veteran and “GIRLdad.”
For over a decade and counting, Jerrell has been able to walk in his purpose at Job Point, as the Director of the YouthBuild program, saying “The “work” resonates within my core values; each day I wake-up excited about the opportunity to serve/lead and contribute to the future of youth throughout Boone County. My motto in life will forever hold true in my walk. We are BETTER together, and it will take a VILLAGE to assist in guiding those we serve towards their full potential. #UNITEDweALLcanSTAND”
“YouthBuild students around the world are able to reinvent themselves because of the love, support, and quality education and training they receive from their local program,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild USA. “Program leaders foster community and opportunity for the young people they serve, transforming lives and communities every single day. We celebrate these honorees for contributing so greatly to the YouthBuild movement.”
Morton was also selected to join the first-ever global cohort of YouthBuild Leadership Fellows, 20 dedicated international leaders from across the YouthBuild movement, for their commitment to the growth and success of opportunity youth. They embody the principles of service and transformation at the heart of the YouthBuild mission.
The two-year fellowship is designed to support the leadership of local YouthBuild program directors around the world, providing opportunities to strengthen their leadership and organizational development skills, build community, and work together to strengthen collective efforts in support of opportunity youth. It offers an immersive learning experience with three key components: Leadership and Professional Development; Self-Care; and Peer Support and Community Building. Fellows work together on practices to inform the entire network about positive youth development and program sustainability, influencing the future of policies and practices at all YouthBuild programs. This framework is grounded in YouthBuild’s core values of love, collaboration, accountability, diversity, and leadership.
“As an advocate for the empowerment of opportunity youth and marginalized groups, I am proud/honored to carry their stories beyond the zip codes of Boone County, MO,” Morton said. “Being selected out of hundreds of applications from across the world, speaks volumes towards the work of our team at Job Point! We’re not perfect nor are we done chasing perfection. My goal is to capture and carry back the best-practices from around the world; as we position ourselves to serve and do more to lift-up our neighbors throughout Boone County.”
Last month’s event in Boston included sessions on burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue; developing a personal leadership brand; self-care and self-reflection; and personal visioning and action planning. Fellows also had intentional time for networking with their peers, YouthBuild USA staff, and local Boston-based leaders.
“Our Leadership Fellows hold immense talent and vision for the YouthBuild movement. We’re excited to support them in their professional and personal growth trajectories,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild USA. “We aim to cultivate a fellowship experience that isn’t just an accolade, but a transformative period for each leader and, by extension, the communities they serve. It’s a recognition of their immense potential to influence change and propel YouthBuild toward new heights.”
About YouthBuild
With love and respect, YouthBuild partners with opportunity youth to build the skillsets and mindsets that lead to lifelong learning, livelihood, and leadership. At more than 280 YouthBuild programs across the United States and around the world, students reclaim their education, gain job skills, and become leaders in their communities. To date, YouthBuild has partnered with more than 200,000 young people to dedicate over 51 million hours of service benefitting urban, rural, and tribal communities. YouthBuild strives to create a world where all young people are seen for their potential, and power to transform themselves and their communities. YouthBuild USA — the support center for the YouthBuild movement — strengthens YouthBuild programs through technical assistance, leadership development, innovative program enhancements, and advocacy. YouthBuild programs located outside of the United States are supported by YouthBuild USA’s international division, YouthBuild International.
For more information about the YouthBuild movement, YouthBuild USA, and YouthBuild International, visit YouthBuild.org.
About Job Point’s YouthBuild
Job Point is Missouri’s premier employment center and Community Development Corporation. Since 1965, we have been linking people and jobs by providing career planning and job placement assistance. We specialize in preparing individuals to enter the workforce, while meeting a critical need of the business community. The organization is headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, with services extending to Moberly, Boonville and the surrounding communities. Job Point’s Trade Skills program offers certification courses in Office Technology, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Certified Nursing Assistant, Highway Heavy Construction, Warehouse and Carpentry. Students work through intensive in-classroom and hands-on coursework before completing internships in order to earn their certifications.
Contact Information:
Liz Sensintaffar, Marketing Director
Job Point | 400 Wilkes Blvd | Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 777-1515 | lizs@jobpoint.org
