Healdsburg High construction class will present year-long building project at parade
Since the beginning of the school year, sixteen students in the Construction and Sustainability Academy at Healdsburg High School have been building a tiny house that they plan to reveal to the community during this month’s Future Farmers Twilight Parade.
The 89-square-foot house built on a trailer will act as the CASA groups parade float entry and soon after will be listed for sale by the Wine Country Group. Proceeds from the house will be put back into the academy for future projects.
Students in the construction academy worked on everything from framing and electrical wiring to installing a bathroom and kitchen. The only part of the house that they didn’t build was a foundation, as the tiny house is built on a movable trailer.
“This project came about after a series of conversation between myself and Ray Holley (a volunteer at the academy) when we noticed that these types of houses incorporate a lot of different trades that we could teach students,” said CASA instructor Glen Schaezlein.
Not only are the students learning construction skills that they can take into the workplace but also soft skills on critical thinking, personal responsibility, pride and a sense of accomplishment, Schaezlein said.
“This project isn’t just about construction, it is about being prepared for the workforce. Career tech programs are changing education, not just in my class but at Healdsburg High School and in Sonoma County,” Schaezlein said noting that HHS tech programs in media and culinary are also growing, giving students a chance to explore subjects outside of the usual high school requirements.
CASA’s tiny house features a “grand room” with a small desk area, a bathroom including a shower, kitchen, and an upstairs bedroom with a television that can be viewed while lying in bed. The front of the trailer has a built-in storage box that also houses the water heater, gas and water hookups.
“I have been in CASA for three years and this year has been especially valuable learning all of the technical skills and working as a team on leadership,” said HHS senior Austin Beckdoss. “I think that it is a trade that students can learn and use after high school whether they are going into construction or want to work on a house of their own someday.”
Of all of the things that can go wrong on a construction site, Schaezlein said that they haven’t had any real mishaps but rather the hardest part as acting foreman has been the race against the clock. The class meets twice a week for a total of five hours and he only has 16 students. As for materials, CASA has had tremendous support from local businesses and community members to help pay for the project.
The tiny house is scheduled to be completed by the end of May in time to show it off to the community at the annual Future Farmers Fair Twilight Parade. The house will then be on display at the village of tiny houses at the Sonoma County Fair before going to the highest bidder.
One special feature added to the house project is the sound system that has speakers hooked up in the grand room as well as on the front/back porch.
“What do you expect? It was built by 16 boys,” Schaezlein smiled.
