Page 10 - TTMNJan2023

Construction
Page 10 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

The Carpentry Program at STEP High School

dents from all five high schools in
the Anoka Hennepin School Dis- Current House
trict to attend this class.
Each year, the process is Build Description
started with the students giving Built by STEP High School in
input on what the house should Anoka, MN. This is a 3 bedroom, 1.75
look like. The footprint size and bath includes: 18" free span floor trusses,
the number of exterior windows 4/12 pitch roof, vaulted living room,
and doors are the same each year, kitchen and dining room. Exterior:
but the finishing touches usually Owens Corning estate gray architectural
change with the current trends and shingles, tubular skylight in each bath-
interior walls are adjusted to fit the room, Jeldwen vinyl casement windows,
class’s vision. It’s important for Concord “harbor bay” vinyl siding, vinyl
the students to have ownership in soffit and fascia. Interior: Mission 3 panel
the house. The class is about real- interior doors, Cardell cabinetry featuring
world experience. soft close hinges and drawer slides, under
Students start in the first tri- cabinet lighting, Calacatta marble lami-
mester of each year framing the nate countertops, Life Proof luxury vinyl
floor, exterior walls, roof, shin- plank flooring, oil rubbed bronze hard-
gles, house wrap and installing the ware. If you have any questions regarding
exterior doors and windows. In tri- the house, please contact by email: Purch-
mester two, they finish framing the www.ahschools.us/step Quotes@ahschools.us.
interior walls, rough-in electrical,
insulate the walls, install the vapor
barrier and hang the drywall. The
rough in plumbing is done by a
local plumbing company. Over
What started out as a home improvement Spring break, Advanced Drywall comes in
class in 1992 grew into the Carpentry program to tape, mud and finish the drywall. Trimes-
at Blaine High School. In 1992–93, they built ter three starts with painting, hanging interior
fences and finished bedrooms for people in the doors, installing cabinets, interior trim, floor-
community. The class was a success, but it was ing, finish electrical and plumbing, and siding
that felt students were not getting the complete the exterior. The house is “turn-key” when the
experience of building a house so in the fall of year ends.
1996 the class started to build it’s first house. Students will swing the hammer and
The house was built right behind the school use the nail guns. The power tools used by
with the buyer to move the house to their loca- the classes have gone from plug in style to
tion. The first house was a 24' × 48', 3 bedroom cordless. There have been some great advance-
rambler that changed into a 24' × 48' with a ments in tools over the years. There have been
2 car attached garage. The program partnered many changes in how a house is constructed as
with the Anoka Community Action Program to well. Improvements in materials and installa-
provide affordable housing for 3 years. When tion/construction practices have gotten better
their vision changed, the classes began build- with time. Each year, once the cost has been
ing a 26' × 52', 3 bedroom rambler. determined, the house is placed for public
The program was moved to STEP High auction with a minimum bid and the highest
School in 2019. This move allowed all stu- bidder gets the house!
Student Quote
Some of my best high school
memories were made in carpentry
class. One of my biggest take-
aways was “The attitude that you
bring to the house is the quality
of work you will produce”. Our
teacher always said “never say
it’s good enough” which is some-
thing I will take to all aspects of
life. I learned how to layout walls
and trusses, sheet and shingle a
roof, set windows, drywall and
mud, the list could go on and on.
I learned more than I could ever
fit into a paragraph and I am
thankful for the class and all it
has to offer.