Tools Up Foundation to Host Inaugural Construction Summit for Chicago Teens on South Side (Chicago, IL) – The Tools Up Foundation will host its inaugural TUF Teens Construction Summit on Saturday, Aug. 1, bringing together Chicago teens, construction professionals and community leaders to highlight career opportunities in the skilled trades.
The event, which will be held at the Don Nash Community Center on the city’s South Side, will feature hands-on construction demonstrations, student presentations and mentorship opportunities for young people participating in the foundation’s TUF Teens program. Fifth Ward Alderman Desmon C. Yancy is expected to attend.
The summit serves as the centerpiece of TUF Teens, a free, paid construction training program for youth ages 16 to 18. Participants receive hands-on experience while earning compensation during their training. Organizers say the event is designed to introduce invited students as candidates for the program’s next training cohort while showcasing the skills developed by current participants.
Among the day’s highlights will be live construction demonstrations led by students, a showcase of a student-built “mini construction city” and opportunities for teens to connect with mentors working in the construction industry.
“There’s a story that gets told about our young people, and then there’s what actually happens when you put a tool in their hand and a mentor beside them,” said Dominique Jones, founder and CEO of Tools Up Foundation. “These teens are building — a structure, a skill, a future. We’re inviting Chicago to invest in that version of the story.”
Jones, a certified general contractor and minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MBE/WBE) commercial builder, said the organization is also seeking additional funding to expand the program and serve more South Side youth.
According to the foundation, donations and sponsorships help cover paid training, instructors, construction tools, materials and future program expansion.
The summit’s main program will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. after doors open at 10:45 a.m. Activities will include welcome remarks, student presentations, project judging, scholarship and award announcements, and a community mixer.
Two awards will be presented during the event. The winning team in the Best Community Concept competition will receive a $300 scholarship for each team member, selected by a panel of construction industry judges. Attendees will also vote for the Community Favorite award, with each member of the winning team receiving an Amazon gift card for back-to-school shopping.
The event is invitation-only for participants, though credentialed members of the media are welcome to attend with advance RSVP.
Tools Up Foundation is a Chicago nonprofit organization that provides construction education, paid training, mentorship and career development opportunities for youth and young adults on the South Side. In addition to TUF Teens, the organization operates Pave the Way Up, an 11-week pre-apprenticeship program designed to prepare participants for apprenticeships and entry-level careers in the skilled trades.
Additional information about the organization, sponsorship opportunities and its programs is available at toolsup.org.
Tools Up Foundation to Host Inaugural Construction Summit for Chicago Teens on South Side
