Builds is Back in Business!

September 9th was an exciting day here at SOS with the kickoff of our second year of SOS Builds! SOS Builds is an after school program for middle school students at Lester Prep School in Binghampton. Each year Builders (SOS Builds students) have the opportunity to design and construct a significant construction project in Binghampton to bring added value to the community. Through Builds, we seek to not only provide a great opportunity for hands-on, skill-based learning, but also to create relationships between staff and students and an opportunity for Christian discipleship.

This school year, SOS Builds will design and build a structure to provide shade and rain shelter at The Hamp football field on Tillman Street in Binghampton. The structure will be a permanent asset to the property owned by the Binghampton Development Corporation, leased and maintained by Memphis Gridiron Ministries. Builders will design the structure in the Fall through a partnership with Fleming Architects and will construct and install the structure in the spring, partnering with Linkous Construction.

We started the year by welcoming Builders to SOS, introducing them to the Builds staff, and helping them get their hands busy and learning how to use some shop staples, like a tape measure, speed square, chalk line, level, hammers, drills, impact drivers and safety equipment. We were proud to see the skill and knowledge that returners like Mya and Jacquez retained from last year, and are eager to see new Builders grow and learn.

Builders will be working hard every Wednesday this school year! You can follow our progress on Instagram and Facebook. Builders will host a final design presentation at SOS on Wednesday, December 9th and will be installing and dedicating the structure next spring.

We’re grateful to MGM and the BDC for the opportunity to design and build this year’s project, and to Fleming Architects and Linkous Construction for their partnership!