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Construction
Page 10 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity High School Home Construction

Bob Hawley, Executive Director Foundation, established
Goodhue County Habitat for by the Builder’s Group in
Humanity 2015 to encourage students
Students in two Goodhue County, Min- to pursue careers in Minnesota’s construction
nesota schools are gaining valuable home industry. These funds were used to acquire tools
construction knowledge and are filling a critical and scaffolding.
need for their communities. Both Goodhue High In collaborations with GCHFH, the districts
School and Kenyon-Wanamingo High School also applied for and received Minnesota Housing
are finishing their second year collaborating challenge grants, awarded to the districts for
with Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity funding additional tools, and a tool trailer in
(GCHFH) to construct affordable workforce Goodhue. The funding also covers the cost of
homes for Habitat families with their high school technical subcontractor work on the homes for
home construction classes. GCHFH, as well as for the moving cost for the
Goodhue High School students constructed Goodhue house. This funding opportunity was
their first home on a GCHFH site in Goodhue made possible by 2024 legislation expanding
during the ’24-’25 school year. This year the the eligible uses of the Economic Development
class constructed a home on a site secured by the and Housing Challenge program to include
Goodhue school district. This second home will grants for school districts, charter schools, and
be moved to a GCHFH site in Lake City, MN certain cooperative units. Grant opportunities
in mid-May where GCHFH volunteers will have of this type can be monitored on the Minnesota
constructed the basement and will add a garage Housing website or by requesting to be placed
and porch. on the Minnesota Housing email list.
Kenyon-Wanamingo High School students year and eighteen the second year. The class was dation and filled the blocks with concrete from Goodhue Schools, Kenyon-Wanamingo
constructed their two homes on a GCHFH sites divided into two overlapping sessions beginning a pumper truck, capped the basement with floor Schools and Goodhue County Habitat for
in Kenyon with the assistance of Rochester Build at 12:15 PM each school day. GCHFH construc- joists and plywood, constructed wood interior Humanity understand the value their collabora-
Crew volunteers. These homes included garages tion manager Bob Bidon worked between both and exterior walls, set roof trusses and capped tion brings to all involved. Students gain strong,
and porches. The first home in the ’24-’25 school sites on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. the roof with plywood, installed windows and useful knowledge and experience. Schools are
year was a home with a basement. This year’s Habitat utilizes volunteers to construct doors, insulated walls, painted and sided the not only providing the students this wonder-
home was a three-bedroom slab-on-grade. homes for families selected to become home- exterior, installed exterior and interior trim, ful opportunity but are benefiting their greater
GCHFH serves as the General Con- owners. The families purchase the homes and installed flooring and much more. communities with affordable homes. GCHFH
tractor for the construction of the homes, provide sweat equity as they work with Habitat The school districts supply tools and is satisfying its mission of building homes, hope
providing house plans, construction financing, staff and volunteers to construct their own equipment for the home construction classes, and community, and nurturing the very impor-
sub-contractor engagement and coordination, home. The homes are designed to accommodate including scaffolding. The schools provided tant culture of volunteerism. It is a ‘win’ for all.
and construction oversight. The schools need to families as they age with kitchen, living room, safety training. GCHFH utilizes local contrac- Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity
provide a construction class instructor and tools bedroom, bathroom and laundry on the main tors for more technical needs, such as HVAC,
for the students. If needed, GCHFH loans tools floor. Each has an attached single-car garage. electrical, plumbing, excavating and roofing.
to the schools. GCHFH plans to increase home production As much as possible, the students witnessed and
The Goodhue High School instructor for in Goodhue County. The school home construc- learned about these trades in addition to carpen- goodhue.k12.mn.us
both years was Mike Harvey. Goodhue had tion classes help Habitat fill the volunteer needs try and house construction techniques.
six students the first year and eight the second for increasing production. Additional volunteers These collaborations are strongly supported
year. The students worked every school day are needed to complete the homes in both dis- by the respective communities. Additionally,
for 90 minutes, beginning at 8:15 AM. The tricts. GCHFH and the school districts work together
Kenyon-Wanamingo High School instructor Students working on GCHFH sites help set to seek funding that is mutually beneficial for www.kw.k12.mn.us
for both years was Doug Thompson. Kenyon- the forms and pour the concrete footings, set ICF the program. Initially, both schools applied for
Wanamingo had twenty-two students the first (Insulated Concrete Form) blocks for the foun- and received funding from TBG Education

A Tradition of Building Homes for Over 30 Years: Bemidji High School’s

Construction Program

Bemidji Area Schools, District 31 ing, and cabinetry, students are immersed in
For more than three decades, students every step of building a home—aside from a
from Bemidji High School (BHS) have been few major installations like concrete, well, and
doing more than learning from textbooks— septic systems. In recent years, the program has
they’ve been building homes. Measuring in at expanded through a collaboration with a nearby
1,834 square feet, a recent student-built home technical college, allowing their students to
features four bedrooms and two bathrooms. install plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems,
It marks another successful project through further enriching the hands-on learning experi-
a unique partnership that began over 30 years ence for all.
ago between BHS and the Headwaters Regional Building Lasting Partnerships
Development Commission (HRDC).
Each year, nearly 200 students engage in This program wouldn’t exist without the
different phases of the construction process. continued support of HRDC. The partnership
From framing and siding to insulation, paint-
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