buildOn

As buildOn students across the country head back to school, we caught up with Detroit Engagement Specialist Kyla Nogalski to ask her about her work! 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?  My favorite has to be with the Capuchin Soup Kitcnen Conner Kitchen on Conner St in Detroit. I love serving here with students because it is so close to our school, so it is a great after school partnership. Students also love suiting up, serving the meals, and meeting community members. The recipients are always so grateful and encouraged to see so many young men and women engaging with their community in a positive way. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻? I really enjoy connecting with students the most. Building relationships and supporting students to reach their goals is incredible. I love seeing all the amazing things they accomplish in their personal lives and also the top-notch service they do for Detroit. We work really hard to make sure that our volunteer services are meaningful, impactful, and follow the IPARD model. IPARD stands for Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection, and Demonstration and we do our best to incorporate these guidelines in every service project we do. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆? My favorite buildOn memory happened while I was a support staff on Trek in 2023 in Nicaragua. I had the amazing opportunity to join seventeen high school students from the United States, an amazing group of Trek team staff members and in-country contractors, and a fellow support staff colleague. Trek is an amazing trip where students from the U.S. can travel to a country where the poverty rate is high and the literacy rate is low to partner with local communities to build schools. My specific favorite memory on Trek was when one of our students sat backwards in a chair on uneven ground and we warned her it might be unstable. Within one minute, she had fallen and everyone was giggling and laughing with her, including the local children who were laughing the hardest. It was such a fun moment after a long day of helping build the school with the community. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁? buildOn’s mission is so important because I strongly believe in the power of mentorship and community service to shape the values of teenagers. I found a calling in nonprofit work and service learning through my own experiences serving others when I was a teenager. Without the guidance of mentors who care and opportunities to grow and better my community, I don’t know where I would be today. I take our mission seriously and have seen the results in amazing ways from the students I work with. 

We asked Iisha Scott and Alfonso Gutiérrez how they handle their nerves on-air at NBCUniversal Chicago’s career day with buildOn students. They gave the students some great advice! How do you deal with nervousness and self-doubt on the job? Our students would love to know!

Happy Women's Equality Day! Today, and every day, we're working hard to advance gender equity across the globe. One way we're doing that is through our transformational Adult Literacy Program, which helps adults learn reading, writing, and numeracy. 80% of all participants in the program are women! Read more on our blog: https://ow.ly/bKtL50T6zES

“The old classroom was not good. It was overcrowded, and with all the noise from the other students, it was hard for me to concentrate,” says Aissatou Ngom, a Ngomene Primary student in Senegal. “I didn’t like it because I was uncomfortable; it made me want to go back home.” Thanks to the hard work of the community (1,106 volunteer work hours!) and support from Circle of Sisterhood Foundation, Inc., Aissatou now has a clean, comfortable, and spacious learning environment! If you want to be a part of making a difference in the lives of students across the world, click here to build with us: https://ow.ly/h7xb50T5pIx

Our buildOn staff help students identify the greatest challenges facing their communities, and then give them the tools and opportunities to take action. Click here to read the full blog post on how our Chicago students are addressing food insecurity: https://ow.ly/xBnR50T5pmY

buildOn students are tackling food insecurity and welcoming recent migrants by assembling and distributing food packages in Downtown Chicago. Learn how our Service Learning Program is helping students address community challenges and lead with empathy in our new blog post!

For this week’s staff interview, we spoke with one of our new Program Managers in the Bronx, Brenda Doctor! 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?  My favorite buildOn service experience has to be when I had students tie dye socks for an organization uptown in the Bronx. It was service because we were giving back, but still the students were dancing and having a great time while setting up for people in the community to come in and grab bags of socks. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻? I love our focus on community. All the service projects we do are not always directly connected, but through all of them we are bettering our communities. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆? My favorite memory is my first ever Citywide Service Day as an Engagement Specialist. I was nervous coming into the role but a bunch of students from Validus Preparatory Academy came out to service and it made my heart warm to see how the students were willing to follow me and do service with me even though they had never met me before. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁? buildOn is creating solutions for our community. Being a Bronx native, I've always wanted to be a part of the solution and help to make the Bronx a better place and I think that always starts in our schools. Not much is ever expected from the Bronx, which is why the “ending low expectations" part of our mission is important to me.

This Make a Will Month, consider how you can make an impact far into the future. Including buildOn in your estate plans offers significant benefits, both for you and for the people we serve: Tax Advantages: Charitable bequests can significantly reduce your taxable estate, potentially saving your loved ones from hefty tax burdens. Flexibility and Control: You maintain control over your gift. Your bequest can be modified or revoked at any time, ensuring it aligns with your evolving wishes. A Lasting Impact: Your gift will directly support buildOn's mission of building schools, providing literacy programs, and supporting young leaders across the globe. You'll be remembered for creating a brighter future for generations to come! Leave a legacy of hope and change with buildOn. Contact our Vice President of Development Aled Hollingworth at [email protected] or visit our website to learn more about including us in your estate plans: https://ow.ly/NqjT50T3bf4

There’s many reasons why a child in an economically-developing country might stop going to school. Maybe they need to stay home to help their family with housework. Maybe they need to get a job to bring in money for their family. Maybe they’re married and need to raise children. Whatever the reason, our Enroll Program, which we run in partnership with Education Above All Foundation’s Educate A Child program, helps get them back in the classroom and back on track in life!

buildOn U.S. student Emily has been practicing stewardship by participating in a pen pal program that helps prepare eighth graders for high school. Our students were each paired with a younger mentee, whom they would write letters to each week talking about everything from school to their hobbies, fears and dreams. At the end of the year the pen pals all got to meet in person at a special celebration. “On the day of the meet and greet, I learned how valuable my participation was in this service,” says Emily, who recently completed her junior year at Validus. “The kids were excited to see me, showing me that [the letters I wrote] made their day. It gave them something to look forward to.” Service projects like this help students to put their writing skills into practice, while also benefiting their communities by giving younger children the support and encouragement they need to begin the next chapter of their academic journey.