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?

Our innovative approach is founded on three core concepts: comprehensive academic
coursework, internships in high-demand fields, and a structured pathway to homeownership.
Students select internships based on their interests in high demand sectors such as advanced manufacturing and construction, where they gain essential skills and work experience. To prepare for homeownership, we provide financial literacy training and partner with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to offer tailored coaching. This guidance ensures that upon graduating and securing high-wage jobs, our students are well-equipped to navigate the process of buying affordable homes, fostering personal wealth and community development.

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.

Career-Connected Education

All youth will have the opportunity to receive an excellent academic- and skills-based education, inclusive of a High School Diploma, industry- recognized credentials and certificates, and an early-postsecondary degree or trade license or credential (i.e. associates degree or industry certificate in a chosen field). Youth need more than just hard skills, they must also develop a stable foundation of academic knowledge and life/career skills to have the upward mobility necessary to lead in their chosen careers.

Cross-Sector Partnerships

Local multi-sector industry partners, social services, non- profits, and the public body uniquely collaborate to provide authentic engagement opportunities for Build UP youth, while Build UP provides mutually beneficial outcomes for the partners, such as an expanded talent pipeline, a revitalized local community, and increased opportunities for paid services.

Local Leaders with Local Solutions

Those most equipped to solve the most pressing issues are those most proximate to those issues. Youth and community members are being trained up to not only meet labor-market demands for jobs too often going unfilled, but they are also empowered to directly address and solve many of the local societal issues their surrounding community is experiencing, such as housing safety and affordability, mobility access, and community blight.