Harlem is full of young people with talent, creativity, and drive — and too few places to put it to work. This September, Community Craft Works opens its doors at Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem, giving 26 teens ages 13 to 18 a free, hands-on pathway to real skills, real credentials, and real opportunity. Woodworking. Digital fabrication. An OSHA safety certification. A paid apprenticeship. And a portfolio of work they built with their own hands.

This campaign has one focused goal: making sure cost is never a reason a Harlem teen can't show up. Every dollar raised goes directly to student stipends, MetroCards, and meals — the three things that put a young person in the room and keep them there. Every $500 covers one student's full support for the entire program. Nothing more, nothing less.

The impact goes far beyond the shop floor. Students leave with confidence, discipline, and a sense of what they're capable of — the kind of growth that doesn't show up on a resume but shapes everything that comes after. They leave with credentials and work samples that open real doors — to careers in construction, fabrication, and design where entry-level workers in New York City earn $45,000 to $70,000 a year. And they leave as part of a growing alumni network of skilled young craftspeople who will carry this work forward for years to come.

CCW's vision is bigger than one cohort. We are building a skilled, confident generation of Harlem young people who invest their talent, their earnings, and their energy right back into this neighborhood. Every student we train is a step toward a stronger, more self-sufficient Harlem economy — one where opportunity is made here, not imported from somewhere else.

We're building something lasting in Harlem. Help us open the shop.

Crafting Harlem's Future.

Open The Shop