Empowering youth through hands-on education, mentorship, and career skills to build confidence and uplift communities.
OUR MISSION is to create confident, capable youth leaders who uplift themselves and those around them – through hands-on learning, supportive mentorship, and real-world experiences that help them discover themselves, develop rewarding career pathways, and prove what’s possible.
WE ENVISION a thriving St. Louis where every individual has access to safe housing, youth are empowered with skills and support to realize their full potential and neighborhoods flourish through creativity, collaboration, and opportunity.
By leading innovative initiatives for affordable housing, afterschool programs, youth mentoring, and women’s empowerment, we strive to:
Provide dignified, affordable housing for those in need
Equip people of all ages with practical trade, design, entrepreneurship, and life skills
Foster self-reliance, creativity, and pride in young people
Inspire leadership and mentorship for future generations
Our approach models what’s possible when a city invests not just in structures, but in people – teaching responsibility, pride, and the believe that every young person is a builder with the potential to lift us all.
As Erion “Prop Man” Johnson says, “When you give a young person a chance to show up and build something, you aren’t just teaching a skill, you’re changing their story.”
THE STORY BEHIND YOUTH BUILDERS STL
Founded by Erion Johnson Sr., Youth Builders STL was born from the urgent need for a community response after devastating tornadoes struck St. Louis in May 2025. What began as disaster relief has evolved into a year-round, community-powered movement to rebuild both neighborhoods and lives across the city. As Erion says,” You don’t just hand a person a toolbox, you show them what it means to earn trust, work with pride, and believe in what they can contribute.”
The Tiny Homes Project stands as a symbol of hope and belonging –providing safe, affordable, and sustainable housing while equipping young adults with the essential skills and confidence they need to succeed in life. Hands-on experience in construction and the skilled trades, mentorship, and earned opportunity are at the heart of our work, with every finished project marking a new story of resilience and success.
With support from donors, partners, volunteers, and the community, the dream of completed homes that will serve families in need is becoming real. Blending practical skills training, education, and life-changing mentorship, the Tiny Homes Project is more than construction – it’s a launchpad for youth to rewrite their futures.
Year-round, our impact extends to afterschool programs, helping St. Louis youth, including those connected to the Missouri Division of Youth Services (DYS) receive steady guidance, life skills, career exploration, and leadership opportunities. Students find a place to belong, a reason to show up, and the pride that comes with building something that matters.
Together, we are breaking cycles of hardship by showing the next generation what’s possible – with hard work, respect, and trusted adult allies who see them as more than a number or a case, but as a future builders and leaders. We believe that when young people are given real opportunities and trusted to rise, they uplift families, strengthen neighborhoods, and shape a stronger, more vibrant St. Louis for everyone.
