‘See their Magic Come to Life’: BUILD Chicago provides West Side youth with rich arts

When Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School gets out each afternoon, students trickle across West Harrison Street to BUILD Chicago’s Austin campus, an impressive 51,000-square foot, three-story building buzzing with youth from all over the community.

BUILD, a West Side nonprofit that offers violence intervention, education, community wellness and engagement, serves youth as young as 6 and up to age 27. The renovated Austin facility, which opened in February 2023, boasts a full-sized gymnasium, an onsite cafe, a fitness center, study areas, an acre of outdoor gardens and fruit trees, a game room and a dedicated mental health services wing named “The Soul.” It offers free Wi-Fi, a variety of communal spaces, a laundry room and private showers

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