Meet the ACPS Partners: Cornerstone Craftsman - Opening Doors to Future Success

Opening doors to future success in the skilled trades with a focus on the importance of attendance and education—that is the focus of the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) partnership with Cornerstone Craftsman. Executive Director Roberto Gomez identified the need for such a mentorship program, and since its inception in 2021, ACPS students have benefited immensely. An official partnership between the nonprofit and school division was forged a year ago.

Cornerstone Craftsman’s mission is to provide youth with the instruction, tools and the mentoring required to have a viable career in the skilled trades. Through this partnership with ACPS, Cornerstone Craftsman instructors explore students' learning styles, talk with them about barriers they face in succeeding at school and support them in areas where they may experience challenges. Its instructors and mentors stress the importance of attendance and education as many apprenticeships and job opportunities require a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED). 

“Cornerstone Craftsman connects the students to learning and personal growth opportunities present in the world of the trades, which they may not know is available to them,” said Alexandria City High School (ACHS) International Academy Teacher and Cornerstone Craftsman Board Member Gabe Elias. “It provides a safe and nurturing space for students to gain skills and become part of a family and team that looks out for their holistic needs and wants them to succeed in the trades.” 

As part of the program, Cornerstone Craftsman also helps the students get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA-10) certifications, providing basic safety and health hazard awareness for entry-level workers. 

Cornerstone Craftsman also teaches the value of giving back and through its partnership with ACPS, its pre-apprentices painted the parking garage at the George Mason Elementary School swing space. 

Students participating in the program meet with instructors and mentors once a week during the school year and more frequently during the summer at Cornerstone Craftsman's Learning Center.

The program supports 28 year-round, pre-apprentices who are students between the ages of 12 and 17. During the summer, Cornerstone Craftsman has the capacity to work with additional students through the Summer Youth Employment Program.

Among its success stories this past year was helping a student graduate from high school—who then went on to become an apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 26.

Chief of Student Services and Equity Dr. Marcia Jackson emphasized, “Cornerstone Craftsman has cultivated a model that is an exemplar to supporting our most vulnerable students beyond the classroom walls with developing career readiness and life skills. Cornerstone Craftsman's commitment to providing work opportunities that results in financial gain and financial literacy, forges an even greater pathway to educational and economic success for our students and their families. 

Students who want to get involved with Cornerstone Craftsman should contact ACHS International Academy Teacher Gabe Elias or send an email to

info@cornerstonecraftsman.org or via Instagram @cornerstonecraftsman.

Learn more about Cornerstone Craftsman and consider volunteering, info@cornerstonecraftsman.org.

Watch the video to see how this impactful program is changing lives and building brighter futures for ACPS students.