Construction Boot Camp

The curriculum moved students through the full arc of residential construction. The town building inspector opened the week by teaching students how to read architectural plans and understand local code. A professional framer then guided students in building three connected wall sections: a four-foot wall with a door frame, an eight-foot wall, and a four-foot wall with a window frame, which the county building inspector then evaluated and declared up to code. From there, a licensed plumber introduced plumbing concepts and had every student solder a joint. An HVAC technician walked students through a hands-on installation, and an electrician closed out the technical instruction by teaching students to wire and install electrical components. The week concluded with local business owners and managers from electronics installation, garage doors, flooring, and lumber to help students connect their new skills to real career pathways.

Each participant completed the boot camp with a personal tool belt stocked with essential hand tools. Student feedback confirmed the program's impact. Before the boot camp, students rated their likelihood of pursuing a trades career at an average of 3 out of 5. Afterward, their understanding of available trades careers averaged 4.83 out of 5. Students didn't want it to end; feedback included requests for a longer program: “Could be a little bit longer, but structure and schedule were great,” and “Make it two weeks and then start off by slowly building a house the size of a shed and fully functional.”