Build the workforce.
Build the future.
PROOF OF PATHWAY
150+
program graduates
across six cities
78%
average graduation rates
across all cohorts
80%
advance to a career
stepping stone
20+
employer and industry
partners nationwide
Why your gift matters.
Across the country, the construction and sustainable built environment industries are facing one of the largest workforce shortages in a generation — at the very moment that the clean energy transition, aging infrastructure, and climate-aligned building policy are creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. At the same time, young people from environmental justice communities remain largely locked out of the networks, credentials, and pathways these careers require. Rising Stars is the bridge.
We are a national organization with active programs in six cities — Brooklyn (NYC), Newark (NJ), Cleveland (OH), Charlotte (NC), Brockton (MA), and Boston (MA) — serving young people ages 16–24. We walk beside them through a structured program of hands-on training, mentorship, employer exposure, and direct placement into apprenticeships, jobs, and continued education.
We have a model that works, and we operate at national scale. What we need are the people who believe in building it with us.
Train
Your gift funds hands-on technical training, OSHA and industry credentials, and the tools and PPE every trainee needs to show up to a jobsite ready.
Connect
We bring young people face-to-face with employers, unions, and mentors working in the industry today — the single biggest predictor of long-term career mobility.
Place
Every Rising Star leaves the program with a plan and a pathway: an apprenticeship, a first job, or continued education — with transition supports that don't stop at graduation.
Give today.
100% of donations through this form directly support Rising Stars programming. Rising Stars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Recurring donors are the backbone of sustainable youth programs. A $25 monthly gift covers a participant's transit for a month. A $100 monthly gift funds a full set of PPE. Choose "Make it monthly" when you give.
Your Gift, In Action
$25
Covers a week of transit for one participant to get to the jobsite.
$100
Funds an industry-recognized credential (OSHA 10) for one participant.
$500
Provides workboots and transportation support so a trainee walks onto the site ready.
$2,500
Sponsors one participant's full training stipend for a program quarter — keeping them in the program instead of choosing between rent and career.
$10,000
Joins the Foundry as a Cornerstone Partner — helping build the infrastructure that makes the whole program possible. Learn more at /foundry.
More ways to support Rising Stars.
Prefer to give another way? We make it easy.
MONTHLY GIVING
The easiest way to make an outsized impact. Sustaining gifts fund the parts of our work no single grant covers. Set up your monthly gift through the donation form above.
DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS (DAFs)
Recommend a grant to TREMCO Rising Stars from your Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, or community foundation DAF. Our EIN is 33-2120430. Contact info@risingstarsprogram.org for our DAF acknowledgment form.
EMPLOYER MATCHING
Many employers match charitable gifts dollar-for-dollar. Check with your HR team and include TREMCO Rising Stars in your match request. Contact info@risingstarsprogram.org to learn more.
PLANNED GIVING
Include Rising Stars in your estate plan and help secure the next generation of the workforce. Contact info@risingstarsprogram.org to learn more.
CORPORATE GIVING
See our Partnerships page for sponsorship levels, in-kind opportunities, and the Rising Stars Foundry.
From the people building alongside us.
"During the Rising Stars program, I formed relationships with individuals who challenged me while championing my growth. Those connections were transformative, shaping not only how I approach my work, but also inspiring me to engage more deeply with others in my industry."
Jaylen Ryan, Newark ‘24 Graduate, Turner Construction
Good questions.
More than a donation?
Join the Foundry.
The Rising Stars Foundry Circle is our founding partnership community — a group of companies, foundations, and individual leaders investing in the long-term sustainability of Rising Stars. If you're looking for a higher-impact way to engage, the Foundry Circle is for you.
