BuildOn, Stamford High School’s largest after school club, announced in late February that it will be closing its programs in Stamford high schools on March 21,2015. Stamford was one of BuildOn’s original chapters.  Rohanna Wagener, a Program Coordinator for the non profit organization, shared a bit of background about BuildOn and its unfortunate closure in Stamford.

According to Wagener, “BuildOn is a non profit organization working to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education. BuildOn currently operates programs in Westhill and Stamford High School. Through BuildOn, ​Stamford students have made a significant impact on their community, their world, and themselves. In the 2013-2014 school year alone, Stamford students completed over 5000 hours of service.”

In order to run the organization’s many programs, including their famous “Treks for Knowledge,” in which students construct schools in several developing nations:  Haiti, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Nicaragua, Burkina Faso and Senegal, buildOn raises funds directly from the regions where the programs operate. Wagener shares that, “To date, BuildOn has not been able to raise the funds needed to maintain its programs in Stamford high schools and has been supplementing it’s budget from the organization’s general operating funds.”

“Each school, Westhill and Stamford High School, are looking to implement a “BuildOn chapter,”​ a club focused on raising money for ​BuildOn’s Treks for Knowledge. Nearby BuildOn chapters include AITE, Brien McMahon, ​and New Canaan. BuildOn chapters are also popular on college campuses such as NYU, Columbia and Northeastern.

Wagener shares that BuildOn Stamford “ is ending in celebration, reflecting on our accomplishments and friendships.”  She is optimistic that members of BuildOn will continue serving the Stamford community as well as the world.  ​

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