Riverside Middle School teacher Tim Hart and his advanced construction students build a small shelter on a trailer, erecting walls, framing doors and windows and lifting beams into place.
Although this building cannot be called a small house, since it is not intended for permanent residence, it can be used as an alternative to hiking or as a place to rest in the forest. The building was built in partnership with Frame Your Future, a non-profit organization that encourages people to consider careers in this field. In turn, Frame Your Future partnered with the Spokane Home Builders Association, which provided some of the building materials. Wellpinit School District and Central Valley High School are working on similar projects.
The building was built directly on an 8' wide custom trailer. If it were wider, it would be considered too much of a burden, Hart said.
"This makes it easier to move around," he said. "It is permanently attached to the trailer. "It was mounted on a frame."
Hart teaches beginning and advanced construction. His first classes covered a little bit of everything: carpentry, concrete, electrical and plumbing. It has two classes per day, each limited to 20 students. Nine of them are under construction.
"Smaller numbers are better," Hart said. "It is necessary to be able to occupy everyone."
Hart spent summers in construction while in high school and college. It also provides professional support and technical training.
While some students have already found jobs in the field, Hart said that in addition to offering them career options, he wants to teach them how to renovate homes or do projects like driveways and decks.
"I just want the kids to have a set of skills that they can use later in life," she said. "I think it's important for everyone."
Experts will step in and help out at certain points, but Hart says most of the work is done by the students.
Many area schools do not offer construction courses. Some have even canceled metalworking and carpentry courses, which some schools are working to restore. Hart said she just wants to open students' eyes to what's available and let them know there are viable career options that don't start in college.
"I think in high school it's traditionally been hard to send people anywhere other than college," he said.
Shawn Wilson, Cade Spencer and Gabrian Norton are all seniors taking Hart's advanced construction classes. Although they knew that many people were interested in a career in commerce, that is why no one took the course.
Wilson said he was happy to have Hart as a teacher.
"It's a really beautiful area," he said. "It makes learning fun."
Do you enjoy learning real-world skills that you can use?
"What we are learning now will be necessary in the future," said Wilson.
Spencer agreed and said he would prefer construction to photography.
"I think construction is the most profitable," he said. “The design is what I will use in the end. Construction can really help me."
Norton said Hart, while a pleasant teacher, was a strict teacher who made them take things apart and put them back together when they made mistakes. He mentioned that they will be responsible for the electrical system, roof, plumbing. Norton said he does his best to get things right the first time.
"I don't want to make a mess," he said. "It costs money. "Like a real construction site."
