News

Arlington, VA., June 07, 2017 – On May 23, 2017, hundreds gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, D.C., for BUILD Metro DC’s largest fundraising event, One Night, One BUILD. Halfaker and Associates was a proud supporter the event and through the generous support of event attendees and sponsors, One Night, One BUILD raised over $100,000 to help serve hundreds of BUILD’s students in the DC Metro region.

BUILD was founded in 1999 on the principle that students, especially those at the highest risk of dropping out of school, will become more invested in their academic success when they engage in a hands-on entrepreneurship program supported by strong mentors, launching their very own businesses to witness the relevance of classroom education. BUILD Metro DC currently serves over 300 students in the DC community and is making a positive impact on their students’ lives as 97% of high school seniors in the program have graduated high school and are accepted into a college or university. This year’s BUILD seniors collectively received nearly $1.4 million in college scholarships.

In addition to helping students create their own businesses, BUILD helps their students grow in key soft skills areas of communication, collaboration, problem-solving, innovation, grit, and self-management. These skills enrich students’ lives both inside and outside of the classroom and help them find college and career success. Event attendees witnessed first-hand how BUILD ignites passion in their student entrepreneurs as they shopped unique student businesses during a networking cocktail hour and watched 9th grade business teams compete for cash for their small businesses.

“As a small business owner, I’m proud to continue to support BUILD Metro DC and their hands-on entrepreneurship based program,” said Halfaker’s CEO, Dawn Halfaker. “The skills the students learn through BUILD and creating their own businesses will stay with them the rest of their lives.”

Learn more about BUILD Metro DC at here.

About Halfaker