Capital Project · Coming Soon
The Youth Center for Innovation & Vocational Excellence
A 22,000 sq ft building set within a 40,000 sq ft development envelope on Cottage Street — scaling our YouthBuild/AmeriCorps model, expanding community programming, and serving as the Northstar anchor for the Hudson Valley.
Our History Since 1995
Building Lives, Building Communities
For nearly 30 years, Nubian Directions has been nurturing Poughkeepsie youth, meeting students where they are, and supporting their lives from adolescents to adults. We have become a cornerstone and anchor of Poughkeepsie's youth services — and our work is more urgent now than ever.
Founded in 1995, we are the only organization in Poughkeepsie with a core focus on career building. We pair one-on-one mentorship with hands-on training, so every young person has a constant supportive presence, a stable path forward, and a real chance at a career.
Youth educated & trained through our programs.
Years of serving the Poughkeepsie community.
Hours of community service work completed.
The Opportunity
A commitment to Poughkeepsie and its youth
Our two locations — the storefront at 248 Main Street and the historic warehouse at 209 Cottage Street — anchor us in key parts of the city. The driving force behind this capital project is scaling our successful YouthBuild/AmeriCorps model so we can meet the pressing needs of the hundreds of young people in Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County who need us.
In their current states, neither space serves the educational, administrative, or housing needs of the organization fully. The Cottage Street warehouse, once fully designed and renovated, will help us deliver our Northstar mission.
The Building
209 Cottage Street, restored for a new generation
Acquired by Nubian Directions in 2012, the warehouse was originally used by Pioneer Storage and dates back to 1919. The brick building's interior footprint is roughly 22,000 sq ft, set within a full 40,000 sq ft development envelope that includes the adjacent lot, the single-family home next door (also part of our property), and outdoor program space. Historic factory windows will be re-opened to bring in natural daylight, and the large mass of brick construction will provide a stable thermal envelope year-round.
Renovating this cherished building isn't just about creating a space for learning and growth — it gives our youth real construction experience and revives the deep-rooted history this building holds.
Programmatic areas (within the 22,000 sq ft building)
- ~7,400 sq ft · Learning — classrooms, construction labs, computer lab, makerspace
- ~9,100 sq ft · Community — teaching kitchen, cafeteria, auditorium, covered outdoor gathering
- ~3,400 sq ft · Administration — shared & private offices, conference rooms, staff lounge
Carbon Net-Zero
The Youth Center will be a carbon net-zero building, leveraging passive ventilation, daylighting, and rooftop PV panels that can provide 90–100% of the building's energy use on site.
What the Youth Center Will Provide
Expanded programs, deeper impact
New facilities and added space will increase student engagement, retention, and program completion — improving the scope and success of our mission.
YouthBuild
Education, paid training, and certifications for out-of-school youth ages 16-24. Includes GED classes, leadership, and construction training.
AmeriCorps
Community service opportunities that earn members an education award, college grants, and benefits for participants.
Innovation Lab
A new STEM-equipment and technology hub providing access to 3D printing, drones, aerial and video photography, and more — open to all Poughkeepsie youth.
Urban Youth Organic Garden
A new urban gardner's market that expands gardening programming and gives youth entrepreneurial and employment opportunities.
YMDI Youth Diversion Initiative
Prevention and intervention services for out-of-school, low-income, under-skilled, and unemployed youth in Dutchess County.
Youth Entrepreneurial Training (YET)
Entrepreneurship programming for new and recent graduates, paired with mentoring and a key component of the new Youth Center.
Visioning Booklet · Drawings, Diagrams & Maps
Architectural drawings & visual plans
Drawn in partnership with MASS Design Group. Use the menu below to view each drawing, diagram, floor plan, or site map from the Nubian Directions Visioning Booklet.
Mission-Aligned Network
Partnerships that direct youth to us, and us to youth
Nubian Directions stands distinct among local community organizations thanks to its unique programming. Partnerships and community building ensure young people can be directed to the right resource at the right time.
Community Matters 2, Inc.↗
Scenic Hudson↗
Marist College↗
Vassar College↗
Cornell Cooperative Extension↗
Dutchess Community College↗Northeast Community Center↗Hudson River Housing, Inc.↗
Practice 2 Perfect↗
The Dennelisse LHCSA↗
Laborers' Local 17 Training and Educational Center↗
Dutchess County Child and Family Services↗
Family Services — Poughkeepsie↗
The new Youth Center was developed in partnership with MASS Design Group, a global nonprofit architecture collective whose Hudson Valley Design Lab shares our belief that the work we do is healing.
Empowering Minds, Building FuturesHelp us build a permanent home for youth
Support the capital campaign and bring the Youth Center for Innovation & Vocational Excellence to life for Poughkeepsie youth.