buildOn

Wise words from Kevin Cross, NBCUniversal Local Chicago President and General Manager. As a new buildOn board member, Cross has been taking the time to make a real difference with our students. He recently hosted a career day for our students at Chicago's NBC Tower and White Sox stadium where he shared these words of wisdom. And his message says it all! At buildOn, we see the world for what it is, craft our vision for what it ought to be, and work to make a difference where we can.

Our Summer of Service is alive and well!

Swipe to build two recently completed schools with us. From Mali to Nicaragua, we’re furthering education one build at a time. 🧡

A few weeks ago Chicago buildOn students were invited to take part in a career day at NBC News Tower followed by attending a Chicago White Sox game where they sat in the NBC Chicago suite. Students were able to see the behind the scenes and on-set production of a local news broadcast. There were also some amazing moments where they received inspirational career advice from Chicago board member Kevin Cross and even some on-air talent. This is a great example of the magic of buildOn!

Get inspired by an incredible Malawian community! Through building new school blocks and educating adult learners, we’re working to break the cycle of poverty in Dunda, Malawi and transforming lives. See how in our new blog post:

Our buildOn U.S. programs team is excited to announce that we are currently hiring engagement specialists in Chicago, Oakland, Boston, Bridgeport, CT & New York! A successful Engagement Specialist believes in the capacity of all young people and builds on their Constructive Leadership skills (PASSION FOR THE POSSIBLE, EMPATHY, SOLIDARITY, COURAGE, RESILIENCE) so that they can grow as individuals and mobilize their peers to join the movement. The ideal candidate is OPTIMISTIC and ENTHUSIASTIC in their approach to student recruitment. They are also a STRONG NETWORKER who is excited to form connections with school personnel, parents, and community members to further the success of their buildOn program. Does this sound like you? If so, give it try! APPLY NOW! We’d love to connect with you to see how you can become an integral part of our nationwide movement! https://ow.ly/8Ktu50SAG79

These six dedicated buildOn students are ready to embark on a life-changing Trek this summer! They’ve already proven their commitment to serving their own communities and are ready to make a global impact by building a school in a country with high rates of poverty and illiteracy. But they need your help to make that dream a reality! Over the past several weeks we’ve been raising the money needed to send them on Trek. Our fundraiser is almost over and we still have a ways to go to reach our goal! 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. When a buildOn student goes on Trek to build a school for a community in need, they see firsthand the powerful impact of their efforts––a lesson they take home with them that fuels their passion for service long after the experience is over. Thank you in advance for supporting this transformative journey! https://ow.ly/hgAt50SA3KI

Meet Nicole Vanterpool, our Director of Community Partnerships! She sat down with us for this week’s staff interview. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? I have a lot of favorite buildOn service experiences but my most recent one is the Spring Community Carnival we hosted in the Bronx in partnership with Oyate Group. As a Bronx native, I love whenever I have the opportunity to serve in the community I grew up in. The Spring Community Carnival was an amazing mix of community fun and resource sharing–we were able to distribute more than 700 pairs of Vans sneakers, host 2 financial literacy workshops and have local community partners table to provide vital information on free resources the community can take advantage of. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻? The people! Staff, students, partners, school admin, the community, you name it! All of the people who make up the buildOn movement inspire me daily and encourage me to stay passionate about this work even when I doubt myself. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆? My favorite buildOn memory was leading the team that planned buildOn's first ever concert in June 2022. That day lives in my memory–our first sold out concert! We held it at Salesforce park and Michael Franti and John Forte performed. We were able to incorporate service and donate 2,000 hygiene kits to the homeless in partnership with CityTeam Oakland and the EAST OAKLAND COLLECTIVE. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗢𝗻’𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁? Service and education have been the cornerstones of my life since I was a child. Growing up, my family always stressed the importance of community building and our responsibility to care for one another. I believe buildOn is the epitome of this.

The best thing about a service day is that even though it’s all about GIVING back to the community, the relationships we GAIN in the process are incomparable.  📸 Photos from the Boston Citywide Day of Service. Our team got together for a high school beautification project!

Gender equity is a key part of our methodology when we build schools. Just as we require communities to send boys and girls to their new school in equal numbers, we ensure that men and women from the community work side by side to complete the building. This lays the foundation for more equitable communities where women can thrive!