Build Chicago

BUILD believes that every child deserves a bright future regardless of individual challenges or neighborhood barriers. To transform children’s lives from at-risk to at-hope, BUILD provides comprehensive services across critical developmental milestones, meeting young people where they are: in the schools, on the streets, or in the courts. Providing continuity in communities that too often face disruption, isolation and change, BUILD strives to be a constant and trusted resource for youth as they move toward adulthood and beyond, whether they are struggling to stay in school and out of gangs, or striving to go to college and build a career.

We know that for youth contending with poverty, struggling schools and, too often, violence and trauma, the path to a happy and secure future may not be a straight and simple one. Without support, the twists and turns of growing up can lead to choices that result in a lifetime of consequences, something especially true for those who have few resources, live in social isolation and experience systems that too often fail them. All young people face challenges, and BUILD is there to make sure that, when they do, they don’t have to face them alone. That’s why BUILD is committed to walk with young people throughout their development. A young girl may excel at school in fifth grade, only to feel isolated in middle school, experience peer pressure and make destructive choices.

After years of struggle, a young man may at last leave his life of crime behind and reach for college, only to have an unexpected setback risk his progress and his sense of hope. That is why BUILD employs a combination of proven, effective programs and a deep commitment to relationship building — the expertise and empathy needed to facilitate change from the inside out. Change that lasts a lifetime. Because at BUILD, we don’t give up! BUILD is there for the long term. In fact, ask anyone who has been a part of our programs — whether youth, staff, volunteer or donor — you often will hear this phrase: “Once a BUILDer, always a BUILDer.”