buildOn engages students through intensive after-school programs at 118 high schools in six urban regions across the U.S. The focus of its programs is three-fold: community service, fundraising to build schools overseas and global education. And the benefits for student participants? Unlimited.
The more students contribute, the more they take away. Each student is encouraged to use their own skills, strengths and interests to positively contribute to their community, to their own future, and to the global fight against illiteracy and poverty. Unique to buildOn is the powerful connection between U.S. high school students and the work being done in developing countries.
Our students don’t go it alone, of course. All U.S. schools that agree to host an after-school program sign a covenant with buildOn outlining what both will commit for the success of the program, including support from school administration and dedicated buildOn staff in each region.
Core Activities
buildOn's after-school programs engage youth in three core activities: community service, school construction sponsorship and global education.
Every week in every region, buildOn members actively volunteer in their own communities. Service work ranges from small groups of members to large-scale endeavors such as Regional Service Projects that attract hundreds of students throughout a particular region. Service work includes an incredible variety of activities such as:
- Tutoring elementary school students
- Volunteering at senior centers
- Serving meals at soup kitchens and homeless shelters
- Renovating community centers
- Environmental restoration and clean-up projects
Each buildOn program raises funds to sponsor the construction of primary schools in developing countries. Using bake sales, walk-a-thons, penny wars and other creative fundraisers, these youth actively engage in the work being done by buildOn in developing countries, even if they never leave their neighborhood.
Students also participate in regular Global Education activities to raise awareness of critical issues in developing countries and the importance of education in creating meaningful change. Timely topics with interactive video presentations are used during program meetings while members also enjoy cultural activities in their own communities.
Enrichment Programs
Through two Enrichment Programs, buildOn members can enhance their personal and education development even further. Through Lead, buildOn's yearlong leadership program, members build valuable life skills while participating in all of their program's core activities. The Trek for Knowledge offers members the oppotunitiy to travel to developing countries with buildOn to help a community build a school while participating in a once-in-a-lifetime cultural exchange.
Additional Opportunities
Each buildOn region boasts its own Youth Advisory Council to provide student leadership and weigh in on the planning and status of projects and initiatives, while annual Program Summits encourage student and teacher networking and the exchange of ideas.
Get Involved
- For a list of current buildOn programs by region, click here.
- If you are in a buildOn region and would like to launch a buildOn program at your high school, please contact Abby Hurst, Vice President U.S. Prgams, at abby.hurst@buildon.org.
- If you are not in an existing buildOn region and would like to launch an Independent Program, please contact Dianne Mishra, Michigan Program Supervisor, at dianne.mishra@buildon.org or click here for more information.