Welcome to the Challenge Program

The Challenge Program is a private non-profit offering a Construction Training Program for out-of-school youth aged 18-21. Trainees enrolled in our program complete 700 hours of site-based construction training and educational work. On-site construction work takes place Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am – 3:30 pm. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons trainees attend education classes taught by the James Groves Adult Education program in cooperation with the Delaware Skills Center to work on GED and basic construction math.

The Challenge Program believes that learning by doing - experiential education - is the most effective means of providing educational opportunities to students with barriers to employability. Our trainees develop a strong link between their classroom learning experience and their construction work to insure successful transition into the workforce.

We have recently begun construction on our new headquarters. This LEED Gold building has already won multiple awards, including recognition from AIA Pennsylvania, AIA Philadelphia, and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. The design and construction of this new state of the art facility will implement and showcase green building technology, including a green roof, geothermal heat, solar panels, captured rainwater and recycled building materials. The trainees are actively working on production of the building, along with Challenge Program instructors and sub-contractors.

Become a Trainee

DOWNLOAD A TRAINEE APPLICATION

Projects in Progress

1625 W. 8th Street

We are finishing work on a project in partnership with the West End Neighborhood House’s Lifelines Program called Kids Building for Kids. The house is located at 1625 W. 8th Street and wil be a transitional home for individuals “aging-out” of the foster care system who would otherwise be homeless. This is another gut renovation with three bedrooms, one and a half baths, with new systems and finishes throughout. The rear addition on the house needed a new foundation and new framing, so the trainees were able to do some foundation work in addition to rough framing. Funding for this outstanding project is provided by the Good Samaritan Foundation and the Prudential Fox Roach Foundation.

104/106 E. 22nd Street

Our newest projects are the renovation of two vacant properties located at 104 and 106 E. 22nd St. in partnership with Greater Brandywine Revitalization project. These two historic properties are set amongst Habitat for Humanity’s Miller Row and another large development on Carter Street. The row houses will be renovated with customary Challenge Program flair and attention to detail and will be for sale in the fall of 2009.