Building Excellence from the ground up!

Penn Building and Trades students had something to celebrate this Thanksgiving … completion of Phase I of their house!

For the last 49 years, Penn High School has offered students hands-on experience through the Building and Trades class.

The year-long course is offered to juniors and seniors and gives students the unique experience to build a house from the ground up. This year’s class has 17 students; and four seniors are in their second year in the course.

Students are responsible for supplying their own tools and tool belts, but the Penn High School Building Trades Corporation provides all other supplies and materials. Although students handle most aspects of the building process on their own, an outside contractor completes the drywall job. The heating, plumbing and electrical jobs are also handled by contractors, but students work alongside them to help and learn those skills.

Students work on site, Monday – Friday for about 2-3 hours at a time. Instructor Les Crooks has set three milestones for the students to meet in order to complete the house by the end of the school year:
 

• Phase I: foundation, walls, trusses/roofing, windows, doors and shingling; completed by Thanksgiving.
• Phase II: sheet rock/dry wall, heating, electrical, plumbing and flooring; goal for completion is February.
• Phase III: trim, siding, landscaping, painting and general finish work; goal for completion is June.
   

Watch the video below to see all the work the students have completed thus far during Phase I …
 

The Building and Trades course helps students become career ready, gaining valuable experience in the construction field. Many students have pursued careers in construction after graduation, and some have gone on to major in construction management in college. 

There’s quite a demand for the student house; some houses have actually sold at the blueprint stage.

Be sure to check back for video updates on Phases II (in February) and III (in June).