MESH is fully committed to making a difference in the communities they serve.  First, MESH has established a paid mentoring program that teaches emancipated foster youth the art of construction.  It partners with local organizations, such as First Place For Youth in Oakland, to help foster youth that have "timed-out" of the system and typically have no home, family or other support group to lean on.  The skills they acquire at MESH are intended as stepping stones to full employment within the construction industry, or as a means of obtaining exposure in the field to help direct their future career choices.  Secondly, MESH is committed to the notion that all Architecture students should have first-hand knowledge of the art of craft in building.  MESH is partnering with UC Berkeley architecture students to develop a specific program that provides this opportunity in a real-world environment.  Students participate in a paid internship that develops theirs skills from the design charette phase through construction.  The MESH approach is one of re-purposed material exploration utilizing innovative construction techniques and material applications.  Real time studies through mock-ups and material testing throughout the construction process lessen the need for finite design documentation, but rather allow for exploration and change within the process. 

Mesh teamwork