In The News

Dear Friends and Colleagues,  BUILD has always put the safety of our youth and our communities first, and this drives all our decisions. As a community institution, it’s also our responsibility to think bigger, and be part of collective, state-wide action to slow down the spread of COVID-19 as it…

We want to thank everybody who supported our youth at BUILD’s annual Art Show, 365 +1: Stories Around The Sun this weekend! Whether you attended the show or bid from home, you were part of an incredible night that will help our youth continue to counter violence with creativity and connection.  And, it’s…

We were proud to join the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Westside Justice Center, and The Resurrection Project as we announced the 60 non-profit organizations selected as recipients of the Access to Justice Grants Program (A2J). Access to Justice is an Illinois statewide program that seeks to mitigate the…

We want to send a special thank you to Chicago Bulls point guard Ryan Arcidiacono and agent Joel Bell for coming out to BUILD and providing our youth with first-hand insight into different types of careers in sports! (Stay tuned for the podcast our youth led with Arcidiacono as well!) We also want to…

We are proud of our Bridges to Pathways youth for writing, directing, acting in, and shooting their own short film! Their piece speaks out against bullying, and will premiere in April. Thanks to our friends International Children’s Media Center for inspiring BUILD youth with this awesome program!

Our BUILDing Futures team recently hosted a youth wellness session at BUILD Headquarters. Youth were able to enjoy a peaceful 60 minute yoga session and learn about mandalas and henna tattoos. The group also created their own ‘stress-less’ self care boxes that included chocolate, stress balls, face masks, silly puddy, lip balm, smooth rocks,…

BUILD’s female focused program, BG2W, recently hosted their first midnight mingle social. This was the first time that participants from all five cohorts got to meet for a night full of activities. From DIY lip gloss, body scrubs, face masks and bath bombs, to jewelry making, nail painting and an…

There was a lot of focus, excitement and intense conversation recently as organizations in Austin, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale came together to hear more about the Mayor’s plans to bring $750 million to the South and West Sides in Chicago. BUILD was there connecting with city leaders and making art with…

BUILD staff, youth, neighborhood residents, the Chicago Police Department and several volunteers from Starbucks and Playworks came together on January 20 in celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through service to others. We came together in an effort to reconnect, transform, uplift, and inspire youth, staff, and…

As long as anyone can remember, the Finance Team at Rush University Medical Center have had an amazing annual tradition: an internal holiday giving drive that starts nearly at Labor Day and extends all the way through December, featuring weekly fundraisers as varied as chili cook-offs to raffles to food…

Fall is such a beautiful time of year in Chicago, but it seemingly goes by in the blink of an eye. On October 19, we had a great opportunity to stop and soak it in with members of the community at our Fall Harvest Fest.   Healthy living was the…