At-risk youth learn skilled trades.
Aram Wheatley could never understand why people would say that they wanted to help children in the foster care system get a second chance.
“I always thought, ‘Why do they need a second chance? They never got a first chance” says the CEO of Project B.U.I.L.D., a Department of Education-approved, pre-apprenticeship program and nonprofit that serves at-risk youth, a majority of whom are in foster care. Based in Naples, Florida, since 2020, the organization blends mentoring with workforce development training in a variety of skilled trades, including carpentry, mechanical trades, customer service, retail and additive manufacturing.
In November 2025, Wheatley, who grew up in metro Atlanta, brought Project B.U.I.L.D. to Brookhaven, offering a free NCCER Electrical Level 1 training class as part of its workforce development efforts. The pilot program trained nearly 70 young people and is expected to grow to include plumbing and manufacturing soon, thanks to additional funding and more partners like the nsoro Educational Foundation.
“Imagine a child in foster care who never thought he or she would do anything in their life. Then they create a plumbing elbow, a shutoff valve or electrical outlets that are used in real homes. They’ve become creators. It’s so meaningful for them,” Wheatley says. “We want to help change the trajectory of a generation. We want to be part of the solution.”
PROJECT B.U.I.L.D.
projectbuildswfl.org
@projectbuildswfl
