buildOn likes a challenge – almost as much as getting results. Fortunately, for some of our country’s toughest school districts and rural communities in developing countries around the world, buildOn has proven adept at both.
Through the unique duality of its programming, buildOn empowers U.S. high school students to improve their own lives and communities, as well as to take an active role in the construction of schools in developing countries. buildOn works in some of the poorest and most isolated regions in the world, empowering communities to overcome the crippling cycle of illiteracy, poverty and low expectations by opening the door to education.
Youth engaged in buildOn's U.S. After-School Programs are active both locally and globally. They volunteer thousands of hours in service to their own communities, learn about other cultures through global education activities, and raise funds to foster buildOn’s construction projects overseas.
Many students actually travel with buildOn to developing countries to put shovel in dirt and mortar on brick to build schools to reverse the crippling cycle of illiteracy and poverty. For students who have never left the U.S. – or even their own neighborhoods – it’s a tremendously empowering and transformational experience which bridges cultural gaps and forever changes their perspective.
All of buildOn’s good intentions would be meaningless without results. Through 118 after-school programs in six states, buildOn members compiled more than 133,231 hours of service over the last 12 months. It is work that touches many lives: over that time 285,558 individuals in need here in our own communities have felt the kindness and generosity of buildOn students.
Since 1992, buildOn’s School Construction Program has overseen the building of more than 332 primary schools with many more on the way in Haiti, Malawi, Mali, Nepal and Nicaragua. In addition, buildOn provides adult literacy and community development to adults and older children through its Community Education Program. We are proud to say that more than 51,830 children are currently counted "present" each day at a buildOn-built school.
With support from individuals, families, businesses and organizations around the world, our programs help people change their own lives for good – and help their villages, communities and nations build a brighter future for everyone.
If you are interested in supporting buildOn programs in the U.S. and around the world, please click here.