The courses are built: 8 courses and 186 lessons, filmed by working contractors on real job sites. To enroll students in Pennsylvania, the Academy must be licensed by the State Board of Private Licensed Schools. That takes about $12,000 up front, before the first student pays a cent.
A 40-second tour of the Academy.
$0 raised of $12,000
Every course outline is open to everyone: the sections, the lessons and how students are tested. The lessons themselves are for enrolled students.
The Academy is 100% online. Students learn at their own pace: video lessons, section tests, written answers graded by an instructor, and a final exam. For the hands-on skills, students do the work with real tools at home, at work or on a job site, and an instructor watches over live video or a recorded video and signs each skill off.
Start here. Safety, construction math, tools, blueprints, rigging awareness, materials handling, communication, employability and first aid: what every apprenticeship expects on day one.
View courseCarpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, masonry, painting and roofing, with safety and soft skills throughout. The Black Boots Initiative's core course.
View courseSafety and NFPA 70E, test equipment, theory and calculations, the NEC, boxes and conduit bending, conductors, dwelling wiring, grounding and overcurrent protection, motors and HVAC circuits, and troubleshooting.
View courseSafety and EPA 608 rules, math, electricity and controls, gas and hydronic heating, the refrigeration cycle and charging, airflow and loads, brazing, evacuation and recovery, heat pumps and mini-splits, maintenance and troubleshooting.
View courseSafety and codes, tools, math and drawings, pipe and fittings, DWV sizing and venting, water distribution and backflow, fixtures, tank, tankless and heat pump water heaters, fuel gas, and service and repair.
View courseFor property management teams: electrical, plumbing, heating and steam, air conditioning and PTACs, appliances, interior and exterior repairs, locks, make-ready, preventive maintenance, work orders, fair housing and lead-safe work.
View courseFloor types and chemistry, equipment and pads, daily and periodic care, stone, tile, concrete and wood, stripping and refinishing, burnishing and slip safety, carpet care and spotting, and estimating.
View courseRenewable energy and solar safety, green building and weatherization with real testing, sustainable agriculture, waste management, environmental law and careers, ending with a capstone project.
View course| What it pays for | Amount |
|---|---|
| School application to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, including the first program | $7,500 |
| Two more programs, $1,400 each | $2,800 |
| Required new-applicant orientation seminar | $300 |
| State site visit of the training shop | $750 |
| First year of the $10,000 surety bond that protects students | $300 |
| Crowdfunding and card-processing fees | $350 |
| Total | $12,000 |
Fees are from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's schedule for private licensed schools. The bond figure is the yearly premium, not the bond's face value. Anything raised above the goal pays the fee for the next program ($1,400 each).
The Maintenance Academy is the training arm of the Black Boots Initiative. It opens the skilled trades, and the businesses behind them, to Black Americans first. It also trains other people of color, low-income residents, veterans, people updating their skills, and returning citizens through our Second Chance program. A license lets us enroll students, work with public workforce programs that pay tuition for eligible residents, and put graduates on a path to apprenticeships and careers.
Gifts go to Maintenance 215 LLC, a Pennsylvania company, and are not tax-deductible. We will post an update here when each application is filed and when the license is granted.