High school students can get a bad rap; sure they can be moody and sleep more than a pride of lions, but they also have a youthful exuberance that, when put to use, can accomplish some pretty impressive things.
Take the students in the Fairfax County high school building trades class, for example. As part of the class, the students worked alongside instructors and building professionals to help construct a home in Springfield, Va., that is now on the market for $935,000.
During the length of the build, students took part in various aspects of the process from cutting and installing crown molding, framing the house, and installing tile and appliances, The Washington Post reports. The class works as a way for young students who plan on beginning work immediately after high school to get some valuable experience in the trades. It also provides good practical experience to students who are planning on becoming architects or engineers.
There are other similar programs in place in high schools around the country that attempt to give this hands-on experience to students and promote the trades as a viable option for a career after high school. The program in Fairfax County is not seeing quite as many students take advantage of the opportunity as it would like, and sometimes it is the parents that are discouraging students who are interested in the construction industry from proceeding with the class. Some parents don’t want their kids to have a blue-collar job.
The Fairfax County program is self-sustaining, as the proceeds from the sale of any homes they create are used to fund the construction of the next home. And, as far as people being a bit hesitant to purchase a home built, in part, by high school students, it typically isn’t a problem because there is so much oversight and so many people involved.
