The workforce development organization celebrates 11 years of supporting hundreds of youth to pursue career or continuing education with annual party at the new unCommon Campus
NEW ORLEANS — unCommon Construction (uCC), a nonprofit that uses the construction build process to empower youth to lead the workforce, celebrated their eleventh Birthday Bash with over 200 guests on September 20th at their new community center near the heart of New Orleans. uCC’s new building, called the unCommon Campus, sits at the border of the Central City neighborhood and downtown New Orleans, just steps away from Caesars Superdome and the Smoothie King Center. The campus is the organization’s first operational headquarters and is the home for its unique community programming for youth and adults who are interested in the construction trades.
Known nationally for its high school apprenticeship model, uCC hires high school students as W-2 employees to learn valuable trade skills and “soft skills” while building a house or another project together. The unCommon Campus will allow the organization to expand its program to create 125 apprenticeships each year in New Orleans and in their additional site in Minneapolis. Apprentices receive hourly pay, school credit, and a matching scholarship upon completion. The campus will also provide adult programming, including home renovation classes and NCCER certification courses.
uCC’s 11th Birthday Bash welcomed the community into the new building and highlighted the success of its alumni, like keynote speaker Caleb Warner who is graduating from Tulane’s School of Architecture this spring.
“I met some of my closest friends through unCommon. We weren’t just raising walls together — we were building connections with each other, with the community, and with opportunities we never imagined,” Warner shared in his speech. “For me, one of the most important of those opportunities was being connected to Tulane’s School of Architecture. That single introduction changed the course of my life and brought me into a career path that I now feel deeply committed to.”
The event featured a silent auction, special youth engagements for guests, music by DJ El Camino, and a VIP patron party for special guests, sponsors, and Industry Circle partners. uCC’s Greater New Orleans Industry Circle includes locally based companies who provide philanthropic support as well as mentoring, engagement and employment opportunities for apprentices.
“We are thrilled to bring everyone together at our Birthday Bash to celebrate this important milestone in unCommon Construction’s history,” said CEO Aaron Frumin. “We’ve come so far in the past eleven years and are excited to deepen and grow our impact in the years to come.”
Sponsors of the event included LP Building Solutions, Rob’s A/C & Heating, First Horizon Bank, freeGulliver, Grant Ethridge Construction, Perrier Esquerre Contractors, 84 Lumber, Riess LeMieux, Mayer Building Company, Mars Millwork, Formwork Development LLC, Providence Community Housing, The Louisiana Blue Foundation, Amanda Price Events, Sazerac/Goldring Family Foundation, Limousine Livery, REI Promos, and Joe’s Septic Contractors.
About unCommon Construction
unCommon Construction (uCC) is a nonprofit that empowers youth to lead the workforce. Through the apprenticeship program, students earn hourly pay and high school credits by working alongside a diverse team of students, educators, and industry professionals to build a house or other construction project. Along the way, apprentices gain valuable professional and leadership skills, and access to industry networks. Since its founding in 2015, uCC has partnered with more than 20 public schools in two cities (New Orleans and Minneapolis), and hired more than 550 of their students who have collectively earned over $600,000 in net pay and Equity Awards. To learn more, please visit www.uncommonconstruction.org, or visit our social media
accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook (@uncommonconstruction).