delivering a brighter tomorrow.
What we're doing now is building on 20 years in the Peekskill Art Lofts to reverse Gentrification. We do this by getting properties at a favorable rate and populating them with artists, but instead of selling the properties and walking away - We stay close, guide them, and train them on how to run meaningful Apprenticeship programs to ensure everyone rises with the tide of prosperity. Communities get revitalized, Creative Professionals get a chance at home ownership, and students get real world experience side-by-side with seasoned business professions on real work.
When I first signed up for ApprentiSmith, I was unsure what to expect, but I liked the idea of working on real world projects - and getting paid.Tarique
Our Mission Statement: We put the youth in the community first, then build circles of success around them.
We've all seen the negative effect of gentrification. And yet, the model of community revitalization through gentrification has changed little over the last century.
The process has two basic components: City Administrators who are simply trying to find a way to improve the quality of life, and Builders, who see the next project.
By starting with the ApprentiSmith model, we immediately go in with a strategic goal of building success for all, so everyone rises with the tide of prosperity - not an afterthought.
Apprenticeships, Mentorships, Workforce Readiness all within months - not years.
See exactly how we accomplish our goals.
Step 1: Careful Planning
We've been doing this for over 20 years, no on-the-job learning here. After living in the communities we serve, we know exactly what to look for, and how to go from concept to completion.
Step 2: Team Assembly
People at the community level are the foundation - only by working with those who are already living here, and listening to their needs can we assemble the planners, politicians, participants and sponsors to ensure mutual success.
Step 3: Follow Through
We're in it for the long haul. As artists, we understand what it means to starve for your art. It means sticking around when the going gets tough. As Teachers, we ask only that our ApprentiSmith attendees return, and pay it forward by teaching to the next cohort. And as fellow neighbors, we ask for the chance, to build something great together.The Team
Join our amazing staff.
Fundraising
Have you ever heard of a crowd funding project like this before?{ read more }
Management
Our leadership is as diverse and unique as the people we serve.{ read more }
Teamwork
Have a project ? Sponsor an ApprentiSmith Cohort? Join us?{ read more }
This is about a Movement & a Mission
Worldwide network.
Local impact.
Childhood is more than just the beginning – It's a foundation. Coaches, Parents, Teachers, Counselors all have a profound effect on how our children turn out. Giving kids an opportunity to work on real world projects, side-by-side with seasoned business professionals creates more than just a skillset, it galvanizes social equity, it rebuilds once forgotten communities, and it eliminates generational poverty in just one generation.
Our (future) stats at a glance.
