Tradesman Who Went ‘From Handguns to Nail Guns’ Seeks to Teach Youth His Skills 

On Saturday, April 11, Levi Clayton, 12, felt a rush of adrenaline—but it wasn’t from a video game. In fact, there were no screens involved at all. After taking instruction from his uncle, Leonard Alexander, Clayton recoiled slightly from the reverberation of a nail gun driving a metal spike cleanly into a slab of wood.

The moment was brief, but telling. In a room filled with the sounds of tools and conversation at the Homan Square Community Center, 3517 W. Arthington St., Clayton in North Lawndale, and about a dozen other young people were getting hands-on exposure to a trade that Alexander believes can change lives.

“I think doing this stuff will still help me out when I get older,” said Clayton, who added that he hopes to become a basketball player one day. “It’s good to know how to do it.”

Clayton was among roughly a dozen fourth- through eighth-graders who participated in the first monthly Fearless Dreamers Workshop, an initiative launched by Alexander, a veteran tradesman and general contractor now based in Maywood. The April 11 session marked the program’s first youth-focused workshop after years of working with older participants.

During the workshop, participants rotated through hands-on stations designed to introduce them to foundational construction and maintenance skills. Under supervision, the young people practiced hammering nails into wood, drilling and securing screws, and learning the safe handling of basic power tools. 

At another station, they were introduced to entry-level electrical work, including how to install and replace light fixtures and bulbs, wiring basics, and how to identify common components used in residential electrical systems. The exercises emphasized both technique and safety, giving students a tactile understanding of how everyday systems in their homes function—while also building confidence in their ability to work with their hands. 

Alexander’s mission is rooted in his own life story. 

“I went from handguns to nail guns,” he said. “I grew up on the streets on the West Side. I had my hardships, and it was 1999 when the light bulb went off. That was the last year I was incarcerated.”

Throughout the 1990s, Alexander said, he cycled in and out of prison on gun charges, armed violence, and drug-related offenses. But a turning point at the end of the decade set him on a different path—one that ultimately led back to skills he first learned as a child.

“The work was embedded in me,” Alexander said. “My father was a union cement mason, so at 11 years old, I was pushing wheelbarrows full of concrete. He taught me how to identify tools. So I came up in the trades.”

Today, Alexander operates as a general contractor, doing work across west suburban communities including Bellwood, Maywood, and Melrose Park. But beyond the business, he sees his experience as a blueprint for intervention—particularly for young people growing up in environments similar to his own.

“I’m my own case study,” he said. “I know the trades can make a difference—not just for a paycheck, but for pride, purpose, and a new direction in life.”

That philosophy underpins Fearless Dreamers, which Alexander said began about seven years ago as a way to address recidivism among adults and teens. Early workshops were held at Franklin Park with support from Ald. Michael Scott, who helped secure access to park district facilities.

“This is our first workshop with the youth, but we’ve been doing workshops with teens and adults for about seven years,” Alexander said. “This was an effort to address the recidivism rate.”

Now, he’s aiming to expand the program’s reach even further. Alexander said he is currently in discussions with officials at the Cook County Jail about potentially bringing the workshops inside the facility.

“We’re just waiting for them to get the last word,” he said.

For now, the focus is on building consistency and community interest. The workshops are planned as monthly sessions, though sustaining them has been a challenge.

“We’re looking for participants and facilities, because they can be pretty expensive,” Alexander said. “We began this endeavor with me just funding it out of pocket—paying stipends, buying tools, food, and everything.”

At one point, contracts with the Chicago Housing Authority helped support the program financially. But after those agreements ended, Alexander said he has spent the last two years searching for new funding sources to keep the initiative going.

Despite those hurdles, Saturday’s session offered a glimpse of what the program could become.

Terrance Alexander, 36, Leonard’s son and an apprentice working alongside him, said the workshop is as much about structure and opportunity as it is about skill-building.

“He figured this was the best position to give back to the community,” Terrance Alexander said. “Most of the kids in here are part of our family, so we want to give them the knowledge first. At the end of the day, youth have nowhere to go. What else would they be doing on a Saturday? Now, they can get some knowledge.”

More information about the program is available at fearlessdreamers.org