BGCGC Teens Build Skills and Explore Careers at She Builds Camp
Updated: 12 hours ago
What does workforce development look like for a teenager?
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, it can mean learning how to write a resume, practicing for an interview or exploring a career they may have never considered. It can also mean picking up a drill, learning how to install drywall, painting, building shelving and working alongside women in the skilled trades.
That was the experience for more than 35 high school girls from across BGCGC during the She Builds Camp, held June 22-26. The weeklong partnership with Allied Construction Industries (ACI) introduced teens to hands-on opportunities in construction while helping them build something that will continue serving young people for years to come: a new Career Closet at the Western & Southern Workforce Development Center in Price Hill.
For BGCGC, the week represented exactly what workforce development is meant to be: not only preparing them for graduation or their first job but also helping them discover what comes next by giving them meaningful exposure to new possibilities and the confidence to see themselves pursuing them.
A Partnership That Opened New Doors
The partnership grew from an existing relationship with Maya Middlebrook, a Community Engagement Strategist at Turner Construction. A longtime workforce development partner, Maya had previously connected the organization with a variety of career opportunities.
She introduced Western & Southern Workforce Development Center Director Adelaide Forte to ACI's workforce development team, including Brittney Cousins, Kimberly Spreder and Jenah Farrell. The team was interested in partnering with BGCGC on She Builds Camp, an ACI program that has been introducing young women to careers in construction for years.
At the same time, BGCGC Workforce Development Program Coordinator Imane Halal had been thinking about a project of her own: a Career Closet. When the conversation turned to what the girls could build during the camp, the answer became clear. The result was a project that combined hands-on construction experience with a lasting resource for BGCGC teens.
Learning They Can Do Hard Things
Participants came together from BGCGC sites across the region, including a few younger participants who were preparing to enter high school. Throughout the week, they worked in small groups alongside professionals representing construction companies and organizations throughout the industry.
Teens learned about different skilled trades, workplace safety and the wide range of careers available in construction. They soon put those lessons into practice by building doors and shelving, painting, installing drywall and helping transform the idea of a Career Closet into a real space.
But She Builds Camp was also about more than construction.
Adelaide and Imane intentionally built programming around mentorship, emotional safety, confidence and the experience of being a young woman entering the workforce. The teens discussed the messages they receive about what it means to be a girl and how those expectations can influence the way they see themselves and their future careers. They learned about the importance of boundaries, self-advocacy and finding mentors and allies, including people whose backgrounds and experiences may be different from their own. Perhaps most importantly, they had the opportunity to meet more than 30 women connected to the industry and see firsthand the range of futures available to them.
"At the end of the day, we're teaching kids that they can be whatever they want," Adelaide said. "Even if they don't choose the trades, we're teaching them that they can do hard things."
One participant was brought to tears by what she had accomplished during the week. Another, a student at IDEA Public Schools, left the camp interested in pursuing a future in the construction industry. Across the group, participants stepped outside their comfort zones, formed new connections and saw what they were capable of creating.
A Resource Built to Help Other Teens Succeed
The project’s impact will extend far beyond the week of camp. The final day of camp came with an unveiling of the completed Career Closet at the Williams Family Foundation Building, home to the Western & Southern Workforce Development Center. The Career Closet will be available to all teens participating in BGCGC workforce development programming, not just the girls who attended She Builds Camp. As teens prepare for a job interview, apprenticeship, scholarship opportunity or other important next step, BGCGC staff can help them select professional clothing, review their resumes and prepare to present themselves with confidence. It is designed to be one of the final stops before a young person goes out into the world.
"Our job isn't just to teach them how to write a resume," Adelaide said. "We want to make sure they're well-rounded. We want them to know they have a voice and that they need to learn how to advocate for themselves."
That philosophy is central to BGCGC's growing workforce development efforts. At the Western & Southern Workforce Development Center, along with the designated workforce development spaces at our other Clubs, teens can explore careers, build life skills and connect with businesses, universities, trade programs and mentors. BGCGC's workforce development programming is designed to help teens graduate with real-world experience, support and a clear path toward what comes next.
Building What Comes Next
The success of this year's camp has already sparked conversations about what's possible next. She Builds Camp brought together a small group of women with a shared vision, including Adelaide, Imane, Maya and their partners at ACI. In just a few months, they turned that vision into an experience that brought dozens of girls together, introduced them to new careers and created something that will benefit future BGCGC teens. Now, the hope is to build on it.
All teens who participated in She Builds Camp and are interested in pursuing the skilled trades now have access to scholarship opportunities through the program. And with more time to plan, BGCGC and its partners are already imagining how the camp could grow in the years ahead.
Workforce development gives teens the opportunity to explore their options, develop practical skills and make informed decisions about their futures. For the girls who participated the 2026 She Builds Camp, that meant learning from professionals in the industry, trying something new and leaving with a clearer sense of what they can accomplish. For more information on the Western & Southern Workforce Development Center, click here.
Comments