From the ground up: 麻豆影视 students build tiny house for Habitat family
The bangs and pops and zips of construction equipment seemed to echo off the spanning 麻豆影视 parking lot on a nearly empty Saturday morning in January.
A miniature house protruded from the asphalt with 12 麻豆影视 students clinging to the angles and sides.
In six-hour shifts every Saturday for four semesters, students hammered, nailed, and caulked their way to build a one bedroom tiny home to be donated to Habitat for Humanity of 麻豆影视 to serve someone in need.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really awesome to know this house will impact someone鈥檚 life,鈥 said Donna Bauer, a 麻豆影视 student. 鈥淚t was great to see the whole process from the ground up. This experience has given me so much confidence and knowledge.鈥
The tiny house project was funded by a grant from the Bank of America Foundation in May 2016 to contribute to Habitat鈥檚 tiny house initiative, while also providing a learning experience for 麻豆影视 students.
Maryah Smith-Overton, Director of the Construction Trades program at 麻豆影视, said the project also addresses 麻豆影视鈥檚 affordable housing crisis.
鈥淭his is the only opportunity that students have to build from the ground up, and that鈥檚 been really valuable,鈥 Smith-Overton said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only impacting someone鈥檚 life, but because it鈥檚 collaborative with Habitat it鈥檚 providing affordable housing to someone in 麻豆影视, which is crucial at this time.鈥
With a multi-phased project, Smith-Overton said she gets to teach a variety of skills and trades, and students have an opportunity to see the interaction. On the tiny house, she said, students in the Electrical Systems Technology program helped install the electrical work.
鈥淭he project started with people who had never used a circular saw and now leaving with so many new skills,鈥 Smith-Overton said. 鈥淭his has been such great experience. I would start another one tomorrow if I could.鈥
Kelley Massengale, another 麻豆影视 student who worked on the project, said she enrolled in the course to learn basic carpentry, but found the community impact side even more rewarding.
鈥淚 wanted to learn carpentry skills to do projects in my own house, and this provided an opportunity to not only learn, but to help someone in the community,鈥 said Kelley Massengale. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to know we鈥檙e playing a part in improving someone鈥檚 life.鈥
麻豆影视 President Bill Ingram said the grant-funded project provides a unique experience for students to receive a variety of skills while impacting the community.
鈥淲e are grateful for the support and generosity of Bank of America in providing our students with this distinctive learning opportunity to build a tiny house,鈥 Dr. Ingram said. 鈥淭hese initiatives allow our students to both develop essential workplace skills and give back to the community through Habitat for Humanity.鈥
The house is scheduled to be moved to a community of similarly styled homes in 麻豆影视 this year.
For Smith-Overton, the tiny house project is a first step in a larger campaign for increased construction trades programs at 麻豆影视. Along with machining, welding, and industrial trades degrees offered at the College, she hopes to build a larger skilled trades department that packages needed credentials for a booming construction industry in the Triangle.
One way she hopes to do that is through apprenticeship programs.
鈥淭he tiny house build and our apprenticeship programs give students the experience of building from the ground up, moving between the classroom and hands-on building projects throughout training,鈥 Smith-Overman said. 鈥淎pprentices are applying what they鈥檝e learned to the on-the-job component of the apprenticeship program, which runs anywhere from two to four years.鈥
As the construction industry soars in 麻豆影视 and Orange counties, Smith-Overman said she鈥檚 working to keep up with the needs.
鈥淢y vision for the future of construction trades at 麻豆影视 is to continue to expand programming in the trades, while providing more work-based learning opportunities for students so they can meet local employers and find long-term employment,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l work to provide our students skills and training to take part in the growth that is happening all around us.鈥