Students in Saskatoon built a home for credit

Students at Saskatoon’s E.D. Feehan high school have finished off the year with a unique class project: they built a home.

The school’s construction technology program has been running for years in partnership with the Knights of Columbus and other local businesses.

“Anybody in the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division is allowed to take it from any school,” instructor David Schrader told CTV News.

“I had one student from every single school in our division this semester.”

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Schrader said students put hundreds of hours into building the 1,100-square-foot home this year.

“We offer the construction program and we offer the interior finishing program,” he explained. “So two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon every day. So you're looking at about 400 hours a semester, 800 hours for the build, give or take.”

Ken Jacobi from the Knights of Columbus said they have been focusing on offering clients quality rather than quantity.

“Our first home was not quite like this. They were for other clients that wanted smaller things. But we've sort of gravitated towards this 1,000 to 1,500 square foot so there's more room inside for the students to work and more opportunities to have multiple tasks going on at the same time.”

He said the program was a win-win for students and homebuilders.

“We have inspectors come in and make sure it's framed properly and all of those other things. I would say these homes tend to be built better than what you would find on the market. We're not scared to stick an extra 2x4, or a few extra brackets or whatever it takes.”

Jacobi said students get to develop skillsets they can use in future careers.

“It gives opportunities for students to think differently and in being able to think and solve problems a little differently. Some of their classroom work might make a little bit more sense than if they weren't involved in the program. So I think it's a great opportunity for kids.”

It's also a win for the Knights of Columbus, treasurer David Woytowich said.

“We make a modest profit ourselves, just so we don't have to flip hamburgers as a fundraiser.”

Several businesses in town partner with the program, including Home Hardware on Avenue M,

Saskatoon Co-op Hardware on Avenue C, and the Saskatoon Industry Education Council, Schrader said.

BUILDING A CAREER

Some of the partnerships fast-track students into trade jobs.

“The Summer Youth Internship Program provides Grade 11 and priority Grade 12 students with summer jobs working with various companies around Saskatoon,” he said. “They can gain some experience in a certain trade that they're interested in.”

He said several grads from the program have had success.

“We've got lots of kids that come back and tell us their success stories. I've got a few cabinet makers, a couple of electricians.”

Schrader said the houses were 97 per cent student built.

“We only hire out the electrical and the plumbing and some part of the insulating like the ceilings and the poly. So everything that they see is all student made. It's pretty amazing and rewarding as the teacher to see how they progress towards the end of the semesters and the end of the year and see how it all goes down.”