Each May, schools across DeKalb County pause to recognize their graduating seniors – ceremonies that celebrate achievement, years of tireless work, and the chapter ahead. This year, Floor Coverings International® of Brookhaven (FCI Brookhaven) is using that same month to honor something different: the students who are choosing the trades.
During Honor Month 2026, FCI Brookhaven's Floors That Build Futures workforce grant program will present unrestricted grants to two graduating seniors at Cross Keys High School and, for the first time, two additional students graduating from Tucker High School. The 2026 cycle has closed, but families with a rising senior at any DeKalb high school pursuing a career in a technical or vocational field can be nominated by their CTAE faculty for the 2027 cycle.
What Is Floors That Build Futures?
Floors That Build Futures is a workforce development grant program run by Floor Coverings International® of Brookhaven, a locally owned flooring company serving the Atlanta metro area. The program is structured as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), a formal legal designation in Georgia that requires the business to generate measurable social value alongside profit. FCI Brookhaven is one of the few Georgia businesses to carry this designation, and a portion of revenue from every completed flooring project directly sustains the grant fund.
The program is founded and personally led by Kim Gökçe, owner of Floor Coverings International® of Brookhaven.
"When I started this business, I decided to build it for profit and purpose. The skilled trades are the backbone of the homes and communities we serve, and yet too many young people in our neighborhoods never hear that a career in HVAC, healthcare, carpentry, plumbing, or construction can provide a stable, well-paying, and respected livelihood. Floors That Build Futures is my attempt to encourage that, one senior at a time."
— Kim Gökçe, Owner, Floor Coverings International® of Brookhaven
Floors That Build Futures is not an apprenticeship program, nor is it a traditional scholarship award with application and eligibility requirements. It is a direct, unrestricted grant awarded through educator nominations – no GPA cutoff, no essay, no waiting list.
Who Is Eligible for a Floors That Build Futures Grant?
Each year, graduating seniors at DeKalb area High Schools who are enrolled in a Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathway and plan to enter the workforce (or continue their technical education) in a skilled trade field after graduation are eligible grant recipients. There are no academic requirements. The program was intentionally designed that way.
Nominations are solicited directly from CTAE (Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education) department faculty and department chairs at each school. Educators identify students who have demonstrated a genuine commitment to workforce readiness and plan to pursue careers informed by their CTAE experiences. Students do not apply independently – they are nominated by teaching professionals who have closely assessed their progress and development.
Rising seniors who want to be considered for Honor Month 2027 are best positioned by being formally enrolled in a CTAE pathway through DeKalb County Schools and by demonstrating consistent dedication to their chosen field. That sustained commitment is precisely what the program is designed to recognize.
Grant-Eligible CTAE Pathways & Fields
Floors That Build Futures grants are not limited to students pursuing construction trades. Eligible pathways include, but aren’t limited to:
- Construction (e.g., carpentry, flooring, masonry, general contracting)
- HVAC and Skilled Building Trades (e.g., electrical, plumbing, welding, ironworkers)
- Healthcare Sciences (e.g., Dental Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, Diagnostic Imaging Technician)
- Information Technology & Engineering
- Culinary Arts
- Automotive Technology
- Machining, Manufacturing & Logistics
- Videography & Media Production
The Benefits of a Floors That Build Futures Grant
One of the things that sets this grant apart from most workforce readiness training resources is that the award is fully unrestricted. Recipients may apply it toward any of the following:
- Tools & equipment needed for workforce entry
- Licensing & certification fees – including state and trade organization requirements
- Apprenticeship enrollment fees
- Union dues
- Testing fees – including exams tied to blue-collar certifications and technical or vocational certificates
- Continuing education or supplemental certifications after initial employment
There is no designated institution, no required vendor, and no receipts submitted to a review board. The award goes directly to students in recognition of the path they have chosen.
How Rising Seniors Can Position Themselves for Honor Month 2027
If your child is currently a junior at a DeKalb high school, is pursuing a CTAE pathway, and plans to continue in their chosen skilled trade field after graduation, here is how to make the most of the year ahead:
- Stay enrolled and engaged in their CTAE pathway. Nominations come from CTAE faculty who have watched students show up and put in the work over time. Consistent participation throughout senior year is the most meaningful way a student can earn that recognition.
- Let their dedication speak for itself. There is no application to submit. CTAE department faculty and department chairs are the nominators. A student’s track record with those educators is the foundation of any nomination consideration.
- Learn more about the program. Full details about Floors That Build Futures, its Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) structure, and its mission are available at floorsthatbuildfutures.com. Families are also welcome to reach out directly to learn more ahead of the 2027 cycle.
Why Locally Rooted Grants for Vocational Training Programs Matter
Most grants for vocational training programs are built for scale, not community. Floors That Build Futures is the exception, as a locally funded commitment to the students at DeKalb area high schools who are already doing the work.
The skilled trades shortage isn't a statistic. It's the contractor who’s booked out for months, the service call no one can fill, the gap between steady demand and a qualified workforce. Floors That Build Futures is one business owner's answer to that — built grant by grant, senior by senior.
FCI Brookhaven is a local franchise for Floor Coverings International®, North America’s top-rated Mobile Flooring Showroom®, operating across the Atlanta Metro area.
