Students from Cochrane High School and Bow Valley High School are celebrating a year’s worth of work today that culminated in the completion of two homes in the Willows of River Heights.
As Part of the Building Futures Program, 23 students – eight from Cochrane High and 15 from Bow Valley High – “spent the year working alongside subcontractors in the trades hired by Kingsmith Homes to assemble two single family spec homes,” teacher Jason Ness stated in an email. “They worked on every aspect of construction that did not involve heights: foundation cribbing, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, paint, flooring, cabinets, finish carpentry, siding, concrete, stone masonry, etc.”
Building Futures allows Grade 10 students to work toward earning a Residential Construction Site Manager Level One Academic accreditation while completing their Grade 10 courses. All the course work was done in a garage onsite that acted as a one-room schoolhouse.
The community has the opportunity to see the work the students did this year and learn a bit more about the program during an open house next week.
Those who attend will also have the chance to participate in some building-related contests.
“At the exhibition, visitors will be able to see the finished homes themselves and interact with students and teachers in the program, as well as Kingsmith staff,” stated Ness. “Each of the houses and the school will be essentially turned into small "museums" showcasing various stages of the building process as well as other student projects.”
There will also be silent auction of doghouses that students designed and constructed to raise money for the Alberta Red Cross.
The open house is May 26 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 124 and 128 Willow Street, Cochrane.
