Cornerstone Craftsman

Our History

In 2021, Executive Director Roberto Gomez, recognizing a pressing need, began operating and self-funding an informal pre-apprentice program during the Summer and on weekends. He started working with and training five strategically undervalued young men along with support for their families. Currently, Cornerstone has 14 active pre-apprentices, with another 14 being added in March of 2025, for a total of 28 apprentices. By March of 2026, there are 37 youth on the waitlist. Roberto Gomez is passionate about giving strategically undervalued youth the tools to realize their value at a young age, allowing them to become confident and productive citizens.

What do we do? 

Our unique pre-apprenticeship program combines hands-on vocational training in trades such as carpentry, welding, plumbing, painting, drywall installation, and electrical theory, paired with workforce development and mentorship. CC offers students one-on-one and  group based mentoring, court navigation support, and educational assistance, including help with high school graduation or obtaining a GED. We work to equip participants with the skills, experience, and support needed to secure stable employment, break the cycle that often leads to juvenile detention or incarceration, and become productive, self-sufficient members of society.

Our 2 networks, totaling 28 youth, consist of youth ages 12-18, as youth stay in this long-term program until they obtain their GED or graduate.  With an additional 37 adolescents on our waitlist, and continuous referrals from the Court Services Unit, the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center, Sheltercare, schools, and families, our reputation as a premier program in Alexandria is growing. We are committed to providing opportunities for every Alexandria City student on our waitlist and are working diligently to meet the growing demand.

To break down systemic barriers, we provide our apprentices with all the essential resources needed for success, including transportation, meals, documentation such as ID's, social security, and bank accounts, provide funding for youth to take driver education courses to obtain their license, and wages. In 2025, we also installed a program called the Learning Lab, which is a creer and tutoring center, where youth can get one-one-one tutoring to excel in courses such as math and reading, which are essential in the trades workforce. The center also provides a space where speakers can come and provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and career training.

Beyond meeting these basic needs, we offer social-emotional support and mentorship, creating a safe and stable environment where participants can thrive. For example, after identifying a lack of laundry services as a factor in unexcused school absences, CC installed a free laundry facility at its training headquarters. This level of care has led to an impressive 95% student retention rate. Our overarching goal is to see students succeed in both career and personal development. For CC, success extends beyond academics to include reducing recidivism, earning a diploma or GED, and reaching career milestones such as securing employment or starting an LLC. In 2025, our first year as a non-profit, we were able to provide one youth with the employment opportunity of a lifetime by working in Local IBEW 26, an electrician union!

Additionally, we collaborate with the Court Services Unit, families, and community members to support youth transitioning from juvenile detention or probation, providing advocacy and guidance to help them stay on a positive path and reduce recidivism. One Alexandria City Juvenile Probation officer commented “Youth I supervise that engage in the [CC] program have noticeably positive changes in their attitudes and behaviors. I've also noticed that youth in the program have not reoffended. I’m grateful that the kids in this City have an opportunity like this pre-apprentice program..it is the only one [of its kind] I know of in Alexandria City.” - David Klem. These partnerships allow us to track youth’s recidivism and court involvement.

Cornerstone Craftsman does more than vocational training for strategically undervalued youth. We provide a chance for these pre-apprentices to break away from the systemic issues going on in their communities, and give them the tools and opportunities to succeed and become productive citizens. With more funding, we hope to expand upon how many future apprentices we can have in our program, and our goal is to expand our program by increasing the frequency of training days, while also doubling the total number of young adults in the program. This expansion will allow us to serve at least 28 students, fostering economic mobility and personal development in our underserved and underrepresented communities.

We have received two sizable gifts for a combined $15,000 towards Spring 2 Action. For every $1 donated our organization will match $1.

Learn more at www.cornerstonecraftsman.org!