“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build …” — Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 (NIV)
After months of planning involving dozens of Indianapolis faith leaders, the time has come to build. With a recent luncheon at Marten House, the Believers United in Local Development (BUILD) program officially kicked off, led by BUILD President Pastor Ronald Covington Sr., of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.
“We’re here today to be a blessing to our young people,” Covington said at the launch event, met by a round of applause from the crowd. “All of us know what’s going on in our community … We have a lot of young people who really don’t see any hope in life. We know jobs come and go, but if you can learn a trade or a skill, you can make a living. That’s what we’re about; not just rehabbing houses in our community, but we’re here to restore and rehab individuals’ lives.”
Covington and his colleagues hope to achieve that goal by offering education and training (with some Biblical wisdom thrown in) for youth as young as 15 to foster an interest in building trades.
In an address at the luncheon, Rev. David Hampton — Indianapolis deputy mayor of neighborhood engagement — praised the program and the people who have worked to make it happen. Hampton said he expects the BUILD program will be a path to economic justice, which ultimately is the path to social justice.
Hampton referred to a story from the third chapter of the book of Daniel in which three boys are thrown into a fiery furnace after refusing to kneel before an idol, believing one should only kneel before God.
“(The boys) refused to adapt to an unhealthy environment,” Hampton said. “What the BUILD program does is help our young people refuse to adapt to an unhealthy environment.”
Hampton also turned to science to elaborate on his hopes for the BUILD program, discussing what marine biologists have termed small-tank syndrome.
“Fish that have the capacity to grow maybe 6 feet can remain 6 inches if you confine them to a tank that stunts their growth. They’ll only grow to the capacity of their environment,” Hampton explained. “With our young people, we have to give them bigger tanks. That’s what the BUILD program does.”
Devon Doss, executive director of Indiana Plan — a pre-apprenticeship building trades program geared toward getting minorities and women into skilled trade jobs — said he knows personally the benefit of finding a “bigger tank.”
“(BUILD is) a good program, but I wish you guys would’ve thought of it about 15 years ago,” Doss said with a laugh. “Nevertheless, it’s here, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
The Haughville native and Ben Davis graduate said when he was growing up, he and his friends would go outside to look for something to do.
“I’d go out to my front porch, and I could go a couple doors down if I wanted to buy a gun. I could walk maybe a block or two the other way if I wanted to learn how to sell drugs. I could go a couple blocks to the south if I wanted to learn how to steal cars,” Doss said.
After a brief stint at Vincennes University on a track scholarship, Doss dropped out of college and came home, taking a job at a gas station making $5 per hour. When he heard about Indiana Plan, he decided to take action. Three weeks later, he was working in a construction build making $13.65 an hour.
About a year later, Doss began an electrical apprenticeship and is now a journeyman. He marvels at where he started and where he is now, able to support a family with his more than $75,000 annual income.
Doss hopes the BUILD program will reach those kids who are out looking for something, like he used to be.
“This is a great program that will recruit some of our younger people and get them ready for the Indiana Plan,” he said. “I support this program 100 percent.”
Pastor James Anyike from Scott United Methodist Church, who is secretary of BUILD, shared extensive details about the BUILD curriculum, which has been in the works since the fall.
The program will begin May 28 and run through Nov. 19 and will be divided into three modules. BUILD hopes to have 50 students — 25 students ages 15–17 and 25 students 18 and older.
“We talked about putting an upper age limit, but we couldn’t come to an agreement,” Anyike said. “There may be someone who’s in their 30s who could use a program like this one.”
Each class session will be held on a Saturday morning and last approximately three hours.
The first module will focus on “construction of the mind, body and soul,” including a bit of genealogical work “so they can have a sense of their foundation, where they come from,” Anyike said.
“Studies have been done that show young people who know their heritage and know their family tree are ones who have a better chance to do well in school and in life,” he added.
Basic employability skills, time management and conflict resolution will also be taught.
The second module will introduce students to the basics of building, including using tools, reading blueprints, understanding math and measurements used in building and more. Individual sessions will also be dedicated to exploring individual trades, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, among others.
In the third module, instructors will seek to motivate students on a deeper level through the leadership lessons of Nehemiah and his work rebuilding Jerusalem.
“We want to hear young people inspired saying, ‘I’m here because I want to build something with my life, something with my community, something with my own two hands.’ We use that Nehemiah story to do that.”
Instructors will then set students loose to design and implement their own plans on a job site.
After an assessment and successful completion of the program, the BUILD students will participate in a graduation ceremony.
“I’m hoping we’ll have to rent out one of those large rooms (for graduation), because there’ll be so many people who want to watch the miracle happen,” Anyike said.
Regardless of graduation turnout, Anyike has high hopes for the program.
“Since we serve an awesome God, we should expect awesome things to happen as a result of what we are doing with BUILD.”
If you’d like to help the BUILD program, organizers are looking for mentors, contractors and qualified trades instructors. Monetary donations and property donations (or property sold at a reasonable price) are also sought. Get in touch with BUILD organizers at buildinitiative.net or (317) 917-8024, ext. 3.
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BUILD curriculum
MODULE 1: Basic construction of building the mind, body and soul of our young people — May 28–July 9
Session 1: Know thyself (past, present, future)
Session 2: Physical and mental health
Session 3: Building community, financial literacy
Session 4: Conflict resolution, coping skills, communication, time management, employability skills
Session 5: On-site job shadowing
MODULE 2: Basics about building — July 16–Oct. 1
Session 1: Intro to hand tool and power tool use, building material handling
Session 2: Construction math and measurements, blueprints and construction drawing
Session 3: Basics of plumbing
Session 4: Basics of electrical work
Session 5: Basics of cement work
Session 6: Basics of rigging
Session 7: Basics of carpentry
Session 8: Basics of janitorial/construction cleanup
Session 9: Basics of landscaping
Session 10: Basics of bricklaying and siding
Session 11: Basics of roofing
Session 12: Obtaining permits, homeland security, OSHA training, first aid/CPR training, job safety
MODULE 3: Beginning to build an actual project — Oct. 8–Nov. 19
Lessons from Nehemiah
Site assignments/plan of action. Students will develop plans for the actual hands-on work.
The builds
