Fundraising
Breaking Barriers Through Deconstruction
A workforce training program rooted in sustainability and social equity.
Inside Breaking Barriers
Inside Breaking Barriers
Breaking Barriers through Deconstruction Program
Breaking Barriers Program
Breaking Barriers Graduation
In 2023, LBC partnered with community, nonprofit, and educational organizations to launch Breaking Barriers Through Deconstruction, a paid green workforce training program designed for individuals facing barriers to employment.
Participants gain hands-on experience and industry-recognized certifications, preparing them for long-term, living-wage careers in deconstruction, construction, remodeling, and facility management.
Participants Receive Training In:
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Deconstruction
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Home repair & weatherization
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Energy efficiency
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Career advancement skills
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Financial literacy
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OSHA 10 safety certification
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GPRO certification in high-performance construction
Beyond workforce development, Breaking Barriers Through Deconstruction strengthens community resilience by advancing a circular, restorative approach to material reuse.
Re-X Before Recycling Prize
This video series explores LBC’s approach to reclaiming and repurposing lumber. The 3 videos follow the Identify, Prepare, and Develop phases of the prize, highlighting technical solutions, supply chain strategies, and real-world applications that produce high quality panels.
ReUse-NLT Project
ReUse-NLT Project
Re-X Phase I: Identify
Re-X Phase II: Prepare
Re-X Phase III: Develop
EPA ENVIRONMENTAL & CLIMATE JUSTICE COMMUNITY CHANGE GRANT PROGRAM
In 2024, Georgia Tech provided extensive guidance and support to Lifecycle Building Center and other members of the ReBuildATL Coalition in developing a community impact vision and proposal for EPA's Environmental & Climate Justice Community Change grant program. Over the three-year performance period, ReBuildATL proposes to:
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Train 620 individuals in deconstruction, construction, weatherization and green infrastructure
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Complete 250 weatherization & energy-efficiency retrofits for low-income residents
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Build 5 net-zero affordable housing prototypes
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Stand up 5 community resilience hubs by strengthening existing community assets
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Divert 525 additional tons of usable construction materials from disposal, beyond LBC’s yearly diversion rate of 700 tons
DOE Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize
The goal of the Department of Energy's Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize was to help community coalitions—made up of nonprofits, city governments, school systems, and other community organizations—come together to address a local clean energy opportunity or inequity. Strategies included education, workforce trainings, or implementation of new technologies that align with the White House’s Justice40 goals.
The DOE Community Clean Energy Coalition (CCEC) Prize was directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The ReBuildATL Coalition was one of ten competitors selected through a nationwide competition for the Phase One, Phase Two and Phase Three CCEC Prize.
JUSTICE40 INITIATIVE
As part of the government’s approach to advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice and equal opportunity, the DOE has identified eight policy priorities to guide its implementation of the Justice40 Initiative in disadvantaged communities. The ReBuildATL Coalition's efforts currently support DOE Justice40 goals 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8.
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Decrease energy burden in disadvantaged communities.
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Decrease environmental exposure and burdens for disadvantaged communities
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Increase parity in clean energy technology (e.g., solar, storage) access and adoption in disadvantaged communities.
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Increase access to low-cost capital in disadvantaged communities.
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Increase clean energy enterprise creation and contracting in disadvantaged communities.
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Increase clean energy jobs, job pipelines, and job training for individuals from disadvantaged communities.
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Increase energy resiliency in disadvantaged communities.
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Increase energy democracy (stakeholder engagement to facilitate decision-making) in disadvantaged communities.
UN SUSTAINABLE development goals
The UN has outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for countries and nonprofits to align themselves to sustainability. The ReBuildATL coalition has begun introducing these goals locally through their efforts.
The UN has outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for countries and nonprofits to align themselves to sustainability. The ReBuildATL Coalition's efforts focus on the following goals:
Increasing access to affordable, renewable energy systems for disadvantaged communities
Developing a workforce around deconstruction and connecting individuals with the construction industry
Creating a circular economy in Atlanta, beginning with building material reuse
Improving housing affordability through material reuse and workforce development
Leveraging community-based assets to design and implement sustainable, equitable solutions