Donna Gregory’s Extraordinary People: Kevin Blackburn leads hands-on approach to mentorship

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Inside a workshop on Castle Street, the sound of saws and sanders fills the air as students focus on their latest projects.

For Kevin Blackburn, those sounds represent more than woodworking. They reflect opportunity.

Blackburn is the executive director of Kids Making It, a Wilmington nonprofit that works with teens facing significant challenges, including poverty and trauma. Through hands-on work and mentorship, the organization aims to help young people build confidence and develop skills for the future.

“These kids’ lives are not simple,” Blackburn said. “There’s so many different pulls on them. There can be a lot of negative influences.”

Blackburn first became involved as a volunteer and now leads the organization, which is most known for its afterschool workshop for students ages 13 to 18. Participants create items that are sold in the organization’s gift shop, keeping most of the profits.

Blackburn said that experience is a key part of the program’s impact.

“We can tell them great job. We can help them feel more confident. But I don’t think there’s anything that replaces the experience of actually doing it themselves, selling something, having a stranger pay money for it,” he said.

Students say the program offers both opportunity and motivation.

“I get to build stuff, make stuff, make money,” said participant Brielle Dixon.

Chance Cameron said he sees the work as more than a hobby.

“I consider this like a job,” he said. “I like how I can work hard and get money off of it.”

Blackburn said the organization provides a positive alternative for young people who may otherwise face difficult paths.

“When we show them how much they can accomplish and help them raise their expectations of themselves, that alone can have a huge impact,” he said. “If you don’t think you’re worth anything, your motivation to do anything is going to be so low.”

The organization serves about 950 students each year and reports a 100 percent high school graduation rate among participants.

In addition to his role with Kids Making It, Blackburn serves on a statewide gang prevention task force. He is also a father of two.

Despite being recognized as an Extraordinary Person, Blackburn said he prefers to keep the focus on the students.

“I want our kids to be the extraordinary people,” he said.

He said the relationships built within the program are what leave a lasting impact.

“The kids are not going to remember the tools they use,” Blackburn said. “They’re going to remember the mentors they worked with and the volunteers and staff.”

You can find more information about the organization here.

You can nominate someone for Donna Gregory’s Extraordinary People here. All honorees get a year of free car washes from Tommy’s Express Car Wash.

This segment honors Donna Gregory, a former WWAY anchor who died in 2024 after a battle with lung cancer.