The Build UP Model
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower youth and families to live self-determined lives through education, economic empowerment, and homeownership.
Our Vision
We equip youth and communities to determine their future and build personal wealth for generations to come.
Why Build UP?
In many rural and urban communities, cycles of poverty are perpetuated by structural barriers to
education, employment, and homeownership. Traditional schooling models frequently fall short in providing the practical skills and opportunities required to break these cycles. BuildUp re-
verses the status quo by integrating rigorous, career-connected education with real-world skills that lead to quality jobs and revitalized communities. By equipping students with economic empowerment and sustainable homeownership, BuildUp graduates disrupt entrenched cycles of poverty to stabilize their home communities. BuildUp’s model is more than educational—it is a transformative force that empowers students and rebuilds neighborhoods from the inside out.
What is Build UP?
Build UP is an innovative educational model that combines the real-world job training of a trades school with the rigor of career-connected education. Our unique approach is grounded in three core components: comprehensive academic and work-based coursework, paid job training in high-demand fields, and a structured pathway to homeownership.
We help students to find success in a career pathway through a combination of building sound academic fundamentals, career courses, and dual enrollment, earning high school credit while also having the opportunity to earn college credit in partnership with local community colleges. Our students build skills in high-demand industries such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, construction, HVAC, welding, and CNC machining. As part of our workforce development focus, students earn industry-recognized credentials such as OSHA certification and NCCER certification, ensuring they are career-ready.
Once prepared, students participate in paid internship or apprenticeship programs that align with their career interests, helping them enter high-wage, high-growth career pathways. To support long-term economic mobility and asset-building, Build UP provides first-time home buyer programs and down payment assistance through partnerships with CDFIs, giving graduates the tools to purchase affordable homes and real estate in their communities. By combining education, employment, and home ownership, Build UP empowers young people to build wealth, achieve stability, and lead community revitalization.
While our model is rooted in a clear mission, it is designed to be adaptable and responsive to individual community’s needs, working equally well in charter school, private school, or district school settings. What matters most is our ability to deliver a high-quality, career-connected education that remains affordable and accessible to the communities we serve.
Our Four Pillars
Equity Equals Ownership
Because Build UP primarily serves a high need population, all youth receive paid stipends through their industry internships/apprenticeships, and they will graduate with the opportunity to acquire ownership of an asset, be it a car or a house or a stake in a company. For Build UP youth, "Equity" is not just about leveling the playing field, but instead staking an ownership claim on a significant part of their world.