For the newest project, the students will be renovating a house that has been acquired by the city, instead of building one from scratch. The Rotarians will provide the $90,000 in materials needed to rehab the two-story house. Once completed and sold, the city will receive the back-tax funds and the Rotary Club will be reimbursed the $90k. Additional revenue will be applied toward scholarships and building supplies.
Rotary Club President Bill Kany said renovation is uniquely different from new construction, and will teach the students new skills. “(The modulars) they do right there at the school. It’s all new construction, everything from the floor joist up,” Kany said. “This project will give them the experience of what might come not as only as contractor, but as homeowner.”
School Superintendent Jeremy Ray said the project will include 20 students from the Building Trades I and II, as well as students from the Business Academy, Electrical Technology and Engineering, Architecture and Drafting programs.
“The whole idea is to use this as a teaching tool for the students,” Kany said. “We certainly have the collective expertise in the Rotary Club to deal with renovating and selling property. It’s a partnership that makes sense. It allows them to do something different than what we’ve done with the schools for 20 years.” The club will be responsible for selling the house.
Rotarian volunteers who are professional tradesmen will help with repairing the roof. Consideration is being given to building a covered garage. It will cost more but also yield a greater return, as well as expose the students to excavation work and setting a foundation.
“One of the nice things about this is if it does work out, it will allow us to have a greater return than we did on the modulars – more money to help with the needs of the Center of Technology and scholarship needs of kids coming out of the center,” Kany said. “There’s such a need for young people to get in the trades. It’s a great living and maybe it will inspire (the) next generation of tradespeople.” ##
(Photo credit: whiotv–Modular home built by Upper Valley Career Center Students)
