SALINAS VALLEY — Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren toured the Rancho Cielo Youth Campus on Aug. 5 to highlight a $1.5 million federal grant awarded to the nonprofit through the U.S. Department of Labor’s YouthBuild program.
Rancho Cielo operates on a 100-acre campus in Salinas and provides vocational training, supportive services and life skills to youth in a safe environment.
The Department of Labor announced last month that Rancho Cielo had received $1.5 million through YouthBuild, which is administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration. The program provides education, training and wraparound supportive services to opportunity youth.
“It’s great to be back at Rancho Cielo and to see just how much this program has grown over the years,” Rep. Lofgren said. “The team here is really changing young people’s lives in such a meaningful way by giving them the vocational skills they need for career success. Whether they’re learning welding or cooking or construction, the students here are unlocking opportunities and growing their self-confidence. I’ve proudly helped secure funds for Rancho Cielo in the past, and I’m excited that they’re receiving this new $1.5 million federal grant to keep creating a better world for these young people.”
Rancho Cielo CEO Chris Devers said the organization was particularly pleased to receive a second YouthBuild award, which will support its construction and culinary programs.
“Rancho Cielo is a proud affiliate of YouthBuild USA. We are beyond thrilled to receive a second funding award from the Department of Labor for our Construction and Culinary programs,” Devers said. “These YouthBuild grants would not have been possible without the ardent support of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who was instrumental for our organization in 2024, when she secured a $1 million federal appropriation to help expand our Drummond Culinary Academy program. We are deeply grateful for her steadfast advocacy and continued partnership, which makes it possible for us to deliver on our mission to help transform the lives of Monterey County youth through hands-on training, hope and opportunity, so they can build real skills and bright futures.”
YouthBuild is authorized under Section 171 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, which Lofgren voted for and later voted to reauthorize in 2022.
