Page 8 - TTMNJan2023

Construction
Page 8 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

Students Gain Valuable Experience Building Habitat Homes

Executive Director Sondra Herman. “For us,
it’s wonderful to have that volunteer labor,
because that’s how we operate. That’s how we
make homes affordable.” KEYC
Habitat is committed to continue to offer
families in St Peter the option to attain hom-
eownership affordably. Families with access to
affordable homeownership offers them a hand
up not a handout creating improved safety,
child education attainment, and build genera-
tional wealth. The St Peter Building Trades
teacher and students are a vital part of this
mission. Generous financial partners includ-
ing the Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation
continue to consistently support affordable
housing in St Peter and the Building Trades new owners are able to close on the property,
class through this collaboration. according to Juliann Wiersma, Habitat for
Humanity South Central Minnesota’s Com-
Last fall, ground was broken for the offers 12–18 students a rigorous and rel- Habitat For Humanity Open House munications & Development Manager.
About Habitat: Driven by the vision that
new home being constructed by Habitat for evant hands-on learning curriculum which Habitat for Humanity South Central Min- everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat
Humanity and the St Peter High School’s helps meet the community need for afford- nesota hosted an open house in November for Humanity South Central Minnesota has built
Building Trades Program. This partnership able housing. Habitat provides the building showcasing Saint Peter High School’s Build- 145 homes and 630 individuals in Blue Earth,
has been building homes to meet the commu- materials and students build the home under ing Trades class’s two most recent project Sibley, Watonwan, Le Sueur, and Nicollet
nity need for affordable housing for 25 years. the guidance of their teacher while they learn homes in the Traverse Green subdivision. counties. Through shelter, we empower. Inter-
The collaboration between Habitat and the essential skills preparing them for occupations Several members of Scott Robinson’s ested in donating or volunteering to support the
Building Trades class allows for high school- in the building trades. current Building Trades class were on hand at Mankato build? Visit habitatscmn.org.
ers to get hands on building experience and an “Whether or not it is something that the start of the open house doing work on the
opportunity to participate on a project that has they’re interested in it as a career or it’s just a newest home located at 2110 Nelson Street.
a lifelong impact on a Habitat family and the way of learning new skills that they can use in Attendees could also tour last year’s project
community. some way down the road, I think that it’s excit- home (2111 Lundon Street), which has just stpeterschools.org
Each year, the Building Trades class ing that they’re excited about it,” said Habitat a few minor details to finish up before the

The 916 Project—A Great Sign

The students that cycle through the home
throughout the day hail from 14 different
school districts. Seventy percent of them have
specialized IEPs. Of the 54 students, 15 have
identified electrical as their trade of choice.
Many have secured spots in electrical techni-
cal school programs.
The 916 Construction program could
easily double to meet the needs of interested
students; however, staff and one house site
limit it to its current levels. The home will
be sold this summer, and 916 will start a new
property next fall.
If your community has a similar con-
struction program, please let me know. The
Electrical Association understands the work-
force shortages within the electrical industry
and the Association looks to provide addi-
tional support to these programs to help deliver
members a skilled workforce.
The students are well on their way to suc-
In March, Jay Lewis, Lewis Electri- lot that the home sits on every year. This year’s cessfully building a home!
cal Contracting & Consulting Services Inc., home sits on a lot of a former blighted prop- This is a great sign of what’s coming up
mentored multiple youth in the Independent erty that bothered neighbors to the extent that the job pipeline!
School District 916’s Construction program. legislators were called about it and a squad car Article courtesy of Project Build MN
Every year students in this program build often monitored it. The problem property was
a home from foundation to roof. This program torn down and a new 2500-square-foot home
is very much a community effort and the result is being built in its place. This is the small-
is a home that is sold on the open market. est home 916 has constructed, but the home www.916schools.org
The City of North St. Paul provides the needed to be scaled to fit the lot.