BUILDing Change

"At first I thought business was just about taking a product like jewelry or a t-shirt, selling it and collecting the money. Now I know how to run a business. I know about start-up costs, taxes, operations, etc. Before BUIILD, I planned on going to college and becoming an actor. Now, maybe I'll major in finance and get my MBA." – Jeremy Hudson, BUILD Graduate

Results

The Proof Is In The Numbers


Something amazing happens when you provide underserved students with hope and opportunity. Rather than merely getting through school, they excel in school.

These results point out how we – our staff, donors and mentors – have improved lives and enriched communities.

• Academic Improvement: Students in our freshmen year program show:
    -128% score increase on a business knowledge exam administered in the first month of the class and again at the end of the fall semester.
    -46% average score improvement on a Written Aptitude Test.
    -64% average score improvement on an Oral Aptitude Test.

• Students Love BUILD: 72% of sophomores stay with BUILD in their junior year, and 100% stay from junior year to senior year

• Mentor Commitment: Mentors work with students for 2-3 hours each week from November through May. 91% of them remain with us throughout the school year.

• SAT Improvement: We provide BUILD’s Juniors with a free Princeton Review SAT course. Last year, the average SAT score increased 142 points.

• Every Graduate Is Accepted to College: 100% of BUILD program graduates complete high school and are accepted into college. 80% are the first in their family to go to college. 95% remain in college, in schools like Columbia University, Emory University, Foothill College, Harvard University, Hampton University, Louisiana State University, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, Sonoma State University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, and Wesleyan University.

• Phenomenal Growth: We began in 1999 serving 12 students. In 2006-2007, we are working with approximately 320 students in two separate communities.