100 Schools Built: Partnership Reaches Major Milestone

Two organizations just hit a milestone that will change thousands of lives: 100 schools built in communities that desperately needed them.

buildOn and the North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation announced their $1.43 million partnership expansion this week, marking nearly a decade of working side by side to bring education to remote villages. Since 2017, they've constructed 100 primary schools across Burkina Faso, Guatemala, Haiti, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Senegal, and Nicaragua.

The new funding will build 20 additional schools in regions where poverty, distance, and limited infrastructure keep children out of classrooms. But the partnership goes far beyond construction.

They've launched 50 Enroll Programs that find children not currently in school, catch them up through special classes, and help them transition into regular classrooms with the support they need. Another 66 Adult Literacy Programs teach parents and community members to read, write, and manage numbers.

The adult programs include something special: graduates get access to microfinance help to start small businesses. That means a parent learning to read can also launch an income stream that supports their family for years to come.

"For years, buildOn and NACEPF have stood shoulder to shoulder with communities working to build schools and ignite opportunity," said Jim Ziolkowski, buildOn's founder and CEO. "This partnership is helping thousands of children step into a safe classroom and thousands of families build a stronger future."

buildOn partners directly with rural villages and local governments to create community-driven solutions. Residents participate in building their own schools, creating ownership and commitment that lasts long after construction ends.

The new $1.43 million investment will fund 16 more Adult Literacy Programs and 30 Enroll Programs alongside the 20 new schools. Each program works together to strengthen entire communities at once.

The Ripple Effect

When a village gets a school, the benefits multiply in unexpected ways. Children who learn to read teach their younger siblings. Adults who gain business skills hire neighbors. Communities with schools attract teachers, which brings families, which builds local economies.

Katherine Primeau, NACEPF's CEO, calls it "stacking impact." When organizations combine resources and commitment, the results exceed what either could accomplish alone. That's exactly what's happening across eight countries right now.

buildOn has constructed more than 3,200 schools worldwide since its founding, mobilizing millions of volunteer workdays. But this partnership shows something powerful: sustained collaboration over years creates transformation that single projects cannot match.

One hundred schools means thousands of children sitting in safe classrooms for the first time, learning skills that will lift their families out of poverty for generations.