Someone out there cares about kids — at-risk youth aged 6-24 who are in foster care placements or homeless. Kids who may be headed for a life on the streets, who might inevitably tangle with law enforcement. Kids who are aging out of the foster care system with no future. Kids who have suffered such a degree of personal trauma that they are rife with behavioral issues.
That someone is Aram Wheatley, who stands out with a unique approach to addressing the needs of at-risk youth. Wheatley, the Executive Director, CEO and founder of Project B.U.I.L.D., has dedicated his life to nurturing and meeting the needs of these often-overlooked youths. His approach focuses on teaching life skills that are crucial for them to become contributing members of the community. The acronym B.U.I.L.D. encapsulates this approach, standing for “building and uplifting individuals through learning and development.”
PB, a non-profit organization founded in 2020, aims to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. With a network of local partners and community and youth agencies, PB offers mentorship and training in six key areas: social responsibility, financial literacy, technology, family dynamics, wellness, educational achievement and carpentry.
“Visit the carpentry skill-building work lab, and you will feel the energy,” said Paul Doppelt, who heads up PB’s community engagement. “First, Aram feeds everyone, starting every class with a meal, socializing and a chance to ‘get in the zone.’ Then the kids put on work clothes, including steel-toe boots that he provides, and head to the training lab to start working.
“The participants are appreciative, respectful and grateful; they know someone is giving them a shot when no one else has cared. Wheatley is a visionary and one of the most impactful people I have met. He’s changing hearts and lives; he feeds the kids first and then teaches them.”
PB success story
A PB program trainee, Diego is a testament to the life-changing impact of PB. “I’m thankful to our instructor, Mr. Hunt, and PB for teaching me so much,” Diego said. “I want to keep learning so I can take care of my family, and one day have my own construction business.”
A native of Guatemala with scant knowledge of English, Diego started at PB last year. After obtaining his work authorization papers, he earned a paid internship with Habitat for Humanity, working 25 hours a week; he also works at Home Depot. Diego has achieved certifications in forklift, OSHA 10, carpentry, Introduction to Basic Construction, drywall and first aid/CPR. He’s working on his Carpentry 2 certification and recently signed up for the PB customer service class. According to Wheatley, Diego has an exceptional work ethic and is “one of PB’s biggest success stories.”
Genesis of PB
Project B.U.I.L.D. has its roots in Wheatley’s 12-year tenure working at Associated Marine Institute in Manatee County, a prevention program for behaviorally troubled middle school males at risk of expulsion and future involvement with the Department of Juvenile Justice. The program, which focused on teaching boating skills, water sports and relationship building, saw a 114% increase in attendance and a reported decrease in community crime. This success inspired Wheatley to continue his work, leading to the establishment of PB.
“We took on more kids, and the program grew. After that program closed, I knew I had something good that needed to continue,” Wheatley said.
Empathy and understanding
Members of the PB staff are carefully vetted and possess juvenile justice backgrounds that make them especially attuned to the struggles faced by youths. Wheatley’s approach to counseling differs from the norm, using the evidence-based University of Miami ARISE Life Skills Curriculum.
“We consciously uplift our youth. While we may know about their deficiencies, just telling them about them doesn’t cut it,” Wheatley said. “They have to uncover their weaknesses themselves, and then we can help them to understand their shortcomings.
“If I have angry kids, instead of just running an anger-management group, I take them to the basketball court or out to eat, then bring up the subject of anger, profanity, hygiene or whatever their problems are. Then, I get the kids talking about their issues, and we work on them. There’s no such thing as failure; just because it doesn’t work out today doesn’t mean we stop trying. The kids are so resilient when they have someone backing them.”
The practical aspect
After the young people stabilize and can cope and handle their emotions, Wheatley enacts the most sustainable long-term solution for PB — job skill-training programs to prepare them for the real world. Some may need to earn their GED, while others only need counseling. Others undergo financial literacy training and are able to get their identification and open a bank account through a Suncoast Credit Union program.
PB also employs Edmentum, an online education tool with hundreds of courses. Youths are mentored on credit recovery to make up credits for failed classes. Some are interested in going into healthcare or agriculture, and a partner, MHK Architecture, places them on teams to work with their staff to see if any have an interest in the field.
PB has received two key grants. One was from the U.S. Department of Labor, which helped PB start its Workforce Development Program for ages 16 and up that will serve 100 participants over the next two years. Another was from the National Retail Federation, which provides PB with 100 licenses recognized by the DOL for five curriculums leading to certifications. They are customer service conflict, supply chain inventory specialist (warehouse, forklift, OSHA-trained construction), CORE (introduction to basic construction skills like plumbing, electric, carpentry and drywall), drone pilot and customer service and sales.
A PB volunteer
Paul Doppelt has been a PB volunteer for the past three and a half years, devoting 25 to 60 hours weekly. He said that the most profound effect of PB is that it helps the participants work through trauma and become “calmer” in their own lives.
“These are the kids that nobody else wants to work with who have come from serious trauma and have behavior issues,” Doppelt said. “They can now successfully sustain placements in foster care and be placed in homes. When we are assigned youths, we train them to reach inside of themselves, and give them the coping skills to do that, which allows them to do better in school and socialize properly to elevate their lives.”
All youth in the program obtain full-time placement.
“Aram stays with those kids even after they leave us, with his number in hand. He has a vision for youth that I’ve never seen anyone have. I’ve never heard anybody talk like him, and I’ve never seen anybody put the pedal to the metal like Aram. He’ll pick up the team, put them on his shoulders, carry them across the finish line and never take credit,” Doppelt added.
This story was published in The Naples Press on Dec. 20.
