Specialized Support for Young Adults in Transition
Serving youth and young adults ages 13 to 25 who are involved in foster care, DJJ, reentry, or other systems that affect stability and long-term success
Young people in the foster care system, those transitioning out of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and adults returning from incarceration all share one common challenge: they are expected to build a stable future with fewer supports than most people ever need. The system they navigated was not designed to develop career skills, professional confidence, or long-term leadership.
Leadership Development Resources was built specifically to fill that gap. We provide the social-emotional skills, career readiness training, and direct employment support that help young adults move from a system that managed them into a life they are building for themselves. Our approach is direct, respectful, and practical, because the people we serve do not have time for programs that are not designed with their reality in mind.
What We Provide for Systems-Involved Youth and Young Adults
The same five core competencies we deliver in schools, character development, self-awareness, socialization skills, leadership strategies, and career readiness, are taught in community settings designed for young adults who are not currently in school or who are in the process of transitioning out of a supervised program. We meet people where they are, not where we wish they were.
Our Saturday programs provide a structured, accessible schedule specifically designed for participants whose weekdays may be constrained by probation requirements, employment, court appointments, or caretaking responsibilities. Over the course of our certification program, participants build a portfolio of marketable skills and leave with the confidence to present themselves professionally.
14-Week Certificate Program
Our certification program is structured and sequential, building on each session to develop the full range of skills participants need for sustained employment. Participants who complete the program leave with documented competencies, practical experience, and the professional confidence to pursue opportunities in a wide range of industries.
Saturday Program Schedule
LDR Legacy Builders
For Young Men 18 and Older Who Are Ready to Build a Different Future
Legacy Builders is a group specifically designed for young men who have been through the criminal justice system, whether that means prior incarceration, current probation, or the aftermath of a record that makes every job application harder than it should be. This is a judgment-free space built on honesty, accountability, and the belief that where you have been does not have to define where you are going.
We meet weekly at the local library, which means the barrier to entry is low. We have helped hundreds of young adults build the communication skills, career knowledge, and professional habits that lead to employment in healthcare, logistics, construction, and beyond. Legacy Builders takes that same model and focuses it on men who are navigating the specific challenges of reentry.
What Participants Work On:
- Weekly Library Sessions: Structured workshops on resumes, financial literacy, career readiness, interview skills, and navigating difficult workplace situations
- Career Exposure: Job shadows, employer site visits, and direct assistance identifying employment opportunities that work with background considerations
- Mentoring: One-on-one guidance from professionals who understand the reentry experience and have navigated similar paths
- Life Skills: Communication, conflict de-escalation, goal-setting, and habits that build stability over time
- Accountability Structure: A peer group that holds each other responsible for progress, celebrates wins, and provides honest support through setbacks
Participants in Legacy Builders have records, probation requirements, and histories that many programs overlook. We do not. We have seen young men leave this group with employment in healthcare, logistics, and the trades. More importantly, we have seen them leave with a clear sense of what they are capable of.
Enrollment is limited. If you are ready to build something lasting, we want to hear from you.
Weekly Sessions
Two-hour classes every Saturday
Program Duration
Complete certification course
Focused Learning
Intensive, structured curriculum
- Our Saturday schedule is specifically designed to accommodate the diverse needs of teens and young adults in transition, providing accessible, high-quality workforce training that fits seamlessly into their lives while maintaining the comprehensive nature of our certification program.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are a young adult transitioning from DJJ, aging out of foster care, or rebuilding after incarceration, or if you are a caseworker, probation officer, or program coordinator working with individuals in these situations, we are here. Contact us to learn how our programs can support your clients or your own next steps.
Support Designed for the Real World
Whether someone is coming home from incarceration, aging out of foster care, completing a DJJ program, or navigating another system that has shaped their path, Leadership Development Resources is committed to meeting them where they are. Our programs are built around the real challenges of reentry and transition, not idealized assumptions about what someone should already know or have.
- Partner Ministry
Impact Worship Ministries
Impact Worship Ministries operates under Leadership Development Resources' 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship. IWM provides the worship and spiritual foundation that fuels LDR's youth leadership programs.