Students participating in on the job skills training at our local makerspace, The Forge, one of the largest makerspaces in the SouthEastern United States

Forge Greensboro partners with CIS' African American Male Initiative

August 2019

Recently, our CIS, African American Male Initiative students have participated in a Skills Bootcamp at Forge Greensboro! If you don’t know about Forge Greensboro, it is a nonprofit and the largest community makerspace in the south-east! Members of the Forge come from a diverse variety of backgrounds. The vision of Forge Greensboro is to catalyze the spirit of making to improve quality of life, economic opportunity, and community awareness in our city. At Forge Greensboro, there is no judgment about skill level, whether you’re a Master’s Level or Beginner’s, everyone can participate, no matter what their skill!

The community of young men of AAMI has been building their skills by participating in a series of classes and workshops at Forge Greensboro. From intensive boot camps and mentoring, Forge Greensboro is empowering students through problem-solving and project-based learning, teaching them the basics in fields like welding and machining. Forge Greensboro empowers and inspires people to pursue careers in skilled trades.

Joe Rotondi, the Executive Director at Forge Greensboro says the AAMI Boys are always excited and enthusiastic about participating in the Skills Bootcamp! He is thrilled about how involved they are and how much they like the makerspace! Rotondi says he loves talking to the students and that most recently, one student expressed his long-term interest in engineering. Rotondi said he is glad that he can provide an optimum space for him to practice! Rotondi says that when he was growing up he didn’t have access to spaces like Forge Greensboro so he can identify with the conflict of being an “at-risk” student! Rotondi said that if he had access to the Forge when he was younger, it certainly would have changed his trajectory!

CIS and Forge Greensboro partner with United Way to make this apprenticeship possible! The students of AAMI have had a successful time in these Skills Building programs! We thank the United Way and Forge Greensboro for continuing to make opportunities like this possible! The kids continue to benefit from having access to this kind of exposure!

For more information about AAMI:
Communities In Schools of Greater Greensboro®, The African American Male Initiative
For more information about Forge Greensboro:
Forge Greensboro | Makerspace
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For more information, please go to www.cisgg.org. To donate, please click on the link: Donate!