Students build futures learning construction
Tristan model home had its start with class at Jack James High School
There’s a great deal of satisfaction in being able to walk through something you’ve helped create with your own hands.
Students of Jack James High School’s wood frame construction class did just that last week at a reception held for them by Homes by Avi at the house they helped build.
The 1,496-square-foot Tristan model — a two-storey, three-bedroom and 21/2 bathroom singlefamily home — began its journey at Jack James’ new indoor construction facility.
Students built the first floor, which was then moved onto the foundation at the home site in the new Genstar community of Savanna in Saddle Ridge, in northeast Calgary.
Homes by Avi then built the second floor and finished the interior and exterior.
To know that something they had a hand in building then sold for $364,000 is a point of pride for students.
“Somebody liked it enough to pay so much money and come and live in it,” Avi Amir, founder and chairman of Homes by Avi, told the group, watching as students stood a little taller with the knowledge.
Proceeds from the sale of the home go back into the school’s program to help fund future years. It’s a partnership now in its 19th year.
Amir further noted it’s a lot easier to build on a career or further education with the kind of experience these students have in construction.
“To be an engineer like me, it’s a hell of a lot easier to go — if you ever want to — and become a (civil) engineer after you’ve created a house. I have so much appreciation for a school like yours and to you who are willing to go ahead and to study and to learn how to be artisans.”
Grade 11 student Jordyn LaPierre, 15, said she enjoyed working on the dining nook.
“It reminds me of taking a picture when it was just built in our school. I got to watch the progress of this house being built, and it was pretty cool.”
And career-inspiring. The experience “makes me want to be a carpenter and build houses,” she said.
Fellow Grade 12 student Austin Wurzer-Myers, 17, likes the teamwork aspect of the project, along with the tangible result.
“I like all of it, especially working with people you like — building something big and other people can appreciate it,” he said about the experience.
The course provides a unique opportunity for students to get ready for the work world.
“They’re actually working on their career while they’re in high school. They’re working toward their future, while getting credit for graduating,” said Mike Coleman, who teaches the wood frame construction class.
Enrolment in the class has “exploded,” Coleman said.
“It seems like more kids are getting geared toward the trades. I think they’re realizing it’s a good way to make money and they can be self-employed by getting a ticket.”
Returning Grade 12 student Nathan Makortoff, who won the top construction student award last year, said he’s planning a career in building. The 18-year-old soon may begin work with PCL Construction in Lethbridge and start his apprenticeship. He also has an eye on a family business in British Columbia.
“My dad wants to start up his own company (construction and electrical), so I’d go help him out,” Makortoff said.
“If it works out, I want to buy my own acreage and build my own house.”
Enrolment in construction classes has increased by a third, said Jack James principal Thomas Dueck.
The school just completed a $11.6-million modernization project that included adding an indoor work space for building construction classes. The expanded space means students from nearby Forest Lawn High School are now able to attend these classes.
“It provided some challenges working outside with adolescents in borderline severe weather conditions,” Dueck said.
“Bringing that work indoors has made that program so much more valuable for our students.
“It possibly might provide the opportunity in the future to build two homes a year, so we can do one each semester. We can fit a house and a garage in that space.
“We’re looking at expanding the program a little bit, possibly with Avi, building a whole garage that they can then move onto sites.”