30th Career + Tech Student-built Home

Students, staff, and community members gathered in North St. Paul to tour the newly finished student-built home. Students in the Construction Occupations program at the 916 Career and Tech Center were excited to showcase their hard work in partnership with the city of North St. Paul (which owns/provides resources), St. Paul College (whose cabinetmaking students build and install the cabinets), and Century College (whose interior design students are responsible for many aspects of the cabinet design, color palette, flooring, hardware, etc).

The students have been revitalizing the city of North St. Paul by building affordable, modern, and high-quality housing. The program is the only one in the state where students get real-world experience constructing a full-sized house on-site; students spend only 10 percent of their time in a traditional classroom.

“This program provides high school students the chance to gain hands-on experience by building homes from the ground up and learning valuable skills in carpentry, masonry, plumbing, and more,” said Tom Spehn, the Construction Occupations Instructor. “These projects enhance the local housing market and offer students a unique pathway into the construction industry.”