{"id":3704,"date":"2022-05-27T15:05:33","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T21:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/?p=3704"},"modified":"2022-05-27T15:05:33","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T21:05:33","slug":"connecting-students-to-the-trades-the-guilford-high-school-build","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2022\/05\/27\/connecting-students-to-the-trades-the-guilford-high-school-build\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecting students to the trades: The Guilford High School Build"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Guilford students, Representatives from Rockford Public Schools, Habitat leaders, and Tammy, the owner of the 2022 Guilford House gathered to dedicate the home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carmen grew up watching her dad work as a car mechanic. She would go with him and watch and learn as he fixed cars. Carmen quickly discovered that she loved learning how things work, as well as working with her hands to build or repair things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time she began high school, she started looking for classes that lined up with these interests. There were no car-related mechanics classes, but she did hear about another option that sounded intriguing: a construction class in which students built an entire house. And the more she considered it, the more she wanted to give it a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a woman, I want to know how to build stuff. That way when I get my own house, or if I want to build my own house, I\u2019ll know the basics of it,\u201d Carmen said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Carmen working in the house during construction class.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rockford Public Schools has been partnering with Habitat a handful of years now to provide students like Carmen with a unique hands-on learning experience, and to empower local Habitat homebuyers on their journey to homeownership. This year, Guilford High School students worked on their seventh Habitat home, and East High School students built their second home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carmen is now a Senior at Guilford High School. This was her second year in construction classes, and her first year actually building a house. She described how this year, she and classmates showed up day after day, in the rain, snow and wind, to build the home. She said that some of the skills she enjoyed learning were hanging drywall, installing windows, and (her personal favorite) using a nailgun.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of scary at first, but it\u2019s pretty fun,\u201d she said with a smile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she reflects on all that she learned this year, Carmen feels confident in her construction abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI pretty much do know how to build a house for myself,\u201d she said, also describing how she feels equipped to make home repairs and upkeep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These practical skills will also translate into a career for Carmen. She is interested in going to trade school or getting an engineering degree, and her experience in her construction classes is invaluable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt gets me ready for my future,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though as a freshman, it would have been hard for Carmen to picture building an entire home, she feels very proud as a senior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow. I\u2019ve made big moves, you know?\u201d Carmen said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s taken a ton of work to be a part of these courses, but for Carmen, every minute held value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s totally worth it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s worth it because you get to know people\u2014 I love my crew. And we\u2019re providing for another family and helping the community out, and it feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI recommend [this course]  if you want to learn something about yourself, build a house, and make memories,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O\u2019Ryan is one of Carmen\u2019s classmates. He\u2019s a Junior at Guilford High School, and he\u2019s been taking construction classes for three years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFreshman year, I started learning measurements and doing a bit of shop work back at the school. Sophomore year, we started building walls for this house, and we learned a lot of skills doing that. And now junior year, we\u2019re building a house,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to Carmen, O\u2019Ryan also considers these courses to be stepping stones toward his future. He\u2019s fairly certain he want to work in construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like working with my hands. This class is going to help me in so many ways to try to get into a trade out of high school,\u201d he said. \u201c[This opportunity] helps people with problem-solving, teamwork, and working with eachother. Like I said, it helps with building your skills a lot and helps you get a good job by getting you into the union and the trades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O\u2019Ryan joked that that the most difficult part of construction class is trying to hit a stud, but he had far more to say about what he loved about the course. He absolutely loves working with his classmates, having fun, and laughing with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest thing that I\u2019ve learned is working as a team. You can\u2019t really build a whole house by yourself\u2013 you have to work with each other, problem solve with each  other. This is a lot of teamwork,\u201d he said. The results of that teamwork are incredibly rewarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn my head I\u2019m just like, \u2018we really just built that\u2019. It warms my heart that we know that we did a lot of work in this house. We put a lot of time into it, and made it everything that it\u2019s supposed to be,\u201d O\u2019Ryan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
O’Ryan standing in the house that he helped build.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mark Anderson, the construction teacher at Guilford High School, said that even though the pandemic had a large effect on these students, they have been incredibly resilient and ready to rise to the challenge of building a house. Before learning on the build site, a handful of students had never even used tools because they had taken their introductory classes online. Many students have even realized that they love construction more than they thought they would. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many students, the gratification of working on something so tangible becomes motivating in a very different way from the traditional classroom setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they see what they did, and it\u2019s good, and they keep moving, then they kind of quickly build their self-confidence. If you\u2019re in a classroom, they don\u2019t see that until they\u2019re out of high school, or even out of college a lot of times,\u201d Mark said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark shared that for awhile there has been a desire in Rockford to bring back the trades and help young people grow in their connection to the trades. As the partnership between Habitat and Rockford Public Schools has grown over time, students now have a resource and a path to be able to make this goal a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a lot of [my students], this gives them a reason to come to school. For some of them, this is the only class they enjoy. For a few of them, it\u2019s going to be their future, so it\u2019s preparing them for something for the rest of their life in a way that schools don\u2019t normally do,\u201d Mark said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, the completion of the 2022 Guilford and East builds were recognized with two dedication ceremonies. Students from each build, teachers, Habitat volunteers, and even some Habitat homebuyers gathered together to admire the students\u2019 work and celebrate this amazing milestone. The good that comes from this partnership is visible and tangible. In the words of Mark Anderson:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see the good in this program every day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carmen grew up watching her dad work as a car mechanic. She would go with him and watch and learn as he fixed cars. Carmen quickly discovered that she loved learning how things work, as well as working with her hands to build or repair things. By the time she began high school, she started […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":161727633,"featured_media":3707,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[1376,1374,1365,1362,1375,1372,1373],"class_list":["post-3704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-affordable-housing","tag-guilford-high-school","tag-habitat-for-humanity","tag-housing","tag-rockford-public-schools","tag-schools","tag-students"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_6206.jpg?fit=6000%2C4000&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb8kyv-XK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2333,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2021\/04\/09\/rockford-habitat-for-humanity-builds-futures\/","url_meta":{"origin":3704,"position":0},"title":"Rockford Habitat for Humanity Builds Futures","author":"Community Engagement","date":"abril 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Christina Magee, College & Career Academy Coach at Guilford High School Angela Diep, Guilford High School alumni Habitat for Humanity is known for building houses which clients turn into homes that nurture the futures of its residents.\u00a0 But in Rockford, Illinois, Habitat for Humanity is building not just its\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/angela-diep.jpg?fit=640%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/angela-diep.jpg?fit=640%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/angela-diep.jpg?fit=640%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1367,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2020\/09\/23\/impact-story-michael-argento\/","url_meta":{"origin":3704,"position":1},"title":"Impact Story: Michael Argento","author":"Community Engagement","date":"septiembre 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Michael working on a Habitat build Michael Argento has helped build more than 500 foundations for homes. Here\u2019s the crazy part: he\u2019s only 19 years old. Michael\u2019s career in construction began all the way back at Guilford High School, in construction class. For the class, the students built a Habitat\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Forms-Former-Guilford-Student-Michael.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Forms-Former-Guilford-Student-Michael.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Forms-Former-Guilford-Student-Michael.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Forms-Former-Guilford-Student-Michael.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Forms-Former-Guilford-Student-Michael.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1300,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2020\/09\/04\/welcome-home-candi\/","url_meta":{"origin":3704,"position":2},"title":"Welcome home, Candi.","author":"Community Engagement","date":"septiembre 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"It's been a long journey, but it's one that I've appreciated and one that I've loved.\" The sounds of laughter and excited shouts echoed throughout Candi\u2019s recently finished house as her three children explored their new home for the very first time. The kids raced from room to room, exclaiming\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Resized_20200830_155434.jpeg?fit=774%2C1032&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Resized_20200830_155434.jpeg?fit=774%2C1032&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Resized_20200830_155434.jpeg?fit=774%2C1032&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Resized_20200830_155434.jpeg?fit=774%2C1032&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2356,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2021\/04\/30\/homeowner-spotlight-tammy\/","url_meta":{"origin":3704,"position":3},"title":"Homeowner Spotlight: Tammy","author":"Community Engagement","date":"abril 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Four years ago, Tammy stood in the driveway at the home dedication for the very first house that Guilford High School students had completed as part of our then brand new partnership program. Her son was a senior in Guilford\u2019s construction trades program at the time, and he had helped\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Tammy-Family.png?fit=380%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3122,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2021\/12\/31\/looking-back-on-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":3704,"position":4},"title":"Looking back on 2021","author":"Community Engagement","date":"diciembre 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Charae's home dedication Tracey and her son at their home dedication 2021 was certainly a year to remember. When we sat down with RAHFH Executive Director Keri Asevedo to discuss what this year was like for our organization, a few words came to her mind: powerful, tenacious, and determined. 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