Saved Schools

Build UP

Build UP, nominated by an anonymous organization, is a high school in Birmingham, Alabama that describes itself as a independent (private) school serving learners from a primarily urban area.

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Location Birmingham, Alabama

Governance Independent (private) school

Grades High

Students 130

Locale urban

CEO David Hardin

Demographics

Percentage of students*

28%

Students with Disabilities

97%

Free/Reduced Lunch

—

English Learners

White —

Hispanic/Latino 2%

Black/African American 93%

2+ Races 5%

American Indian —

Asian —

Hawaiian National —

Why Build UP was nominated

​Build UP has an early college workforce development model that enables low-income youth to develop career-ready skills while revitalizing their community and gaining homeownership.

Student experience design

Students spend half of their time in an academic setting, gaining knowledge that’s directly applicable to their paid internships in the real estate and construction sectors. Students also work to rehab blighted, abandoned homes into like-new units in their home neighborhoods. The Build UP model also entails multiple components that support student learning both academically and for the real world. Students spend approximately half their time in classrooms and the remaining half learning through other ways, including fieldwork and on job sites. Even when in the “traditional classroom,” learning isn’t “traditional.” All learning at Build UP is aligned and relevant to students’ work-based learning experiences. For example, the humanities class addresses ELA and social studies standards through contextualized learning about Black American history. In math classes, students learn about financial literacy, including personal budgeting and investments. Through these, students experience enriching and hands-on learning while creating wealth opportunities through homeownership.

Core Practices

Core Practices Length of Use

Assessments For Career Readiness
5+ years

Career Prep And Work-based Learning
5+ years

Community And Business Partnerships
5+ years

Early College High School
5+ years

Place-based Learning
5+ years

All Practices

Student Advisories

Anti-racist Practices

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Blended Learning

Family And Community Support Services

Competency/mastery-based Education

Culturally Responsive Practices

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

Hiring For Equity And Inclusion Values

Students Earn Industry Credentials

Interdisciplinary

Individual Learner Profiles

Mental Health Services

1:1 Mentoring

Performance Based Assessment

Physical Well Being Services

Restorative Practices

SEL Integration School-wide

Social Justice Focus

Student-led Goal Setting

Trauma-informed Practices

Tutoring

key reasons for innovating

Demonstrate what’s possible for other schools

Date Updated: April 2025

*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.