About
Girls Build offers hands-on summer camps, after school programs, after-school workshops, and other workshops and classes that focus on building. The program also runs Community Builds – Adult Workshops as part of its activities. Summer Camps for youth include nine camps made up of five days and twenty workshops.
• Ages: 8–15 years old
• Schedule: After-school workshops run November through May; summer camps are offered in nine five-day sessions that include twenty workshops
Girls Build is a non-profit organization based in Portland, OR, described as a youth development organization whose curriculum involves power tools and construction and trades work described as STEM in action. Programming includes hands-on summer camps and after school programs for 8–15 year olds throughout Oregon, and in 2025 Girls Build served over 600 youth across Oregon. Since its beginning in 2016, the organization has taught nearly 5,000 girls through summer camp and after school programming, with most campers attending on full or partial scholarship. Over 1,800 partial or full scholarships have been awarded to youth, and through its foster care program over 220 foster care kids have attended camp for free, with every girl in Oregon’s foster care system attending free in every program, every summer, with no exceptions.
Katie Hughes is the Executive Director, is a licensed carpenter, and holds a degree in social work, and the leadership team also includes Ev Hu as Program Manager, Becca “Soda Pop” Schulze as Lead Instructor, Ashley Bos as Administrative Genius, and Joleen Hess for IT & Stuff. After-school workshops run November through May at the Portland warehouse with small groups, hands-on projects, and women-led instruction. One participant described the experience by saying, “Building makes me feel like I can do whatever I want, because I can do whatever I want. I can be creative in my own way, and I can just do anything.”
Last updated July 14, 2026.
• Ages: 8–15 years old
• Schedule: After-school workshops run November through May; summer camps are offered in nine five-day sessions that include twenty workshops
Girls Build is a non-profit organization based in Portland, OR, described as a youth development organization whose curriculum involves power tools and construction and trades work described as STEM in action. Programming includes hands-on summer camps and after school programs for 8–15 year olds throughout Oregon, and in 2025 Girls Build served over 600 youth across Oregon. Since its beginning in 2016, the organization has taught nearly 5,000 girls through summer camp and after school programming, with most campers attending on full or partial scholarship. Over 1,800 partial or full scholarships have been awarded to youth, and through its foster care program over 220 foster care kids have attended camp for free, with every girl in Oregon’s foster care system attending free in every program, every summer, with no exceptions.
Katie Hughes is the Executive Director, is a licensed carpenter, and holds a degree in social work, and the leadership team also includes Ev Hu as Program Manager, Becca “Soda Pop” Schulze as Lead Instructor, Ashley Bos as Administrative Genius, and Joleen Hess for IT & Stuff. After-school workshops run November through May at the Portland warehouse with small groups, hands-on projects, and women-led instruction. One participant described the experience by saying, “Building makes me feel like I can do whatever I want, because I can do whatever I want. I can be creative in my own way, and I can just do anything.”
Last updated July 14, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.