Twala Lockett-Jones, founder of Girls Build Kalamazoo, is the recipient of a 2024 Nation of Neighbors℠ empowerment award and a $10,000 grant.
Girls Build Kalamazoo aims to empower young girls by equipping them with practical skills in the construction trades, STEM fields, real estate, and entrepreneurship. “Many times, women are not expected to know how to do things with tools, so a lot of the time, we don’t have the experience to operate most tools,” said Twala. “I want to expose girls to construction trades and build confidence in them in working with tools and their hands to empower them to take on projects of their own when they get their own home.”
Through Girls Build Kalamazoo, junior high and senior high school girls experience a variety of field trips to workshops, construction sites, design studios, and model homes. “We recently visited a site where the girls got to see every stage of building a home,” said Twala. “These experiences open their eyes to new careers, skills, and opportunities.”
Girls Build Kalamazoo will use its Nation of Neighbors grant to purchase a vehicle to transport girls to workshops, construction sites, and industry events. “A vehicle will enable us to expand our reach, ensuring that more girls, especially from underserved communities, have access to our programs and the opportunities they bring”, shared Twala. “And it goes beyond transportation – a lot of relationship building happens when we travel together.”
