Active Boys in Christ helps Flint youth build futures in skilled trades

FLINT, Michigan — When Pastor Derrick Watkins was growing up in Flint, the message about what success looked like was clear and consistent: go to college.

But for Watkins, that pathway never felt like the right fit.

“They really was pushing college education,” Watkins said. “College wasn’t for me. I wanted to work with my hands. I wanted to go into skilled trades, but I didn’t know a pathway to get to that point.”

Without clear access to training opportunities, Watkins said he moved from job to job before eventually finding his way into the electrical field — a journey that took more than a decade to fully realize.

“I wanted to go into skilled trades when I was a teenager, but I didn’t get to it till I was almost 30 years old,” he said.

That experience ultimately led to the founding of Active Boys in Christ, a Flint-based youth development organization created to introduce young people to skilled trades and help introduce various pathways into workforce careers.

Since launching in 2017, the organization has served more than 550 Flint-area youth through programming that provides hands-on exposure to careers in culinary arts, electrical work, carpentry, plumbing, and construction. 

Rather than relying on classroom-style instruction, the program focuses on experiential learning. Students are introduced to foundational trade skills through small-scale projects and collaborative builds, allowing them to practice what they’re learning in real time. Students engage in projects that require wiring circuits, completing minor plumbing repairs, or learning basic framing techniques.

Over the years, participants have contributed to the construction of six sheds and the renovation of seven houses, alongside smaller projects such as benches and picnic tables. 

In recent years, Active Boys in Christ has expanded its offerings to include STEM-based programming, combining traditional trade instruction with emerging technical skillsets. Youth participating in the organization’s STEM Trades initiative have assembled robots, built obstacle courses, and participated in competitions designed to introduce engineering concepts alongside practical construction skills. 

The organization’s upcoming March 18 workshop will build on an earlier session introducing participants to aerospace engineering. According to Watkins, the workshop will feature a visiting aerospace engineer who will answer questions and bring models intended to spark students’ interest in careers within the field. 

Outside of technical training, Active Boys in Christ also provides academic tutoring from October through April, along with daily meals for students attending both tutoring sessions and summer programming. Participants are also introduced to culinary arts through workshops led by an executive chef, where they learn to prepare meals using simple, accessible ingredients. 

Watkins said the organization’s focus extends beyond skill-building to include lessons designed to support long-term success in the workplace.

“We teach them lessons on principles of integrity, like honesty, respect, and self-control,” Watkins said. “If a young adult does not have those types of skills, they will not make it in the field of their choice, so we are sure to teach it here.”

For some youth, the program has already influenced postsecondary or career decisions. One longtime participant is now pursuing a degree in early childhood education at Oakland University, inspired by her experience working with younger students in the program. Another student who completed a job shadowing opportunity with a local contractor was recently hired and is expected to begin an apprenticeship in plumbing. 

Through a grant from the City of Flint, Active Boys in Christ can also compensate older participants, ages 16 through 24, for workforce learning opportunities.

“We pay students ages 16 through 24 $15 an hour, and they can follow, and they can go out on a job with a local contractor,” Watkins said.

With plans to place approximately 40 students in job shadowing opportunities this year, the organization is seeking additional contractor partnerships to expand workforce learning across Flint.

“This is something that when people come and work with the program, they want to be there, because it’s not a job,” Watkins said. “We really want to pour into the children and give them a great opportunity.”

For more information, you can visit their website.