In The News

The Donna Dudley Peace Project started back in the mid-80s as a softball league to attract gang involved youth to play against each other and form healthier, more accepting relationships with rival gang members.  After a year off due to the pandemic, the BUILD Peace League is back! And this…

Chief Program Officer, Andres Alvear, talks with ABC7 Chicago’s Judy Hsu about what BUILD is doing to stop the violence in our communities and create safe and meaningful summer opportunities for our young people. Watch the segment here.

Austin Has the Mic is a youth media partnership between BUILD, Austin Coming Together and Westside Health Authority. The aim of partnership is to use digital media platforms and podcasting to reclaim the narrative of the west side, and empower youth participants and community members with a platform to tell the positive stories that larger news…

Max Cerda spent over six years at BUILD working on the streets with at-risk young people, developing relationships, building trust and mentoring them to leave the gangs and make better choices. He invested countless hours of heartfelt effort immersed in what is essentially a lifesaving mission. Now he is leaving BUILD…

In Chicago, another beneficiary of MBKA’s support is BUILD Inc. As one of Chicago’s leading gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development organizations, BUILD (which stands for Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development) engages at-risk youth in schools and on the streets in order to help them fulfill their educational and career…

Juan Villalobos of BUILD Chicago talks about what they’re doing to integrate alternative methods of policing in Chicago Public Schools. See the interview here:

BUILD is proud to join Comcast and other community partners throughout the city to create safe places where youth can connect, learn and get the chance to succeed in school. Comcast announced BUILD this month as one of the initial 5 sites to establish WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” in Chicago. The telecomm company plans to provide robust…

By Sharon Hoyer StreetsBlog Chicago There’s a growing movement in Chicago towards large group bike rides in Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides with the goal of promoting public safety, wellness, and community unity. The Austin Peace Ride, which took place on Saturday morning in gorgeous weather, was a great example of…

The Blackhawks and Mesirow Financial salute Rosa Rios for her commitment to helping youth and families suffering from gang-related crises.

This summer, in collaboration with One Summer Chicago and After School Matters, BUILD hired over 200 teens into good-paying, virtual summer jobs. Youth were engaged in programs covering civic engagement, gardening, cooking, jewelry-making and entrepreneurship, performing arts, digital media, and journalism. We may not have been allowed to come together…

By Zach Cunning AustinTalks BUILD Chicago has been hosting a summer camp in Austin for youth from kindergarten to 8th with enrichment activities, peace circles, basketball and volleyball – and a small farm with some very friendly chickens. Daniel Brown, a middle schooler who’s been participating in BUILD programs for…